Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Magnus, Nick
Label: Esoteric Antenna
Release: 2014
Duration: 46:47
Rating: 4.5/5
British keyboardist, composer and producer Nick Magnus is best known to most symphonic prog fans as a former member of the solo band of legendary guitarist Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis) and as a founding member of The Enid. As a member of Hackett’s band between 1978 and 1989, Magnus played a key role in some of the ex-Genesis guitarist’s finest compositions, even if he also had a hand in a few ‘swings and misses’ like the album »Cured« (1981). After that extremely fruitful collaboration ended, Magnus went solo and, after a pretty modest start, began putting out increasingly interesting symphonic prog studio efforts. Especially the albums »Hexameron« (2004) and »Children of Another God« (2010) sound a lot like the best years of Hackett’s solo band (the late seventies).
»N’monix« is his sixth studio effort, and on it he joins forces with six different singers, plus Hackett himself, who contributed his guitar to three tracks (his third guest spot on one of Nick’s solo albums). Soprano sax and flute come from Hackett’s longtime collaborator Rob Townsend. Nick played all the keyboards and percussion, and on one of the tracks he even tried his hand at lead vocals. »N’monix« has at least a partial conceptual flavor, since most of the lyrics deal with the rise and fall of the old British Victorian aristocracy, which comes through especially on the track »Eminent Victorians«. That fits nicely with the melancholic atmosphere of most of the songs and the largely classical arrangements courtesy of the keyboard master, whose masterful playing successfully makes up for the ‘missing’ guitar lines and even the absence of a proper rhythm section. As you’d expect, some of the best moments on »N’monix« are the compositions where the old buddies, Magnus and Hackett, join forces (once again) and conjure up that nostalgic ambient magic so typical of Hackett’s early work.
»Time«, which opens with a bunch of unusual synth effects, makes for a seriously stormy start to the album. A mighty central keyboard phrase, backed by generous waves of Mellotron, successfully builds an authentic Victorian drama, while guest vocalist Tony Patterson, with his slightly frayed vocal approach, only adds to the enigmatic and at times almost phantasmagorical atmosphere, where it’s not hard to picture a dance of ghosts amid the ruins of an old mansion. Clever time changes and sly synth variations prove that Magnus hasn’t lost his knack for experimentation from his days as a key member of Hackett’s band. »Memory«, with the soprano voice of guest vocalist Kate Faber in the background, features solemn orchestral arrangements and at times sounds like a lament for the dead. The sacral arrangements and operetta vocals sound like they came straight out of some long-gone Victorian age.
»Kombat Kid« is packed with warlike symphonic arrangements and witty time changes, steered along by Patterson’s theatrical vocal approach, which ‘narrates’ the story of the misadventures of a modern-day nobleman, Richard York, a big-time video game addict. Nick’s Mellotron waves in the background once again conjure up a mysterious, sacral atmosphere ‘from ages past’. »Headcase« is another very interesting and fun creation, with jazz-fusion rhythmic shades, while Magnus himself takes the lead vocals and, in this unusual role, holds his own surprisingly well. The lyrics deal with the moral decay of a fallen aristocracy, while spiders long ago took over the ruins of the former estates (hence the hairy spider on the album cover). Nick’s ‘rainbow’ improvisation on the Minimoog is also a real feast for the ears.
»Eminent Victorians«, another successful return to the Victorian era, features Hackett’s guitar contribution and old pal Pete Hicks as lead singer (Hicks, like Magnus, was once a member of Hackett’s original backing band), and is easily among the best moments on »N’monix«. In structure and mood it sounds a lot like Hackett’s solo work between 1978 and 1980, and plenty of fans will be delighted by Steve’s unmistakable guitar soloing (two solos, actually) and the signature ethereal vocal harmonies.
The deeply melancholic »Broken«, where the great guitar maestro Hackett once again delights with his guitar variations while Magnus eagerly layers on orchestral-flavored keyboard textures, opens with a contemplative, ballad-like intro. The dramatic mood swells with the arrival of Townsend’s soprano sax and the Mellotron waves, while Nick shines above all on piano. »Shadowland« is a shorter ballad with sacral, choir-like vocal harmonies and a brilliant Hackett guitar improvisation, the kind only a virtuoso of his caliber can conjure. »Entropy«, maybe even the most ambitious composition on »N’monix«, is a total triumph of epic, symphonic grandeur with Nick’s subtle keyboard variations up front. Fragile symphonic embellishments build an indescribably beautiful and ethereal atmosphere, while guest singer James Reeves delivers an outstanding vocal performance and, over pastoral flute sounds, shifts the mood of the track for a while from the reign of melancholy into far more optimistic ambient shades.
»N’monix« is a real treat for all the symphonic prog gourmets out there who love the authentic sound of keyboards from bygone, romantic times, when most music was still made with heart and soul. Nick Magnus has made an album that reminds you at every turn why he was once one of the key men in Hackett’s solo band. »N’monix« is therefore a must for all fans of classic Hackett albums with Nick’s creative stamp on them, like »Spectral Mornings« (1979) and »Defector« (1980).
Lineup
Nick Magnus – keyboards, percussion, vocals (4), voice of Richard York (3)
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Steve Hackett – guitar (5, 6, 7)
Rob Townsend – soprano sax and flute (6)
Tony Patterson – vocals (1, 3)
Pete Hicks – vocals (5)
Tim Bowness – vocals (6)
James Reeves – vocals (8)
Kate Faber – soprano voice (2)
Andy Neve – backing vocals (5, 8)
Production
Nick Magnus
Tracklist
1. Time (6:23)
2. Memory (5:24)
3. Kombat Kid (6:28)
4. Headcase (3:49)
5. Eminent Victorians (7:01)
6. Broken (8:05)
7. Shadowland (2:51)
8. Entropy (6:46)
