MYSTERIUM MAGNUM by CANNATA

However, when I saw that he has waited just four years to produce the follow-up, I was at the front of the queue.

Mysterium Magnum, is a real tour-de-force that manages to draw together many of the elements from Jeff's career to date. Best described as a blend of ProgRock, AOR and melodic hard rock - this has barely been off my CD player for the past few weeks - and yet still manages to unveil new charms to me on each play! If you like your rock to encapsulate memorable hooks, great musicianship, progressive arrangements, thoughtful lyrics, and a great mix of atmosphere and energy, then you have come to the right place.

Superbly played and written, there are plenty of classic 70's type arrangements but with an impressively modern feel to it all. Jeff plays a good amount of the instruments here, but there are more than a dozen guest musicians mentioned in the credits.

The opener Spirit of the Four Winds has a wonderfully catchy melody, as well as an assortment of keyboard and synth textures from both Jeff and Jay Rowe. I'm a just a sucker for the catchy, delicate hard rock melody that is the focus for King Of The Mountain (think Winger), or the more ballsy hooks that dominate Wanted: Dead or Alive (think House of Lords).

But it's the later track Life:101, which probably provides the best example of what this album has to offer. It has a great rocking melody, but around that, the music constantly changes pace and mood with dozens of small instrumental breaks, adding huge layers of interest. It's amazing what you can pack into just over four minutes.

In sharp contrast Somewhere Beyond The Sun, is one of the album's most progressive pieces, mixing up elements of Jethro Tull, Kansas and Glass Hammer. Flutes, guitars, and synths all take turns to force the song into different territories, before being brought back home by Cannata's soaring vocals.

And it's the vocals that provide the icing on the Mysterium Magnum cake. Really distinctive voices, able to drift effortlessly from tender heartbreak to belting power, are few and far between - but Jeff Cannata has it all in abundance.

Elsewhere, the balladic 4:17 [California] allows Jeff to show off his lyric-writing with a polemic on life in the colourful American state, whilst Promise You Heaven reminds me of the stripped-down, vocal-led AOR that featured so heavily on Tamorok.

Book Of Ages has a beguiling folk meets majestic rock sound not unlike early Magnum, while the two-part Kali Allah has some wonderful synthesizer and flute melodies that converge into a meeting of Jethro Tull and ELP - in the Middle East. There's only one track that fails. The prog-meets-electronica of French is just too out of place.

And it all comes wrapped in an impressive digipack containing great artwork from Ioannis. Mysterium Magnum really does provide a captivating listen.

If you're getting rather bored of the same old tried-and-tested names appearing at the top of the DPRP end of year poll, then this is an album, that if enough people are prepared to try something new, really deserves to be there. Cannata has the potential to appeal to a huge cross-section of people, especially those who enjoy accessible, melodic, progressive rock.

There are samples of every track, plus a video and details of how to get this release from the classy Cannata website. It will certainly be in my top ten at the end of the year. Love it! Love it! Love It!

Conclusion: 9 out of 10

ANDY READ

2006, When it comes to the subgenre of "progressive AOR" there is one name that almost immediately springs to mind, that of musician/producer Jeff Cannata. The AOR classic Arc Angel from 1983 is hailed by many as one of AOR's finest moments. Jeff's solo albums Images of Forever (1988) and Watching the World (1993) are melodic masterpieces (sadly both are out of print). Tamorok takes material from those releases, gives them new life via remastering, adds a host of new material and ties it all up into a musical package that exceeds the term "first rate". Now in 2006 CANNATA releases ‘MYSTERIUM MAGNUM’ the follow up to “ Tamorok” a Special Edition 6 panel Digipak w/ 16 page Booklet.........You won’t be disapointed ! 

BIO

In the early days of the Art Rock Movement, Jeff Cannata formed the prog rock band, Jasper Wrath along with Michael Soldan, Robert Gianotti and Phil Stone. After signing to MGM Records, their first LP, recorded at Phil Ramone’s Studio (A& R) in New York , it received rave reviews. After extensive auditions, looking for the right additional "voice", James Christian (House Of Lords) was added to the lineup, along with keyboard prodigy Jeff Batter and guitar virtuoso, Scott Zito

Equipped with full light show and effects, the band toured the Northeast to packed houses until 1976. Because of commercial and directional musical differences, that year, the group disbanded.

1983

The next few years Cannata, begins composing a dozen or so new pieces, along with writing partner Michael Soldan, Cannata assumes vocal duties and offers the demos, to then manager David Wolff and is signed to Portrait / CBS Records.........Arc Angel is born. The LP is a monster hit in Europe.

1988

After being contacted by record executive Yves Dessca at (Carrere / CBS) Paris, Cannata is offered a deal he couldn’t refuse. A recording budget that would enable the constuction of a complete 24 track analog studio at home, and to write and produce the new material for the next CD. A video for the track "FortuneTeller" was also shot and directed by Scott Calvert (Pink Floyd) The album was " Images Of Forever".........Rated "top 10 best melodic / prog rock album" (Kerrang Magazine 4 star.)

1993

Cannata receives a call from label president Mark Ashton, (Now and Then Records UK) to review his latest material. Contracts were offered and signed . "Watching The World " was recorded and released worldwide later that year.

1997

After numerous requests from former fans...... " What ever happened to the band Jasper Wrath."Cannata, prompted by associate John DuBuque, compiled a 26 song double CD of the bands early, studio, live and demo recordings. The Jasper Wrath Anthology is released. The limited pressings were quickly sold out. Now a collectors item ........

2002

" Tamorok "........ Magnus Soderkvist , the A&R head of the new Atenzia Records in Sweden, contacts Cannata to review his latest work in progress demos. After a few considerations, things fall into place, and Cannata is invited to sign as one of the first projects with the new Atenzia label, his fourth solo CD of

Progressive and AOR Melodic Rock. Fourteen new and Classic tracks.........

2006

CANNATA.........."Mysterium Magnum"

The new studio recording....... 13 Unreleased tracks.

A special edition 6-panel Digipak w/ 16 page booklet

Song list :

01. SPIRIT OF THE FOUR WINDS

02. KALI ALLAH

03. SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SUN

04. 4:17 (california)

05. KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

06. PROMISE YOU HEAVEN

07. BOOK OF AGES

08. TEARS OF AMERICA

09. WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

10. LIFE:101

11. FRENCH

12. REASON TO LIVE

13. REPRISE: KALI ALLAH

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