Review & photos by Andrew Bansal
March 16th 2016, The Regent, Los Angeles CA: The term ‘progressive rock’ not only entails the transitional nature of that genre of music wherein it moves between passages of varying tempo and style, but also embodies creative innovation, experimentation and adventure. Last Wednesday March 16th 2016, Los Angeles got treated to an exemplary exhibition of progressive music, from one-of-a-kind French band Magma, who began a two-week North American headline tour the previous night in San Diego, with Los Angeles-based solo doom cellist Helen Money as the touring support act. Magma was founded on truly unique principles in 1969, with the vocals delivered in a constructed phonetic language called Kobaïan, and heavily psychedelic music to accompany the multi-layered singing. Magma disbanded in 1983 but returned in 1996, and not only have they influenced prog masters like Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt, but have garnered interest from younger generations of prog fans. A packed house at the Regent in downtown LA excitedly awaited their arrival.
Doors opened at 8, and at 9 PM, Helen Money took the stage, with a minimalistic setup of her cello and an array of pedals. This artist has invented a style of ‘instrumental cello doom’ all by herself, and it has not been surprising to note in the past few years that she has been welcomed with open arms as she has served as opening act to names like Neurosis, and to several other black/doom metal bands such as Lycus and Lake Of Blood. She played a 40-minute set which included the incredibly overwhelming ‘Radio Recorders’ off of her latest full-length solo effort ‘Arriving Angels’. Having seen her perform at venues like Five Star Bar, it was an interesting experience witnessing her on a much bigger stage, in front of a decidedly larger crowd.
The performance itself was as spellbinding as ever, in keeping with the reputation she has built for herself, but was marred slightly by the sub-par sound quality here at the Regent, as the overall volume simply wasn’t loud enough to translate the sheer power emanated by Helen Money through every meticulously measured note, at times extended to their absolute maximum as she bent and swayed her instrument after playing the note. Because of the lack of volume, it took a lot more to get this unfamiliar crowd’s attention, and complete audience silence, an important ingredient of a Helen Money show, could not be achieved. It would make a huge difference if she were traveling with her own sound person. Regardless, it is always a treat experiencing this brilliant artist, and metalheads and non-metalheads alike are strongly recommended to see her in concert at the next available opportunity.
Helen Money photos:
Shortly after, the eight members of Magma took the stage and began their psychedelic onslaught which held fans captive and hypnotized. With their strange phonetic language and equally strange instrumental layers, upon first impression it was perfectly clear that Magma is not the kind of band that’s instantly appreciable or enjoyable, even for diehard prog fans. It is an acquired taste to put it mildly, and many would perhaps rightly label Magma fans as hipsters. This band’s music is most definitely not for the casual fan or first-timer, and to truly appreciate and understand Magma, it takes deep, profound knowledge of the material that spans 11 studio albums and four decades, or heavy usage of psychedelic and hallucinogenic substances, or a combination of both. One can imagine Magma serving the most ominous and mind-bending soundtrack to an LSD trip or something of that nature, not that this writer has any firsthand experience of it.
The band brought forth a rich combination of instruments in a very old-school progressive rock manner, but the three-pronged vocal delivery was the standout and most overpowering element of the sound. Magma as a live band can hardly be described in words, and can only be experienced. Metal Assault has reviewed its fair share of prog-oriented bands and shows, but this set by Magma undoubtedly finds itself on its own pedestal as the strangest of them all. Overall, an intriguingly bizarre evening.
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Magma photos:
Set List:
01. Theusz Hamtaahk
02. Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh
03. Kobaïa
04. Zombies
Remaining Tour Dates:
Friday, March 18th at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, CA *
Saturday, March 19th at Wonder Ballroom in Portland, OR *
Sunday, March 20th at Crocodile in Seattle, WA *
Tuesday, March 22nd at Gothic Theater in Denver, CO *
Wednesday, March 23rd at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH *
Friday, March 25th at Reggies in Chicago, IL *
Saturday, March 26th at Reggies in Chicago, IL *
Sunday, March 27th at Mohawk in Austin, TX *
Tuesday March 29th at Aisle 5 in Atlanta, GA
Wednesday, March 30th at Underground Arts in Philadelphia, PA *
Friday, April 1st at Le Poisson Rouge in New York, NY *
Saturday April 2nd at Opera House in Toronto, ON
* = w/ Helen Money