SOUNDTRACK: MAGIC SWORD-Endless (2020).
Not long after the release of the Awakening EP, Magic Sword is back to conclude the story arc that the previous albums have created.
The Keeper (red, keyboard, audio-visual), The Seer (blue, guitar), and The Weaver (yellow, drums) are Immortal and they have seen a story like this one unfold many times. So they are not surprised by the direction it goes in.
“Depths of Power” opens this chapter with a slow pulsing matched with occasional power chords. “Invincible” adds a new sound palette to the band’s music. This song sounds a bit more like Tangerine Dream but with some more contemporary techno type sounds.
“Aftermath” adds some swirling uneasy sounds to the album. It contains curlicues of sound that wiggle around and segue into “Empress” which has a low rumble underneath the propulsive synths.
“Shores of Oblivion” is a more eerie soundscape of wind and slow pulsing waves of emptiness. When the fast melody comes from out of the waves it feels like something sinister heading right for you.
“rophecy” adds some light to the proceedings with an uplifting melody which is eventually corrupted by “Corruption” and turns into a more threatening tone.
“Ritual” introduces a fairly heavy bassline and some more modern sounding synths. Then “A New Quest” returns to the pulsing sound of old. “Hope” starts quietly but brings am uplifting melody that continues throughout the song.
“Endless” ends the disc with strings–ominous at first but which move into a more stately melody that fades out slowly over a long time–continuing endlessly
The band also released a single of “Invincible” with a remix by Waveshaper. I don’t typically like remixes, because mostly they just dump a new drum beat over an old melody, but this one plays around with the song in interesting ways. It turns it into something different without losing the original. I rather like the new bass line they add to the song.
In the comic book, Magic Sword says that this ends the cycle. Does that mean the end of Magic Sword … or the beginning of a new cycle?
[READ: October 29, 2020] Magic Sword Volume 2, Chapter 3
Chapter 3 concludes this cycle somewhat unexpectedly for me (although it makes perfect sense once it is explained).
When Chapter 2 ended, Nayia came face to face (or more like face to big toe) with The Colossus. It was the size of a mountain and seemed to be covered in bark. It quickly grabbed hold of her with its tendrils, trying to burrow into her orifices.
But the power of the Magic Sword was still within her and it fought back where she couldn’t. With its help she was easily able to best this beast.
But the story doesn’t end there. (more…)
