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Chaos Magic: Emerge
Chaos Magic - Emerge Album Art

Chaos Magic: Emerge

Melodic Heavy Power Metal
4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 14.06.2022 | Released: 17.06.2022

Here is a project in evolution. When first encountered in 2015, the project was labeled Chaos Magic featuring Caterina Nix and Timo Tolkki. The latter had discovered the Chilean vocalist in recent travels to South America (perhaps when she was with Aghonya, now defunct). For the sophomore effort the appellation dropped Timo Tolkki. Now Caterina Nix returns with her third installment, Emerge wherein the project is simply Chaos Magic. Once more she partners with Chilean multi-instrumentals, vocalist, and producer Nasson. (He recently released a solo album this year.)

Caterina Nix Click For Larger Image

Caterina Nix

Musically then, little has changed with the Chaos Magic approach: this is simply melodic heavy metal with power metal nuances and flourishes of piano and synths for accent and atmosphere. Some listeners might want to attribute nods to both symphonic and gothic metal/rock genres. I wouldn't quibble with that. As expected, Nix is in fine vocal form and, thanks to some keen production oversight by Nasson, she isn't overwhelmed in the song arrangements. (That difficulty is a common recurrence with female-fronted projects.) While some, mostly fellows, will get beguiled by Ms Nix's sultry feminine charms (in other words: she's hot), I appreciate that her vocal style is not that shrieking ear piercing operatic kind. Ultimately, any vocalist, male or female, is only as good as the material presented to him/her. (This is the same proposition in filmmaking: no matter the weight of the A-list actor, a film is often lifted by the coherency of the plot and outstanding script.) Once more the songwriting and music for Chaos Magic is terrific, perhaps even outshining Ms Nix at times.

In this context then, my favorite songs mostly favored songs with solid rhythm and groove and fluid vocal arrangements that rose above the arrangements. These tunes would include The Impossible, In The Depths Of Night, or the quite heavy When If Not Today. Another song with some speed and groove is the robust What's Your Fuel, with its uncharacteristic vocal arrangement. A final nod goes to Garden Of Winter which features Elina Siirala (Leaves' Eyes) and Mistheria with vocal and piano additions, respectively. The song begins as a subtle ballad only to rise heavy and bombastic in the middle. Yet this turns into as smooth and mellow classical guitar breakdown, before wrapping up heavy again.

Most things considered, with Emerge, vocalist Caterina Nix has established her Chaos Magic project as a consistent and entertaining exhibition of melodic heavy metal. Recommended for her fans and those who love female-fronted metal.




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The Take Away

Most things considered, with Emerge, vocalist Caterina Nix has established her Chaos Magic project as a consistent and entertaining exhibition of melodic heavy metal. Recommended for her fans and those who love female-fronted metal.

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