MAGAZZINE - review added 1st February 2010
Album Review: Magazzine (self-titled) (2009)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and Spanish lyrics
Magazzine is a Spanish rock group started back in 1993. Their first demo was recorded a year later, and they were soon entering and reaching the finals of music contests around the city of Valencia.
The line-up has changed considerably over the years, and has included musicians such as Javier López on vocals and guitar, Paco Landete on guitar, and César Nos on the Bajo.
This self-titled debut album is actually a collection of songs written between 1995-2005. We don't normally look at greatest hits albums but, as none of these songs were formally released, we can view this as a standalone LP.
The sound is a mish-mash. The music is very Americanised, very upbeat, accessible and uncomplicated. the vocals on the other hand are Spanish language. It's hard to know whether the end result works or not.
We reviewed an album by Taifa a while back, and that featured Spanish vocals mixed with heavy metal, Flamenco and Moorish influences. We loved the way Alhambra was approachable yet stuck firmly and faithfully to its roots. The Taifa album highlights the problem with this release. The band are loyal to their culture with the singing, but not at all with the musicianship. I wish they could have either sung in English, or integrated more authentic sounds into the playing.
Overall this is an upbeat inoffensive release, but it does nothing particularly special. It's worth a listen if you get the opportunity, but it's hard to fully recommend.
Check out... 'The Promised Land', the only English language track. 'El Locutor' is catchy too.
Track List:
01. Vamos De Concierto
2. Quítatelo
3. El Locutor
4. Duros Dieciséis
5. Le Llamaban Tomi
6. Baila
7. Héroes
8. Neónica
9. Juego Y Adicción
10. The Promised Land
11. No Pierdas El Tren
12. Por Alguien Como Tú
Artist's website(s): Magazzine , MySpace
