Magna Carta/Border
“…A celestial blend of enigmatic lyrical threads and layered neoclassical metal”, that is a quote from the info sheet. You need a university degree in English to come up with that phrase I believe. X OPUS is a band that is said to mix JIMI HENDRIX with SYMPHONY X and JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH! Band leader and guitarist James Williams proudly states that this is the album he´s been waiting all his life to make. I really have great expectations by now…
And yes, the guitar intro to “Terrified” is really striking. I detect YNGWIE J MALMSTEEN in here to, and the shared vocal parts never fail to impress. In short: An opening track to die for. Summoning the ten tracks I find a tad too many overlong songs, and a title track that is a rather pointless interlude clocking in at 1.50. The basic idea of tracks like “I Will Fly” and “Forsaken (Requiem of the Forsaken)” is fine, but doesn´t last for 7.9 to a massive 10.39! Then, on the other side there are fab songs like “I´ll Find the Truth” and the closing instrumental “Never Forgotten”, the latter I believe will never be forgotten. Sadly enough there are five songs betwixt those two that will be forgotten tomorrow. I tend to be very favorable of Magna Carta stuff, but this is too much of a hit and miss affair.
Track List
Terrified
On Top of the World
Pharaohs of Lies
I´ll Find the Truth
In the Heavens
The Epiphany (Opus Benedictus Interlude)
I Will Fly
Forsaken (Requiem of the Forsaken)
Angels of War
Never Forgotten
www.magnacarta.net www.xopusband.com
