Magik Markers
Surrender to the Fantasy
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Noise rock
Noisily scratchy at times and hauntingly calm at others, Magik Markers’ latest release successfully toes the line between inspired noise rock and grating industrial sounds. Distortion and intricate instrumentation rule this album and, even with the band’s unbelievably extensive discography, Surrender to the Fantasy is a real masterstroke.
The band kicks off with the reverb-heavy punk track “Crebs,” with Lead vocalist Elisa Ambrogio singing near-indecipherable lyrics over bleary guitars.
The album lags a little following the rousing intro. The hectic “Bonfire” features spastic vocals, incessant drums, and an unnecessary tribal repetition of the title. Luckily, “Mirrorless” arrives and commences the album’s solid latter half with a low-key mood and a stunning guitar solo.
Another highlight comes near the end of the album in the pulsing and methodic “Screams of Birds and Girls,” but Magik Markers excels at the quieter moments as well. “Young” is a subdued standout containing particularly somber lyrics about lost youth, amplified by the heartbreaking strings in the background.
Album closer “WT” is initially harsh and unforgiving. Too much screeching feedback almost ruins it. But as the song continues, the strained vocals of Ambrogio and abrasive guitar play begin to mesh into a fantastically piercing finish.
Surrender to the Fantasy can be uncomfortably loud upon the first or second listen, but the more time that is spent with this record, the greater it sounds. The band has many albums and tracks to its name, yet this release just might be its most complete and thrilling.
— Mac Gushanas
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