POWER QUEST MAGIC NEVER DIES 2005 MAJESTIC ROCK RECORDS UK

Power Symphonic Metal, the musical genre, is one of the few in Heavy Metal Music that survives the test of time all over the world. Priest and Maiden are still around, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and U.F.O. members are also active. It's great that England is still providing us with great talent such as "The Darknesss"and "Dragonforce" in recent times.

Power Quest comes to life in march 2001 when keyboard virtuoso Steve Williams and bassist Steve Scott leave London Power Metal Dragonforce (by then called Dragonheart). Visionary musician Sam Totman who later went on to form part of Dragonforce, was featured on guitar parts also for Power Quest's first effort entitled "Wings of Forever" released on 2002, such album contained fast riffing, technical guitar playing and adventurous fast paced Programmed Drumming. "Wings" was mixed, arranged and engineered by two very good known Musician-producers and long time collaborators: Karl Groom(Threshold, Shadowland) and Clive Nolan(Arena, Pendragon, Shadowland).

Alessio Garavello from Arthemis is Power Quest's singer and front man since their early encarnation also Andrea Martongelli and Francesco Tresca on Guitars and Drums respectively, are part of the shape of this masterpiece called "Magic "Never Dies".

As the title suggests and the artwork (done by Toxic Angel) reflects, we see ourselves immersed in a fast and active fantastic world in which flying on spaceships its part of every day's life.
What's brilliant about this is that the music may sound innocently harmless, but it rescues the purity and imagery of a soundtrack.

Since the first steps of orchestration in the opener properly stated as "Ascension"(composed by Clive Nolan on an idea by Steve Williams), the record stands on it's own unique blend of Japanese animation Music and modern playing virtuosity.

Great musicianship yet not focused on just show off, the record brings the finest speed tracks written in a long time by a band with symphonic orientation, and instead of dramatic, medieval passages(there aren't to much), we hear old school resemblances combined with anthem-like motives.

The influences are blended, there's the particular British sound of bands like Saxon, the Irish touch of Thin Lizzy, the glam of Cheap Trick and Black and Blue are all combined with great lyrics and outstanding vocal lines, Front man Alessio Garavello can really hit the high pitch without sounding cliché or exaggerated yelling, instead he gives a balanced and powerful performance.

Find my Heaven, Galaxies Unknown(one of the fastest cuts on the album), Diamond Sky stand tall in to the fast mold tracks, with strength and hooking choruses with of course uplifting keyboard parts, speed galloping riffing and outstanding well crafted guitar solos.

The formula of "sing along song" is present on Hold on to Love and Children of the Dream, which would make them perfect for Radio airplay, the slow cut "The Message" brings to us reminders of 80's Pop music yet the rest of the songs are pure energetic Power Speed.

My favorites are Soulfire, the Japanese edition bonus The longest Night written by Clive Nolan and the majestic closing track Magic Never Dies, which is one of the best epic pieces from Power Quest.

Their music is simply enjoyable and positive, naive at times but seriously assembled by virtuosity and compromise, they are not as intricate as Dragonforce but certainly the music they make has some high level of elaborated work. Power Quest is one of the best and most original bands around.

Rodrigo Trupp