Formed in 2001, Norwegian outfit, Magic Pie, return with their sixth studio album (having been six years since the predecessor), Maestro.

The centrepiece of the album is the two-part bookend, Opus Imperfectus with some 23 minutes of music, marking it out as one of those uber-epics which proggers simply adore. The band themselves state; “Music was his passion. His life, his love… his all.”  “Maestro! Where did you go? People ask and I need to know.” Does life imitate art, or is it the other way around?

If you are a fan of grandiose symphonic rock such as Transatlantic, Spock’s Beard, and The Flower Kings, you will be all over this album. I am predetermined to like that type of music, but it is also the case that there is more going on than merely that, some heavier stuff interspersed with the pastoral. It is a work which benefits from repeated listens.

So, we have seven quality tracks to dissect. Let’s go.

Eighteen and a half minutes for Opus Imperfectus Part One, the sleeve notes dissecting the purpose, meaning, direction, and genius of the maestro’s work, and from start to finish it is a symphonic delight, interspersed with some cracking riffs, jazz-infused interplay which can then turn into the type of improvisation that Purple did so well live back in the day, always, though, instantly recognisable in its Scandinavian heritage. Some of Kim Stenberg’s riffs take the breath away, and Erling Henanger gives a fine recital as keyboards leading the charge. The band make special mention, deservedly, of new drummer Martin Utby’s, work. Eirikur Hauksson has an expressive voice, and noticeable as ever are the harmonies, Lars Petter Holstad contributing as well as completing a very impactful rhythm section.

As a whole, this huge piece of music deserves the descriptor, much misunderstood in my opinion, of rock opera, the distinctive movements telling their stories, the emotions swirling and swaying as in the finest opera houses, the orchestration pretty much pitch perfect, the third movement, “The Legend, The Man, The Myth” one of the finest I have heard in recent times, thoughtful and expressive.

This really is something which demands patience, intense listening, switching off all distractions, and experiencing the sound of a band at the top of their game. When it gels, it does so in the most joyful manner, and hence the reason why I have waited to publish this review just over a week before release. The advance copy was kindly sent to me by the incredible Anne-Claire at Bad Dog Promotions several weeks ago, and I think the best way to close the discussion of this huge first part of the epic is to state that it has not only had a lot of listening time for this review, but will continue to be played frequently after you read these words, and, believe me, for a website which publishes at least a couple of album reviews a week, that is pretty high praise.

Difficult to follow that, really, but the band do this very well with a fine selection of songs and themes. The second track is By the Smokers Pole, and it is just over three years since Lazland, for the final time, ceased to indulge in such pleasures. Do I miss a puff every now and then? Yep, indeed I do. The lyrics similarly talk to me of a yearning, a need for love, for physical contact, for understanding. Indeed, this song is a strong contender for a “Love Song of 2025” award on the end of year awards here. The instrumentation is simply beautiful, the guitar work especially conveying the musical emotion perfectly accompanying the delicate vocals, the solo three minutes in oozing with feeling.

Name It to Tame It is interesting conceptually, on initial reading looking for all the world like one of those “inspirational” corporate videos or training courses in which we are all exhorted to be ourselves, but only in the way we are told. There is a video for this track embedded below. Great to see the band in action in a classic rock delight, certainly one that Purple fans will lap up, very playful in parts. It all builds to a wonderful crescendo, Utby especially having a ball.

I love Kiddo, the theme of which is exercising the minds of intelligent commentators the world over. Just how much notice should we take of “influencers”? Are we drowning in a pool of information? Well, it certainly seems like it sometimes, and the struggle to retain a sense of individuality amidst all this noise will, I believe, be the defining struggle of my son’s generation, that is if my generations leaders don’t finish them all off with our political imbecility first. This is a very short piece of music, just over two minutes, which starts with the desolation of a moral desert, the keys yearning and sad. It’s one of those tracks I wish could have been a lot longer, because the pastoral and thematic ideas therein are so profound.

Someone Else’s Wannabe follows, and it is embedded below for you to enjoy. It follows on nicely from the preceding track. You are tuned in. You are remote controlled. When we are someone else’s wannabe, are we really in control? “Interacting” with complete strangers on the other side of the world, do we retain a sense of self? I just love the resume of the main musical themes at the start. This track highlights the tightness of this band, the obvious joy they have in playing and creating together, a song which roars its way into your listening consciousness from initial to final notes, with a gloriously dirty Hammond to love in between.

Everyday Hero. That foot soldier who does his “9 to 5”, getting up on time, commutes, “does his bit”, goes home, and starts the weekend entertainment, but always looking forward to starting all over again when he goes to bed on Sunday night. Fascinating, a slab of real-life observation, and cleverly not pumping up the emotion, but reflecting the experience of the people who basically keep the country going by slogging away the way they do. The opening riffs are chugging and relentless, reflecting perfectly the theme, but as it develops, the chorus especially draws you in with a burst of musical sunlight full of commercial sensibilities. Magic Pie do playful, happy, contented extremely well. This joyous noise is embedded below for you.

As indicated at the top of this review, the magnum opus bookends the album, so off we go to part two. A salute to the maestro, to the genius, the final words full of longing and mystery. The opening guitar notes are ghostly, but as we move along, it is simply a crescendo and cavalcade of noise, the band filling the room with their tribute, the guitar solo singing to us, the band thumping out underneath.

To get this album, you should pop along to https://magicpie.bandcamp.com/album/maestro

In a year where I have already reviewed so much quality music, as an example of class, Maestro stands out. I really cannot recommend it highly enough.