Majesty

Sundance

Is progressive rock dead? Not according to the group Majesty, who put on one fantastic display of a high tech hybrid of metal, jazz and classical influences. There is simply no other group that I’ve seen that put together so many diverse sounds and combined them so well. They do sound very akin to Rush, especially the vocals, but are so far advanced even in front of Geddy and company that nothing else really can come close to what these guys spew forth. They are a blur of technical prowess, and at the same time are incredibly melodic. Listening to them, you get the idea that this is what ELP could have sounded like if they built upon the foundations that they laid down for themselves.

Not knowing any of the titles of what they played didn’t really hamper things much, their debut LP arriving this coming January on the Mechanic label should fill in the missing holes. From the opening notes until the finale, patrons all around the room were caught with their mouths dangling as each musician displayed their wares. There was no competition in the band, instead they all seemed to complement each other as they just ripped through each number they played. Also, the fact that Majesty played long numbers really didn’t seem to matter since there is no drag or lapses into self-indulgent jams of sorts. There was purpose for everything that was performed and it worked out beautifully.

Expect big things to happen for this bunch. It is rare that you’ll find such a collection of talent in one unit. Majesty – the name makes sense, doesn’t it?

—Adam Barbasso