Magenta
Wolverhampton Bilston Robin
11th April, 2008

Magenta, another female-fronted South Wales neo-prog band, are more traditional in style than contemporaries The Reasoning, but their best song, I’m Alive, would fit comfortably into the Within Temptation canon. Indeed, they’re not afraid to challenge their audience, many of their intricate, densely-arranged numbers well over 20 minutes long, including set-opener The Ballad Of Samuel Layne, from their latest, Metamorphosis. Aside from the keyboards of Rob Reed, and the excellent guitar of Steve Fry, their principal asset is the fine, clear voice of Christina Booth, who brings light and life to Magenta’s complex, Renaissance-like material. A good-sized crowd gave them a warm reception, and rightly so.