MAGICA - review added 7th June 2010
Album Review: Dark Diary (2010)
For fans of: Female Fronted Melodic Metal... and mild screeching
Romanian female-fronted band Magica - Ana Mladinovici on vocals, Bogdan Costea on guitars, Vali Zechiu on bass, the comedically named 6Fingers on keyboards, and Cristi Barla on drums - already have four releases under their belts - two limited self-made albums, and two full international LPs. Dark Diary moves this melodic metal outfit onto either three or five albums...depending on your outlook.
The band was formed in 2002, and they soon released their debut, The Scroll Of Stone. Lightseeker came out in 2004. Hereafter and Wolves & Witches, Magica's first two global releases, followed a few years later.
The sound of Dark Diary is technically adept and features plenty of intricate guitars and keyboard flourishes. The drums pound along with abandon, and there's no criticising the bass line. The production by Ronny Milianowicz (Dionysus, Saint Deamon, Wolf) and Jens Bogren (Symphony X, Paradise Lost, Opeth) is beautifully clear and really gets the best from the musicianship.
The problem, unfortunately, comes from the vocals. To my ears, Ana Mladinovici is way too screechy to be a comfortable listen. She isn't fingers-down-a-blackboard bad, but she does spend a lot of time making a noise that simply doesn't match the quality of the music. It's a shame because there is plenty of decent songwriting going on here. To be honest, even with the best singer in the world, Dark Diary wouldn't have been amazing, but as it is it's a real let down.
It's hard to know whether to recommend this or not. To some people the vocals won't be that off-putting. For me, Magica is a band to be filed carefully out of reach.
Check out... The musicianship, not the vocals.
Track List:
01. Anywhere But Home
02. Tonight
03. Never Like You
04. Wait For Me
05. Need
06. Release My Demons
07. On The Side Of Evil
08. My Kin My Enemy
09. Used To Be An Angel
10. We Are Horde
11. Dear Diary
Label: AFM Records
Artist's website(s): Magica | MySpace
