Gazpacho – Magic 8 Ball Review

By GardensTale

Norway may always be most well known for its black metal history, but I’ve come to love the country’s progressive music more than anything else, with its penchant for the dramatic and theatrical yet heartfelt. Gazpacho is at the vanguard of this scene, their 2014 Demon a modern classic and one of the few albums nearly everyone at AMG seems to agree is a masterpiece. Demon was the start of a multi-album storyline about a being that lives in our collective subconscious and pushes us toward our worst impulses, culminating in the excellent Fireworker in 2020. Magic 8 Ball is the first album since, and the first in a few decades to not be a concept album, though there is a loose theme of fate or destiny. How does the shake-up work out?

Before I got the promo, lead single “8-Ball” already impressed upon me that Gazpacho was experimenting with new directions, as it’s both more catchy and more sardonic than the band’s done in many years, almost approaching pop sensibilities. But when I hit play on the full album, “Starling” set my expectations spinning once more, evoking a gentle serenity with fragile piano and Ohme’s wonderful voice. ‘Let us be reborn,’ he intones in dreamy harmony, and indeed, it’s clear that Gazpacho is testing different waters, without straying too far from their signature melancholy dark streak. “Starling” and “We are Strangers” shift tempo and timing around, placing phrases on the off-beat or interrupting itself with a choral line. “Ceres” runs with whirling canon vocals and “Immerwahr” takes the shape of a runaway poem set to song, gradually evolving across the running time. Much like its namesake, you never know quite what to expect next from Magic 8 Ball.

And it is downright wonderful. Though I very much appreciate Gazpacho’s albumcraft creating singular experiences, Magic 8 Ball feels like the band takes us on an adventure where they aren’t sure of the destination themselves, either. “Sky King” carefully sketches a mysterious longing and bursts into a mighty, dramatic melancholy for its choruses. It almost feels like “Ceres” inhabits a giant clockwork with its lithe tik-tik-tik rhythms and echoing bells. There’s more synth here than in prior albums, occasionally taking a lead role as in the solo in “Starling” or the climax of “The Unrisen.” Their most prominent footprint is on “We are Strangers,” however, as they load the unconventional compositions with futuristic atmosphere and kindle scenes of cyberpunk dystopia.

Only “Gingerbread Men” doesn’t quite convince, often seeking a more dynamic approach in its textures but unable to grasp it due to its incessant plodding tempo. I frequently find myself tuning out during it, only for “8-Ball” to resurrect me with its bright, uplifting keys. It is the sole smudge on an inspiring record, though. The production is beautifully clear and warm, without sacrificing heft when the guitars begin imposing their full weight. Small details showcase the amount of care that’s gone into Magic 8 Ball, such as the small glitchy sound when Ohme intones ‘I’m scratching at an itch’ or the subtle distortions dotting “We are Strangers.” It all culminates in “The Unrisen,” which starts off as gentle as “Starling” but erupts into a truly transcendent Moog passage that feels like passing through a galactic vortex. A breathtaking way to end the album.

Magic 8 Ball is an adventurous and eclectic record, with the band’s recognizable songwriting style and vocals keeping cohesion. Every track has its own face, its own feel, it own surprises. I might have spun it 20 times over the last few weeks, and it still feels fresh and invigorated. It doesn’t measure up to the lofty heights of Demon, of course, but there are exceedingly few albums that do. However, few bands looking to meddle with their own formula could pull it off with the skill, grace and craft of Gazpacho.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Kscope Music
Websites: gazpachoband.bandcamp.com | gazpachoworld.com | facebook.com/gazpacho.official.bandpage
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

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