Search - Mago De Oz :: La Ciudad De Los Arboles

Celt-Iberian Magic!

James B. Whitney | Minneapolis, MN. USA | 02/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mago de Oz may well be the most talented band in the world. They play a seamless blend of classic 80's style heavy metal with Celt-Iberian folk music. All the tunes on their latest masterpirce are full of power and majesty. Their vocalist, Jose Andrea has a great voice. He does not squeal or growl but he really can sing in the tradition of old school metal.

It is difficult to compare Mago with other bands since their sound is unique. I would advise those who are already fans to buy this album immediately. In my opinion, these guys just keep getting better. For those not familiar with the group, give this a try if you enjoy great folk metal. I assume that since this is an English language site, most of those reading this rewiew are native English speakers who may be reluctant to listen to Spanish lyrics. No worries! The music is so awesome that it stands on its own. For Spanish speakers, Txus' songs are as poetic as ever.

The folk influences are Celt-Iberian, probably Galician, with a bit of Basque and even a dash of mariachi. In addition to guitars. bass, drums, and vocals, their are also bagpipes. flutes, piano, syths and excellent choirs in places. All of this is flawlessly performed. I cannot think of a more talented and versitile band. Some of the keyboards remind me of Dave Greenfield of the Stranglers.

I really cannot recommend this cd enough. Mago de Oz has a Myspace page where you can listen to samples from this and other releases. La Ciudad de los Arboles is too beutiful to describe with words, it must be experianced!"

Same old stuff but it still rocks

Ernesto Manzo | Pleasanton, ca United States | 05/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have been listening to Mago for years and this album seems like a continuation of the past records but with a female vocalist added to the band. Their folk/rock style just never gets old and they get enough twists on their songs so they never get boring. Even though this is in Spanish, I urge rock fans to give it a listen just for it muscial content, you might be surprised."

Off to see the Wizard!

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 07/26/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I picked up a copy of Mago de Oz's latest release - La Ciudad de los Arboles (which if my high school Spanish serves me translates to "the City in the Trees") - knowing next to nothing about the band. I vaguely recall that Deep Purple legend Glenn Hughes did some live appearances with them at some point. Anyway, it was cheap and I was bored so I gave it a try.



Whatever I was expecting, this wasn't it. I guess you have to call Mago de Oz Spanish Folk Metal, and honestly I had no idea there was such a thing. The band takes a straightforward hard rock (and at times heavy metal) sound and infuses it with Celtic elements and melodies for a truly memorable experience. The lyrics are in Spanish, so I have no idea what they're singing about, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying Finntroll or Korpiklaani either. The melodies are completely infectious, and the metal elements definitely get the blood pumping. The occasional female vocals are a nice touch as well.



Given the surge in popularity of the pagan-type Nordic folk metal bands, I could definitely see Mago de Oz appealing to the more open-minded fans of that scene. It's probably not heavy enough (no harsh vocals) or Viking enough to completely satisfy the kilt-and-broadsword crowd, but they do share a lot of similar elements. Actually, they're probably closer to Skyclad than the Pagan Fest bands.



I can't remember the last time I had so much fun with a new metal discovery. I have a smile on my face just writing about it. I give La Ciudad de los Arboles a big thumbs-up, and recommend them to just about any open-minded hard rock and metal fan. This definitely won't be the only Mago de Oz disc I pick up.

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