This debut album spearheaded by the husband-and-wife-duo of Jessica Weeks and Greg Weeks sees the rural Pennsylvania residents welcoming Jesse Sparhawk and Ben McConnell for a prog-rock fueled effort as Magus (pronounced may-jus), that's politically driven and heavy in scope.

The light buzzing and mysterious keys of “Through Darkened Glass” starts the eight tracks with a balance of beauty with doom-like metal gestures where both Weeks add harmonic vocals. “Very Heavy Greening” then continues with McConnell’s thumping drums alongside Greg’s thick guitar haze that suits the grungy climate.

In the middle, “Wet Skull” offers a smooth moment of mesmerizing songwriting that’s cryptic and cozy (albeit in an eerie way), while “The Magus” leads softly with gentle singing before erupting into a riff-filled and dense bout that settles back into serenity, which is a pattern repeated ’til the end.

The last four tunes take you on a wild ride. “Exodus” is a thundering and fuzzed-out blast that also welcomes melody in a way that swirls with a nearly carnival-esque mood. “Music For Mandrax” alternates animated waves of synth with hypnotic guitars and droning vocals, but it’s the rhythmic and bouncy “Return To Earth” that makes the back half of the album worth the price of admission. “The Middle Way” exits, and it’s a lush and a textured moment that benefits from Sparhawk’s meticulous bass.

The members of Magus have put time in outfits such as Espers, Grass, Woodrose, and The Valerie Project. Certainly no strangers to music, their very atypical use of stoner rock, sludge-core, gothic tendencies, proto-metal, folk-horror, ’70s rock, synth-wave and psychedelic stabs makes for a record that’s entirely their own, but might occasionally bring to mind acts like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple or Flower Traveling Band.

Rating: A-

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