Gazpacho have been active since 1996. It’s a small wonder that they haven’t become a bigger player in the progressive music scene, as I think they deserve it. It’s been five years since their last album, but before that, they were very consistent with releases. Anyways, the new one is called Magic 8-Ball and it comes out on October 31st through Kscope.
Gazpacho comes to us from Norway. Their lineup has remained pretty stable. The current players are Jan Henrik Ohme on vocals, Thomas Alexander Andersen on keyboards and programming, Jon Arne Vilbo on guitars, Mikael Krømer on violin and guitar, Kristian “Fido” Torp on bass, and Robert Risberget Johansen on drums.
The band plays a blend of progressive rock and post-prog. They aren’t afraid to throw in some thematic sounds, like folk or carnivalesque music, and they are probably most known for Jan’s swooning, swaying vocal style. This album sees them maintaining their classic sound with a few curve balls, and it does feel a little more guitar-heavy than they usually offer.
This is one of those albums that is undeniably good, but it doesn’t ever rise above that. It’s a rock solid Gazpacho album, and I enjoy it thoroughly, but it doesn’t have that extra spark to imprint it on my mind, such as 2014’s Demon (still my favorite from them). Still, I’m enjoying it.
The first four tracks are all great. My favorites are the opener “Starling”, a 10-minute piece with some muted and warm tones, a slowburning rise, and a steady ending that I love; and “We Are Strangers”, a surprisingly catchy song with a very cool electronic overlay and some abstract portions that set it apart in the album. I love it. I also really like “Sky King”, a softly soaring piece that reminds me something of “Sky Burial” from 2018’s Soyuz. This half closes with the piano and guitar heavy “Ceres”, a short and eventful song that is really growing on me.
The last four tracks are all great, too. I do think the album loses steam with “Gingerbread Men”, a good track in its own right, but it likes to meander somewhat. However, it’s a good contrast with the titular single, a strange and spunky song that honestly doesn’t seem so weird after hearing it in the album proper, and it does make you want to sing along somehow.
The last couple songs are even better. I really like “Immerwahr”, a piece with quiet and positive energy that really sounds amazing, even though it is a slow burn to the guitars at the end. The closer “The Unrisen” might be my favorite overall with its exotic sound, huge synth solo, and sense of finality. I especially love the piano on that one.
Well, Gazpacho are back and they are consistent as ever. Magic 8-Ball isn’t anything new, necessarily, but it is really good and has some towering moments that won’t leave my memory any time soon. Fans will be thrilled with it, and I hope they gain some new ones, too.
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The PROG Mind 