Magoa
Gig Seeker Pro

Magoa

| INDIE

| INDIE
Band Metal Rock

Calendar

Music

Press


"Magoa – Animal EP (Review)"

Frankrijk is niet het land waar ik mijn vakantie graag doorbreng. Sinds metal echter het exportproduct pur sang lijkt te worden, begint er wel iets te kriebelen. Begin november kwam Magao met zes nieuwe nummers op de proppen op de EP Animal. Hoewel de laatste cd van Caliban bovenaan mijn jaarlijst staat, hebben ze er met dit nieuwe product van Magoa een geduchte concurrent bij.
Vanaf de eerste tellen van A Thousand Lives ben ik overdonderd, zit ik op het puntje van mijn stoel en beweegt mijn lijf met onsamenhangende bewegingen. Het geluid van de band kan het beste vergeleken worden met een goed gemixt beslag van Caliban en Lamb Of God. Een ongelooflijke energie-explosie knalt de boxen uit waarbij de zang van Cyd Chassagne, ondersteund door een krachtige riff, een geluidsbarrière lijkt te willen doorbreken. Titelnummer Animal is van eenzelfde kwaliteit en intensiteit. Door gedurende het nummer even stoom af te blazen en van stijl te veranderen, krijgt het nummer meer spanning. Met Enemy weet ik het zeker. Zes nummers is veel te weinig. Na een intro met alleen gitaar vallen hi-hat en basdrum/snare in om daarna als een op hol geslagen heimachine het nummer te vervolgen. Het tempo ligt wat lager in den beginne en de zang is wat zuiverder van aard. Dessalniettemin rockt het nummer van begin tot eind en zou Max Cavalera jaloers kunnen zijn op de groove en het stemgeluid op de helft van het nummer. Verrassend genoeg komt het intro in het nummer terug waarna duidelijk industriële invloeden in het nummer verwerkt worden en een tempoverandering wederom de spanning verhoogt. Enemy is zeker de moeite waard om op de website van de band te bekijken op video. React is het begin van de tweede helft. Ik heb Cyd op de hele cd nog niet zo laag horen grunten. Sharks is het kortste nummer van de EP en neigt wat garagerockinvloeden te herbergen. Met The Grid zijn we alweer bij het laatste nummer beland. Het einde is helaas in zicht. Naast de varieteit in uptempo en zware groove gebruikt Magoa hier wat onregelmatige ritmes. Na bijna drieënhalve minuut sterft de muziek langzaam weg en blijf ik achter in stilte.
Nog nooit deed de stilte me zo terug verlangen naar het pompende, opzwepende en krachtige geluid van deze metalexplosie uit Frankrijk. En als een Animal ijsbeer ik rusteloos terug naar de cdspeler. - Rock Portaal


"Magoa – Animal EP (Review)"

The Metal scene in France is exploding and now add to the mix the crushing tones of the band Magoa. With their latest 6 song EP entitled, Animal, Magoa serve up a killer EP of 6 tunes that pulverizes the senses with a tight brand of Modern Metal that will leave you dying for more. Brutal, technical and powerful, this is an excellent slice of Cyber Metal for the 4th quarter of 2012.

CD opener, "A Thousand Lives", starts things off with a feverish pace, with it's almost Pantera like blast beat bashing to the head. Coupled with the break down groove and catchy chorus, Magoa are off to a good start. Next up is the smoking tune, "Animal"; with its staccato pounding and here is where you begin to hear what Magoa are really all about. Their syncopated heavy groove is undeniable and reminiscent of the newer forged Metal stylings of the first 2 discs of the mighty Mnemic and the equally amazing Darkane. But Magoa also incorporates some rather catchy riffing and get stuck in your head chorus's all while you find yourself never stopping the endless Headbanging to their nasty grooving.
Magoa are a 5 piece band that delivers the goods whether it be with the aforementioned "A Thousand Lives" and its big, lush chorus, the guttural and mechanical grind of "Enemy" or the down right filthy cool riffage of "Sharks" with its huge choral chant, Magoa are firing on all cylinders with this tease of an EP. Vocals are heavy and mean but clean enough to satisfy and dirty enough please, while the overall musicianship is spot on. Production is slick with that futurist tinge that a band like Fear Factory brought to the masses and this EP was also mastered by the one and only "Mudrock", so production values are up to snuff with the 6 great songs that make up this disc. With futuristic soundscapes built on every song on "Animal" along with smoking riffing and equally heavy groovin', this is a CD that is very HIGHLY recommended. I love these guys, this EP is killer!
- Sea Of Tranquility


"Magoa – Animal EP (Review)"

More French metal for Mikey and again…it’s good!

A hybrid of good old fashion metal based on the late 90’s metal-core formation but with no limp-wristed, clean vocal soaring in sight, any addition of melody comes from nice samples or gang vocals the way “Bleed the Sky” did it but mixed with a raw and dirty vocal style that balances the harshness and heaviness of the guitars, like the way “Martyr AD” used to do it and a style that has been forgotten. I was listening to both bands mentioned and remembered how much I loved that style and how it was tweaked from other influences like Slipknot, Lamb of God or even Pantera and you can hear these style of influences in the band’s music, which is always a good thing.

France seems to be at the fore-front of metal at the moment, with a plethora of good bands throwing some good albums at us and this is another. It’s by no means technically gifted, but it does have a certain “je ne sais quoi” that is really appealing; a no pissing about metal EP that is enjoyable right through. The six tracks do hammer home their anger in various forms, I mean “Magoa” is French for resentment (I think) and it would appear they resent those who are not willing to adapt to an ever changing world. Unless the band name is from the Portuguese for “mourning” or “woe” and then I haven’t the foggiest what they are sad about. However, their name aside and their reasoning behind the songs, it is a great little EP and is heading back to a style that has been forgotten and I for one like the comeback.

It’s a well blended EP and everything punches through as it should. Their raw and gritty sound seems deliberate in order to achieve that classic “heavy metal” sound but with enough tilt to have their own and deliberate sound which is captured with the synths and sample sounds, littered throughout the tracks. My only negative is that it is an EP, I would have loved to hear an album, but that would be really picky as I have really enjoyed what they have recorded and I will look forward to future releases from the band. It’s really hard to define, why I like it and will lean towards a nostalgic trip down metal-core lane, given I was speaking about certain other bands who defined this style in the late 90’s and if it is coming back, then I’m on board and will enjoy what it has to offer and if it isn’t and Magoa are the only new horizons of this style, then they will become a favourite of mine and long may they continue.
- Rock'n'Reel Reviews


"Magoa – Animal EP (Review)"

More French metal for Mikey and again…it’s good!

A hybrid of good old fashion metal based on the late 90’s metal-core formation but with no limp-wristed, clean vocal soaring in sight, any addition of melody comes from nice samples or gang vocals the way “Bleed the Sky” did it but mixed with a raw and dirty vocal style that balances the harshness and heaviness of the guitars, like the way “Martyr AD” used to do it and a style that has been forgotten. I was listening to both bands mentioned and remembered how much I loved that style and how it was tweaked from other influences like Slipknot, Lamb of God or even Pantera and you can hear these style of influences in the band’s music, which is always a good thing.

France seems to be at the fore-front of metal at the moment, with a plethora of good bands throwing some good albums at us and this is another. It’s by no means technically gifted, but it does have a certain “je ne sais quoi” that is really appealing; a no pissing about metal EP that is enjoyable right through. The six tracks do hammer home their anger in various forms, I mean “Magoa” is French for resentment (I think) and it would appear they resent those who are not willing to adapt to an ever changing world. Unless the band name is from the Portuguese for “mourning” or “woe” and then I haven’t the foggiest what they are sad about. However, their name aside and their reasoning behind the songs, it is a great little EP and is heading back to a style that has been forgotten and I for one like the comeback.

It’s a well blended EP and everything punches through as it should. Their raw and gritty sound seems deliberate in order to achieve that classic “heavy metal” sound but with enough tilt to have their own and deliberate sound which is captured with the synths and sample sounds, littered throughout the tracks. My only negative is that it is an EP, I would have loved to hear an album, but that would be really picky as I have really enjoyed what they have recorded and I will look forward to future releases from the band. It’s really hard to define, why I like it and will lean towards a nostalgic trip down metal-core lane, given I was speaking about certain other bands who defined this style in the late 90’s and if it is coming back, then I’m on board and will enjoy what it has to offer and if it isn’t and Magoa are the only new horizons of this style, then they will become a favourite of mine and long may they continue.
- Rock'n'Reel Reviews


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

Currently at a loss for words...