MÄGO DE OZ - GAIA III: ATLANTIA

I confess: I haven't listened to MÄGO DE OZ in years. I stayed in the 'Finisterra', and the rest have only been individual songs heard on the radio, discotheques or the media. What has moved me to listen to this album have been the comments from fans who said that the album is weird. MÄGO DE OZ weird? In general, they have always followed the same compositional line, with some evolutions, yes, but from there to being rare…. As 'Atlantia' is made up of two CD's, let's start with the first ...

The last part of this trilogy begins with an instrumental song accompanied by a series of radio cuts explaining events that marked a before and after in history, such as the incident of the Twin Towers, the death of Franco or, the most shocking, the fact that if humans were to go extinct there would be no ecological repercussion. But let's put ourselves in the situation, the concept of this album is the continuation of the story of alma Echegaray, personification of Gaia or Mother Nature, continuing her travels through time and the world teaching us to see what life offers us, in this case with stop in the Andes, specifically in the Inca Empire. Nor is it necessary to introduce the group, they have a more than known trajectory with such a characteristic sound that with the first riffs of their songs you know perfectly that they are. Another of its characteristics are the choruses, which, together with the aforementioned, can be found in “Dies Irae”, the second song on the album. Personally, I find that this song starts out very strongly but ends up being repetitive and long in its more than nine minutes. “Für Immer”, with a chorus in German like when Queen DORO decided to collaborate with them years ago in Spanish, will be one of the hits on the album and live, because it has it all: a catchy song with an even more catchy chorus if possible. "Vodka 'N' Roll" will be another of his successes for both musical and lyrical fun, and that is what Jack Sparrow from Madrid has proposed to be the best drunken pirates and organize the biggest parties, and more if it is together with Kutxi from MAREA, who collaborates on this issue! "The Prince of Sweet Sorrow (Part IV)" reminds us at times, and thanks to the electronic elements, RAMMSTEIN. The vocal collaboration of Carlos Escobedo (SÔBER, SAVIA), mixed with the tessitura of José Andrea, magnify this beautiful song that will surely be another of the hymns most sung live and well accepted by its audience, despite this electronic fusion not before heard in them. For the most badass and rock fans we have “Mi Hogar Eres Tú”, with many Hard Rock influences, ideal for the collaboration of guitarist Jorge Salán (now ex-member of the group). “Fuerza y Honor: El Dorado” shows us the most folkloric part of the group with this instrumental theme and many electronic elements, leaving a greater importance to the violin and the flute. But the rarest song on this first album, and also the most elaborate, is “El Violín Del Diablo”, where Patricia takes the lead in the voices, putting aside her lyrical timbre to offer us a much more rocker and broken one. And to finish the first part of the album we have “Siempre (Adiós Dulcinea Part II)”, one of those ballads in which the lyrics sink deep into you that MÄGO has us so well accustomed to.

The second part begins with a sound of hope under the name of “Mis Demonios (Dare A Vivir)”, which will be another of the hymns on this album due to its musical structure. The single "Let The Wind Blow Your Favor" is one of the most commercial of all his work, with a theme of the most pirate and party at the level of the American pirates SWASHBUCKLE. The tribute to his Spanish roots is in “Sueños Dormidos”, influenced by groups like TRIANA, an innovative song if we compare it with the group's usual record. And the album continues to offer us rarities such as “Still Amanece Gratis” letting the guitars, flute and violin shine to the rhythm of Jazz. After so much innovation comes the touch of humor with “La Soga del Muerto (Ayahuasca)” that, as freaky as it is, is sure to become a success.

We come to the end of the album, but not before offering us a good dose of Heavy Metal as only they know in “La Ira de Gaia”, where Jose shows us a new tone of voice that is not so sharp, ideal for the song. The full stop is “Atlantia”, a twenty-minute song that begins in an orchestral way, referring to the beginning of this work. As at the time they did in "La Cantata del Diablo", belonging to 'Gaia II: La Voz Dormida', they have had the opportunity to count on the collaborations of Francis Sarabia, Natalia Marín, Tony Menguiano, Tete Novoa, Silverio "Silver" Solórzano, Javier Díez and Leo Jiménez “la Bestia”, each one in their specialty. It is here where we see the most radical change of the group, making musical changes everywhere, all well coordinated with a surprising final result not apt to be well perceived at the first listen, with the addition of political and ecclesiastical themes, always very present in the group, which makes the song sound even more imposing.

Yes, 'Atlantia' is a rare album if we take into account the entire musical history of the people of Madrid. On the one hand, it is appreciated that they have changed that repetitive sound that they had been using for years, that although it is true that this technique has always worked for them, becoming one of the most famous Rock groups in our country, it has become make it quite repetitive. On the other hand, and even more knowing the amount of public that follow the group that is strangers or does not like to listen to progressive sounds and innovations, this album can make these people disengage from the group. Be that as it may, 'Atlantia' is a surprising album, with both commercial, rock and innovative doses, I may well be well accepted by its fans or, as has happened with JUDAS PRIEST's 'Nostradamus', be judged unfairly.

Training:

José Martínez Arroyo - Voices

Patricia Tapia - Voices, Choirs

Juan Carlos Marín López “Carlitos” - Guitar

Francisco Javier Gómez de la Serna “Frank” - Guitar

Sergio Cisneros Anguita “Kiskilla” - Keyboards

Carlos Prieto Guijarro “Mohamed” - Violin

Fernando Ponce de León - Flute

Pedro Díaz "Peri" - Bass

Jesús María Hernández Gil “Txus di Fellatio” - Drums

Xènia Senserrich