Magic sword band volume 1 tracklist5/1/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() To some it may seem that the genre constructs a deep pit of despair presented with a tinge of 1980s nostalgia. You don’t have to look far to come across something like Black Mirror or A Handmaid’s Tale, both of which focus on dark outlooks that are not far removed from our own reality. The genre in and of itself is a contradiction, calling for a tech heavy retro-future at a time when pessimism surrounding the future and technology is the cultural zeitgeist. For example, John Carpenter’s They Live and James Cameron’s Terminator are often sampled or referenced in the music and album artwork. Horror and science-fiction films also heavily impact the genre’s sound. This subgenre of electronic music draws influence from the heavy-synth pop music of the 1980s as well as French house the musical movement that emerged in the late 1970s as a derivation of the Euro-disco dance scene. This retro-future sound, referred to interchangeably as synthwave or retrowave, terms coined sometime in the early 2000s, comments on the genre’s nostalgic capabilities. But what does the 1980s sound like? The music’s foundation is built on synths, articulated to hit emotional highs and lows, painting vivid imagery in each track. Often however, the glue that holds all of these mediums together is forgotten: the music. From films like Ready Player One and Thor Ragnarok, to TV shows like Stranger Things, to videogames like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon or Hotline Miami, retro-futurism has a strong resonance that doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. Over the past decade a cultural movement arose, drawing influence from the aura of 1980s style, seeping into every crevice of pop culture. It makes sense that during an era when Reagan was in the White House and the Cold War was at its height, an artistic atmosphere that celebrates the future while simultaneously fearing it would flourish. You immediately recognize its heavily saturated colors and bellicose designs, evoking a vibe that both looks to the future with excitement while maintaining dark, pessimistic undertones. Ultimately, Magic Sword stand out due to their elaborate concept and their steadfast dedication to it, and their music succeeds at capturing the appropriate moods and atmospheres.The art of the 1980s has a very distinct aesthetic that feels otherworldly, yet familiar. Of course, the same can be said about much of the synthwave scene - these are some of the qualities that draw fans to the genre. Elsewhere, the album is filled with slithering cinematic segues and suspenseful pulsations, all playing as the soundtrack to an epic battle against the forces of evil, culminating in the swaying power ballad "Hope" and the orchestral drama of "Endless." It has to be said that as enjoyable as this album is, it's hard not to compare it to the work of contemporaries like S U R V I V E (the revolving melody of "Aftermath" is highly reminiscent of the Stranger Things theme) or Com Truise (particularly the slo-mo swirl of "Empress"), not to mention vintage touchstones such as the soundtracks of John Carpenter. The album is a little less heavy and not as danceable as some of their previous efforts, although there are some dazzling synth-disco cuts such as the acid-tinged stormer "Invincible" and the brassy, bittersweet "Prophecy." "A New Quest" is another winner, briefly starting out slow and ominous before suddenly launching into a triumphant Italo-disco stride. Endless is the third and final chapter of the second volume of the Magic Sword saga, following debut full-length Volume 1 and two EPs. Their music blends arpeggio-heavy disco beats, in the vein of Giorgio Moroder and Cerrone, with wailing guitar and keyboard solos, and the Keeper wields a sword of light during the group's ever-evolving live performances. ![]() While this seems like a fantasy concept worthy of a power metal band like Helloween or Manowar, Magic Sword actually play synthwave, a retro-futuristic style of electronic music heavily inspired by the aesthetic of 1980s action and horror films. Instead of providing actual biographical information, their backstory is the legend of the Keeper, who was manipulated into freeing the Dark One from captivity and is now on a quest to find the Chosen One in order to unleash the power of the Magic Sword and return the Dark One to its eternal prison. Magic Sword are a cloaked, neon-masked trio of anonymous heroes who wish to be referred as the Keeper of the Magic Sword, the Seer of All Truths, and the Weaver of All Hearts and Souls. ![]()
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