Magick Touch explores the mystery and magic of the hard rock riff.
By utilising the unholy trinity of electric guitar, thunderous bass and explosive drums, the band seeks to evoke and further enhance the elements that human kind in a casual manner refers to as Hard Rock.
By now a veritable institution of hard-rocking majesty, Norway’s Magick Touch are continually on the ascent. From their too-hot-to-touch Electrik Sorcery debut in 2016 and the even-more-acclaimed Blades, Chains, Whips & Fire in 2018 - both released by Edged Circle, fans from the very start - to the rough-n-tumble digital-only EP Inside the Cage 2019, Magick Touch have patiently perfected a sound that is reverential of hard rock and heavy metal’s glorious pasts but equally dead-set on forging a future all their own. And so far, it’s looked magickal indeed!
Throughout this ascent, Magick Touch have taken to the stage non-stop, doing numerous tours across Europe, until shit hit the fan in march 2020. Though the world decided to forge into lock down, Magick Touch ever so bravely released their third full length album, almost too perfectly titled, Heads Have Got to Rock’n’Roll! An album loaded with an arsenal of immediately memorable anthems, each one is distinct as the last, ranging the moodiest of hard rock to the most voltage-loaded of metals. The sacred heritage left by Priest, Saxon, and Rainbow is safeguarded as well as revitalized with Magick Touch’s latest and greatest album…
…yet..
Lo, it's been three long years, MAGICK TOUCH return with a surprising twist: a mostly moody and slightly occult-tinged album bearing the curious title Cakes & Coffins. Definitely darker but by no means sacrificing those characteristically majestic MAGICK TOUCH hooks, the trio twist the knife in a different direction that thankfully still sounds 666% like them. Or, as Ottesen likens, "After the ship hits the iceberg, MAGICK TOUCH, showing great courage and soothing the nerves of the other passengers, continues playing as the crew load the lifeboats."
Produced by the band along with Spidergawd's Per Borten at Sørgården Studio, Cakes & Coffins bristles with a unique energy: while "dark" for MAGICK TOUCH, there's nevertheless an invigorating / inspiring aspect to the album that keeps it from being a total slit-your-wrists fest. Such is the eternal power & glory of HEAVY METAL. It could be argued that MAGICK TOUCH hit their apex of good-times classicism with Heads Have Got to Rock'n'Roll, but such a zenith simply set the stage for a new one in Cakes & Coffins. Truly! With suitably spooky album artwork by Andreas Pilskog - not to mention mixing by Håvard Soknes in Studio 841 and mastering by Iver Sandøy at Solslottet Studio - Cakes & Coffins is the complete package: MAGICK TOUCH with a new (out)look and a slightly new(er) sound, deadlier than ever. Delivering the goods...and darkly!
Cakes & Coffins is due for release May 19th 2023!
Magick Touch consists of that consistent trident force; Christer Ottesen on bass, synths & vocals, Bård Heavy Nordvik on drums & vocals and HK Steen Rein on guitars & vocals!