Universal Totem Orchestra - "The Magnus" Review

Artist/ Band: Universal Totem Orchestra
Title: The Magnus
Label: Black Widow
Year of Release: 2008
Offical Artist/ Band Link

The Review:

I’ve heard of the band Universal Totem Orchestra prior to getting The Magus, which was released in 2008. So when the cd arrived in my mail box, I was intrigued to hear what the band was all about. I was pleasantly surprised with what I initially heard. From my limited knowledge of the most complex style progressive rock bands, I feel a resemblance to Present’s 1998 release, Certitudes but with horns and female voices added on. I listened more to The Magnus and it kept pulling me inward to embrace their form of progressive rock. Another somewhat similar band to compare UTO to, from memory of Progfest ‘95, is Deus ex Machina.

Epic is a word I have to use to describe the music on The Magnus. Right off the back, they start off with an almost 20 minute song “De Astrologia” which has a sort of earworm effect on me. The song rings on way after it’s over. They continue to delight the senses throughout the rest of the album, which has several epics songs along with two songs under the 7+ minute mark.

After hearing the album, I felt compelled to listen again. I felt sort of bewitched with the music of Universal Totem Orchestra. If you enjoy sub-genres like Zeuhl, avant-garde or complex music, then look no further. I would even say the uninitiated open-minded music lovers would need to seek this album out. Highly recommended

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on September 30th, 2009

Tracks:

01. De Astrologia

02. Coerenza Delle Percentuali

03. Les Plantes Magique

04. Ato Piradime

05. Mors, Ultima Linea Rerum

06. Vento Madre