Magic 8-Ball by Gazpacho

Magic 8-Ball by Gazpacho, 2025 album.

Although the name recalls the famous Andalusian dish Gazpacho, this is a Norwegian progressive rock band. Formed in Oslo in 1996 by Jon-Arne Vilbo and Thomas Andersen, along with Jan-Henrik Ohme (who were later joined by Mikael Krømer, Lars Erik Asp, and Kristian Torp), they rose to fame as a support act on Marillion's tour, with whom they share a certain sound, but over time they have evolved into a completely recognizable and personal sound.

Magic 8-Ball comes five years after 2020's Fireworker.

The title refers to the well-known plastic sphere, designed to resemble a large eight-ball billiard ball, used for divination or seeking advice. It was invented in 1946 by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman and produced by Mattel.

The album is connected to this divinatory object not only because of the eight tracks, but also because they are linked by the concept of "...fate, how it moves without warning and how the choices we make can slowly uproot who we thought we were", as explicitly described on the band's official website.

The number 8 also recurs on the vinyl label, which horizontally takes on the infinity symbol (∞), as shown in the photo.

The vinyl is beautiful, literally studded with translucent stars (picture below), truly unique in this limited edition Sparkle Vinyl version, a perfect complement to the album's sound.

"Starling" opens the album, a beautiful ballad with an ethereal and dreamy feel, featuring warm vocals, beautiful keyboards, acoustic and electric piano, and powerful guitars. It's a long song that conveys intense emotions through various atmospheric solutions, first based on synth sounds and then acoustic guitar with a medieval-sounding interlude. With the electric guitar and intense drums, the song grows into an epic and powerful piece. The melody, poignancy, and vocals are beautiful as the song builds in intensity, while the piano unfolds in a tense and continuous arc and the guitars become more incisive, one of which features a beautiful, high-pitched, fast solo. The melodic element returns at the end. A beautiful song.

"We are Strangers" begins with low, deep synth sounds and post-processed vocals, with a solemn and haunting tone. The song kicks off with a stripped-down rhythm and beautiful vocals, while electric piano and bass create an almost electronic and futuristic foundation of loops and synthesized sounds in an electro-pop and new wave style. The track is compelling and atmospheric, showcasing complexity in the overlapping electronic and acoustic sounds, often all working together to create a rhythmic layering. This beautiful song closes with a moving melodic section.

- Sky King begins lightly with synths and vocals, with a beautiful melody and intense vocals, with sampled sounds filling every space. The song ignites with a deep bass and an energetic lead guitar, a beautiful epic phase that converges into a more rhythmic section with a beautiful, sustained yet controlled drum groove and a layer of synths with a low synth loop in the background. The driving and powerful epic phase returns and alternates with a melodic and atmospheric moment of solo electric piano over a light, deep, and continuous synth base, and with this suspended atmosphere this beautiful song closes.

“Ceres” begins with an eerie electric piano, soon joined by vocals and drums, giving the song a boost. The song moves with a slow, powerful pace, and the beautiful vocals create a mysterious atmosphere. The drum part and vocals in the chorus are beautiful, supported by excellent backing vocals. It's an enveloping and engaging song with an epic feel.

“Gingerbread Men” opens with an intense, deep-echoed voice, bass, and synths creating an ethereal atmosphere that gradually becomes more energetic. Clean, precise drums and a beautiful layer of synth and electric piano, with sporadic synth "hits" in a haunting, deep, rhythmic boost on the upbeat, create a beautiful atmospheric solution. The song has a good level of complexity, emphasized by drums that are never scholastic and enrich the piece with taste. A syncopated section then begins with a synth that punctuates electronic sounds in a sort of duet with bass and drums, a beautiful electro-acoustic rhythmic interlude. The mood then returns to ethereal with synths and a distant pizzicato, a beautiful voice, and the overall atmosphere grows, becoming epic and enveloping, intense and passionate with a strong guitar in the background. Then the song opens up and the mood shifts to a sunny, hopeful atmosphere. This beautiful piece closes with vocals and synths fading into an ethereal atmosphere.

The title track, "Magic 8-Ball," is a playful and upbeat piece with a classic neo-prog rhythm and rhythmic interweavings that make it a prog ballad with a wry voice. The melody might recall a medieval ballad, but the sounds and rhythm are modern and completely focused on the theme. The powerful synths and vocals stand out in an extraordinary performance, at times theatrical but without excess, always believable.

“Immerwahr” begins with "games" of electric piano and vocals in a light rhythm. The song starts off captivating, a beautiful "song" with an excellent melody, then shifts, and the guitar and rhythm take us back at times to the '70s masters of symphonic rock, before returning to the neo-prog of the '80s and '90s with optimism and lightness. A beautiful "song" with the complexity and intertwining atmospheres of a broad prog repertoire spanning fifty years. The song closes lightly with acoustic guitar and vocals, a basic drum and bass tempo, and beautiful guitars that build as the song grows, becoming epic at the end. A beautiful juxtaposition of styles creates a new style.

“The Unrisen” closes the album and begins with beautiful vocals and synth effects, with sounds reminiscent of Japanese melodies, giving way to a medieval atmosphere in the sounds and melody. The vocals are that of a beautiful melodic song, and the interludes hark back to the new wave sound of the 80s and 90s. The song reaches a peak of intensity, driven by the beautiful, passionate vocals. Here too, the rhythm section is never banal, but rich in detail and nuance, and the keyboards return with their enveloping and captivating vintage sound. The rhythm changes again, and while the keyboards trace a beautiful, intense progression, the drums and bass simplify, and then the song begins again with great power. A song that sums up the album's stylistic vision.

The album's strengths lie in the great skill of the individual musicians and the compositions.

I was particularly impressed by Jan Henrik Ohme's warm voice. It's been many years since I've heard a voice of this "importance," both in tone and breadth, in his great interpretive ability, and in his flexibility in ranging from romantic, epic, sarcastic, theatrical, and powerful atmospheres and sensations. He could have come from one of the historic '70s prog bands, among which this band could truly rank.

The synths and keyboards on this album are essential and are among the absolute protagonists of the album, featuring Thomas Alexander Andersen with his beautiful keyboards and acoustic and electric piano. The album would absolutely not be the same without him. The sounds are crucial in defining the changing intensity of the songs, the exploration of sounds and solutions that he implements with his synths, creating loops and layers of innovative sounds. Also noteworthy is the great acoustic and electric piano, which are fundamental in the songs where melody and harmony reign supreme, often layered with synths that also provide a fundamental rhythmic contribution, with syncopations, loops, and sound boosts that create the atmosphere of anticipation, tension, mystery, and magic that are frequent throughout the album and the concept. The keyboard and synth sounds fill every space with taste and great creativity.

Jon Arne Vilbo and Mikael Krømer's guitars do a great job, never invasive, always focused on the songs, often with continuous riffs that augment the keyboards' array of sounds or with sharp, dizzying solos, powerful explosions with controlled distortions that give a sense of grandeur. Never purely hard rock or metal, they take sounds from hard rock and metal, expressing them with a Prog twist and great taste.

The rhythm section is always in control, both in the groove and in the essential, unobtrusive rhythms when the songs become atmospheric or purely melodic, with some moments where they accompany the melody with loud sounds and powerful grooves in a strange, magnificent contrast. The drums, which are never scholastic, often introduce complexity to songs that would otherwise have a simpler structure, tastefully enriching them with detail and nuance. The bass is spectacular in its undisputed precision, often an invisible protagonist, with deep sounds and beautiful variations. A subwoofer comes to mind; by definition, when tuning a system, it "shouldn't be heard," but if you remove it, the sound changes completely.

The album made me think. We're not talking about a simple "fusion of genres" as often happens in neo-prog or modern prog crossover bands, but rather a juxtaposition of styles. The prog sound expressed by this band appears to be deeply rooted in the DNA of those who play it. There are no references or copy-pastes of typical prog clichés; rather, we find the memory and fifty-year tradition of a genre and its subgenres, which are transferred to the experience of performing and therefore listening as something inevitable.

The compositions are complex and draw on medieval prog themes combined with other neo-prog solutions. The sound is a sort of synthesis of musical experiences spanning the '70s to today, with influences from loops and synthesized sounds, and some melodic passages rooted in electro-pop, new wave, dark wave, electronic rock, and industrial rock from the '80s and '90s, neo-prog, symphonic rock with its epic, pastoral, and medieval emphases, and rock, but also pop, as the songs are beautiful and maintain their structure despite their complex and rich arrangements, which are very refined and dense with nuance.

A truly remarkable work, absolutely recommended.

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.

LineUp

- Jan Henrik Ohme - vocals
- Thomas Alexander Andersen - keyboards, programming
- Jon Arne Vilbo - guitars
- Mikael Krømer - violin, guitar
- Kristian "Fido" Torp - bass
- Robert Risberget Johansen - drums