O Bem Dotado O Homem de Itu (1978)

This excellent sounding live recording of MAGMA is from November 16, 1978. It was recorded at the Cinéma Opera in Reims , France…

Deftly mixing equal parts of folk and symphonic prog is what this Spanish band does best. The Strawbs did it with English folk whereas Ibio stress their Spanish roots; however, the comparison stops here as their musical styles have absolutely nothing in common. This quartet from Cantabria (land of the famous Caves of Altamira) released only one LP back in 1978 and then mysteriously disappeared. Despite some Italian symphonic overtones brought on by the lush keyboard work, the mostly instrumental album "Cuevas de Altamira" never lets you forget its Iberian origins: typical Spanish melodies with a generally upbeat tempo, strong presence of the acoustic guitar and a few but emphatic vocals (perhaps a little overwrought for some tastes). The abundance of moog, synths and mellotron, the complex drumming and the mildly distorted and phased electric guitar make it a 100% prog album.

With its complexity and instrumental richness, its ability to develop anguishing themes and electric rises and its overgrowing tension, Shylock has often been compared to King Crimson. Actually, this instrumental combo also belongs to wild and intricate Progressive rock with tormenting atmospheres, but has its own personality. The latter is expressed through overwhelming lyricism and refined romanticism, a bit like Pulsar. With its schizoido-electronic dimension, Shylock can also make you think of Heldon. What's more, each musician is a real virtuoso, especially guitarist Frédéric L'epee and outstanding drummer André Fisichella. As "Gialorgues" (1975) can be considered as a very good debut album, "Ile de Fièvre" (1978) is widely known as an absolute masterpiece.