Album Review
The Magick, Volume 1 by Alchemy VII has its ups and downs. It's a mixed start, yet it also shows potential for improvement. They call it spiritual rock, and in this case the spirituality is pagan. Credit where due, they seem sincere in their beliefs. Even most non-pagans will agree that caring for the Earth, as on the four part "Earth Song" series, and respecting life are worthy goals. Even if "A Thousand Years of Peace" may seem unlikely, given human nature, who could not help appreciating the urge to work for that? They're a bit bright and upbeat for the goth crowd, with "Celebration" talking about miracles and reclaiming personal power, yet that's the group that would take to their somewhat harsh vocals on the more rocking numbers. Gina Citoli, the lead singer, has not yet learned to hold back from the line between singing and shouting. She crosses over it going for the big sound, the all-out production number, or huge finish, yet there are times when a whisper would prove more effective. As is, she sometimes loses melody, going for volume. Citoli strains a bit on words like "infinity," going sharp in the effort. It's one thing to be enthusiastic, yet overdoing it creates production flaws, just as much as under-vocalizing would. Yelling is not a substitute. Citoli needs to learn to project her voice instead. Sadly, the quality of the lyrics fluxes greatly, from mystical and uplifting on "The Alchemist" to vapidly trite on "Eyes of a Child." Tears and fears? Faces and places? Give listeners a break. Somebody needs to write "eschew the overdone phrase" on the chalkboard of the mind's eye 500 times, until it sinks in. That one definitely needs rework on the words. Still, there's definite promise shown on "The Alchemist," which has some nice backup vocals as well as effective lyrics, and "The Moon Tune," which finds a balance between the '80s rock influence and their own original words about a wild night. More like those, please! Hopefully, future releases will find their style maturing and becoming more polished.
