MAGIC KINGDOM – Savage Requiem [limited edition digipak] (2015)

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Don’t let a name like MAGIC KINGDOM fool you; it may suggest sweet things like Disney theme parks but this Belgian powerful quartet are far from it. They are ballsy and they mean business; this is certainly what their fourth studio album “Savage Requiem” shows us.

This is my first time listening to Magic Kingdom, and I found many interesting things.
First, I miss Yngwie Malmsteen, the Yngwie of the first 6 records… and Magic Kingdom is what Yngwie’s Rising Force used to be: powerful classic metal with an incredible pristine melodic sound.
Second, lead guitarist Dushan Petrossi is also part of power metallers Iron Mask, not among my favorite bands for sure, but Magic Kingdom is much more melodic. Really Melodic.
Third: Petrossi almost looks like Yngwie nowadays!

That third statement is not relevant at all, and Petrossi’s guitar style is pretty different to Yngwie’s. What it isn’t different is the musical approach.
Regarding of what I read before listening “Savage Requiem”, Magic Kingdom is considered a Power / Symphonic Metal act. Well, you can tag this band like that, but a more proper description would be NeoClassical Metal.
Yes, “Savage Requiem” – even in its title and artwork – packs all the clichés from the genre made popular by Yngwie 30 years ago, but man, crafted with stupendous quality.

Demons and Kings, Princess and Dragons… many can’t dig this stuff in 2015. I Do.
When it’s done with this class, perfect musicianship and the right production this type of music needs – and I repeat, for me this is ’80s NeoClassical Metal – I love it.
Think Yngwie but also Axel Rudi Pell or Timo Tolkki solo: “Savage Requiem” add lots of Rainbow-like keyboards, busy rhythm section, a proper shouter in Christian Palin and a clean – yet fast as a Mustang – Dushan Petrossi flying over the fretboard.

All songs are plenty of sweeping melodies that make you want to swish your hair around in windmills, and memorable guitar solos that you will be practicing air guitar to many years later.
Clichéd and all, I am in love Magic Kingdom’s “Savage Requiem”.

01 – In Umbra Mea
02 – Guardian Angels
03 – Rivals Forever
04 – Full Moon Sacrifice
05 – Ship of Ghosts
06 – Savage Requiem
07 – Four Demon Kings of Shadowlands
08 – With Fire and Sword
09 – Dragon Princess
10 – Battlefield Magic
11 – Dragon Princess (Acoustic Version) [bonus]

Christian Palin – Vocals
Dushan Petrossi – Guitars
Vassili Moltchanov – Bass
Michael Brush – Drums

BUY IT !
shop.afm-records.de/en/magic-kingdom-savage-requiem-digipak-en.html
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