A mage is a sorcerer... a magician. The group Magus is certainly interested in these things (who wouldn't be?), but the name is particularly fitting given their alchemical approach: a blend of rock, gothic, proto-metal, and psychedelic styles to create a sound that is, ultimately, unique. This singularity stems in part from the instrumentation. While the guitar is often a dominant instrument in rock, the Fender Rhodes typically plays a supporting role. That is not the case here, where Jessica Weeks' mastery of the keyboard harmonizes perfectly with Greg Weeks' more classic guitar playing. The band's sound is also atypical. At once dark and inspiring, melancholic and vibrant, the duo's tracks explore unsettling realms whose themes range from metaphysical creatures to enigmatic portals. In short, everything that characterizes a mage. Formed in late 2024, Magus was born from the two artists' desire to experiment with darker, heavier sounds. Longtime fans of artists like Flower Travelling Band, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple, the duo drew on hypnotic riffs and euphoric solos to create the backbone of what became their debut album, Music for Mandrax. This thirteenth opus from Language of Stone stands out for its metronomic and relentless rhythms, organic and gloomy synth lines, and duet vocals (performed by both members of Weeks) that together weave a hypnotic and powerful atmosphere, capable of captivating fans of bands as different as Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. Recorded at Weeks' Hexham Head studio (on analog tape, of course), the band enlisted their trusted collaborators Jesse Sparhawk (bass) and Ben McConnell (drums) to refine their sound and solidify the rhythms that propel the album. Mixed by Brian McTear and Amy Morrisey at Miner Street Studio in Philadelphia, the album fully realizes the group's vision, leaving only the cover art to be designed. Wanting to accentuate the gothic aesthetic of their music, the band enlisted talented stylist and artist Hogan McLaughlin (Game of Thrones) to create the beautiful line drawings for the front and back covers. The duo traveled to Salem, Massachusetts, to complete the project with Courtney Brooke Hall, who took the melancholic and evocative photographs that adorn the inner panels of the gatefold edition.
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