MAGICAL HEART – Another Wonderland (2018)
To be released tomorrow via the ever-reliable label Fastball Music, “Another Wonderland” is the debut release by German melodic hard rockers MAGICAL HEART. However, they are not newcomers at all; all are experienced musicians and as band previously operated under the name Quo Vadis.
Now with slight changes in the line-up and magical-hearty new name, the group recorded this 11-track offering inspired by the classic sound of the genre.
The history of the songs on “Another Wonderland” goes way back to the year 2014. With drummer Charly Barth (Wayward), vocalist Christian Urner (Herezy, Old Age Revolution), bass player Robert Frenz and ex Hammerschmitt guitarist Gernot Kroiss, a rocking and powerful band was founded creating over the years a fan base in the Bavarian region by playing many live shows under the interim name “Quo Vadis”.
After having written a few songs and preparing the production of an album, they decided to give a more suitable name to the project and MAGICAL HEART was born.
Following the album’s finishing Kilian Kellner joined the band because Charly Barth left due to personal reasons.
Magical Heart are straight melodic hard rock with a classic German sound for the genre, in an early Nineties mold. You have titanic-sized riffs, huge choruses, and a generous dose of guitar solos.
There is plenty of solid musical skill on display here, and these guys know how to vary their song material and infuse it with atmosphere and conviction.
The rhythm section is pretty damn tight and the dynamic guitar duo consisting of Gernot Kroiss and Christian Urner sounds inspired and draws on everything from the ’80s twin guitar bands, from Thin Lizzy to Def Leppard and further on to Bonfire.
But musically, and in general style Magical Heart bring to mind other acts.
In the pretty hard rocking opener ‘Dream No More’ they sound like late Eighties Vice, on the catchy ‘Silence and Dreams’ they have a Casanova and all Michael Voss bands feeling, then the elaborated title track bring to mind Americans Neverland (remember them? they did a song for Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey: Music from the Motion Picture).
‘Magic’ adds a touch of ’80s melodic rock with its hooky melody, ‘Ocean’ is a very melodious midtempo, and ‘We Are Not Lost’ a ballad with a Bai Bang feel on it.
Magical Heart possess confidence and you can tell that their songs have all been lovingly crafted, classy stuff in the Germanic style of the melodic hard rock genre.
“Another Wonderland” is a very promising start from a band with lots of potential.
Two thumbs up
01 – Dream No More
02 – Silence and Dreams
03 – Another Wonderland
04 – Magic
05 – Ocean
06 – See The Light
07 – Shadows
08 – We Are Not Lost
09 – Time Will Come
10 – Fire on Earth
11 – Ocean (Piano Version)
Chris – Vocals, Guitar
Gernot – Guitar
Robert – Bass, Backing Vocals
Kili – Drums
PRE ORDER:
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