The last-minute MORGANA LEFAY thread

[SwordLord]

Greetings!


So I've been rediscovering MORGANA LEFAY in an effort to be completely ready for Chicago PowerFest this weekend and I think my admiration of this band has doubled since I heard them originally! I only have two of their albums: KNOWING JUST AS I and GRAND MATERIA.

My first observation is that on GRAND MATERIA, Charles really sounds a lot like Jon Oliva in certain places, doesn't he?! The first time I heard the CD, I had to check the liner notes to make sure he wasn't doing a guest appearance.

RED MOON is my favorite track by them so far. It reminds me of old Metallica that I really enjoyed "back in the day."

A few things for all of you ...

1. What other albums by them do I absolutely have to own?

2. Does anyone know the setlist that they played last year at PowerFest?


I would enjoy hearing other's opinions of this band.


See you at PowerFest (front row as always),
Nathan

 

[The Fiddler]

SL!

Malfecium should be next on your list followed by SOS. I have them all and love them all, but Grand Materia and Malfecium are my #1 and #2 respectfully with SOS at #3.

I didn't know much about them at Powefest 2005 other than the name. I was so impressed with their performance, intenstiy, and just how long they played. They just got stronger and stronger. Charles is a killer vocalist. I bought Grand Materia later that summer and had the entire catalog a week after that.

If you're really getting into the stuff you have, you won't be disappointed with anything else they've done. I rarely buy concert T-Shirts, but I will be buying a Morgana Lefay/Grand Materia shirt this year. Look forward to seeing you Friday!

 

[Mosquito]

I decided to take a break from studying to help you with this. So you owe me a beer at ProgPower! I prefer Newcastle. ;p

I think you will find, especially live, that Charles sound VERY Oliva-ish. I think this has to do with the fact that I think many of the band members are Savatage fans, and actually did a Savatage cover on the Black Mark Tribute album (that's one wacko tribute album, but it's cool nonetheless). I can hear the influence not only on Charles vocal qualities, but also the music as well.

Red Moon is my favourite ML track, so it's always nice to hear that others enjoy it. Sadly it wasn't played at Powerfest last year, doh!

On to your other questions!

1. What other albums by them do I absolutely have to own?

Obviously this is all subjective. Some are going to say "ALL OF THEM", other's will tell you to pick certain ones, and then others will tell you to at least get the albums you know they will play the majority of their set from. All three are good answers but I'll try to help you narrow them down a little bit.

1. All of them! A good choice, but I don't know if you'll have enough time to let all of that material sink in within a week.

2. You own one of my favourites already, Knowing Just As I, so that takes care of that one, however they don't really play anything from that. My personal favourites would be that one and The Secret Doctrine (and Sanctified comes freaking close). I love all ML/Lefay albums, but those are my preferred listens. I think I'm in the minority here though, I usually see most people recommend Maleficium and Sanctified, or Maleficium and S.O.S.

3. However, seeing as you don't have tons of time to listen to all of the wonderful discs, I think having last year's setlist might help you a lot! You could then at least listen to all of these songs, and also get an idea of what they'll play. I'm sure the setlist will be altered a bit, adding in more Grand Materia stuff this time around and if you're lucky, maybe a few classics like Rumours Of Rain (Though there WAS a guy who did a karaeoke version of it and he did a damn good job!) or maybe Lord Of The Rings (Love that one!).

2. Does anyone know the setlist that they played last year at PowerFest?

Zilla (PowerFreak) nabbed a setlist for me and I got it signed by the guys, so I can give you the EXACT setlist and all of that jazz, so here it goes!


Intro: Chamber Of Confession
Source Of Pain
Out In The Silence
Another Dawn
Hollow
Angel's Deceit
S.O.S
To Isengard
I Roam
Maleficium
Master Of The Masquerade
End Of Living
When Gargoyles Fly
Creatures Of The Hierarchy
Edge Of Mind
State Of Intoxication

Encore:
Symphony Of The Damned
The Boon He Gives
In The Court Of The Crimson King

It was a really awesome show, I wish there were a few more of my personal favs thrown in but hey its no big deal. I wish I could see them this year but financial problems kept me from coming (And Tess said she'd buy me a plane ticket the other day but I haven't seen any money! )

So, hopefully this helps you a little bit. Enjoy them, they're a blast! They're also really nice guys to talk to. I'm sure Squeak and bOB will chime in here for some ML lovin' as well. Have a beer and a headbang for me in my absence! (or at least a headbang)

Justin

 

[SwordLord]

SL!
I didn't know much about them at Powefest 2005 other than the name. I was so impressed with their performance, intenstiy, and just how long they played. They just got stronger and stronger. Charles is a killer vocalist. I bought Grand Materia later that summer and had the entire catalog a week after that.

If you're really getting into the stuff you have, you won't be disappointed with anything else they've done. I rarely buy concert T-Shirts, but I will be buying a Morgana Lefay/Grand Materia shirt this year. Look forward to seeing you Friday!

Crazy man, we both had the same experience then!

Like you, I had heard the name before but it was one of those names in a huge list of names of bands that are on my "You-Need-to-Check-Out" list. [Honestly this list is so long, I could pursue this as a career and never hear all the bands I need to hear.] But then PowerFest came along and low and behold ... there they were on a bill with Tad Morose ... I bought both CD's that night at the show along with a shirt.

A truly good metal festival should be all about experiences like yours and mine -- introducing people to bands that previously they were not aware of in conjunction with bands that people have heard of. That's why ProgPower and PowerFest have blown me away so much -- I've ended up taking away more good music than when I went in.

I'll be wearing my Morgana Lefay T-shirt at PowerFest in addition to the rest of my Metal-Dork attire -- I'll look forward to meeting you -- let's get the hair-force going in the front row!

Nathan

 

[SwordLord]

I decided to take a break from studying to help you with this. So you owe me a beer at ProgPower! I prefer Newcastle. ;p

I appreciate it, brother, being that I was in college once myself -- thanks for the effort and the super post -- catch up with me at PP and you shall have thy brew.

I think you will find, especially live, that Charles sound VERY Oliva-ish. I think this has to do with the fact that I think many of the band members are Savatage fans, and actually did a Savatage cover on the Black Mark Tribute album (that's one wacko tribute album, but it's cool nonetheless). I can hear the influence not only on Charles vocal qualities, but also the music as well.

Oh okay, that makes sense now! I'm a very new-recruit to the Morgana-Lefay-camp, so all of this information is good to hear. I haven't heard that tribute album, is it worth picking up?

Red Moon is my favourite ML track, so it's always nice to hear that others enjoy it. Sadly it wasn't played at Powerfest last year, doh!.

That track just slays. I love the intro at the beginning with the court-room dialogue and the guitar riff hook is just wicked good. I've played that to my friends who like old Metallica/Megadeth and they're always saying stuff like, "Who are these guys?!" "Is that a Metallica B-side?" "Morgan Who?"


Thanks for all the input on the albums and especially for that set-list!!! It's too bad that they don't play anything from that first album -- that's a bit of a downer. I'll obviously have to pick up this S.O.S., hopefully they'll have it at the show. If I'm as blown away as I think I'll be, I'll probably end up buying the rest of the catalog -- I think it's much easier to call one's self a fan when you have all of a band's offerings ... so much metal ... so little money!

Too bad you won't be there ... catch up with you at PP!

Nathan

 

[booB]

I'd recommend Maleficium, Sanctified, and/or The Seventh Seal.

However, what Mosquito said about "all of them" is true; this would be the best course of action.

 

[Rider of Theli]

my favorite happens to be S.O.S. - 'When Gargoyles Fly' kicks oh so much ass! My next favorite would be Grand Materia. 'Hollow' and 'I Roam' will shake your foundations! I just recently bought Seventh Seal and the remastered Symphony of the Damned cds. And I look forward to owning their entire catalog someday soon.

Around the holidays I was recommending Grand Materia to someone here on the forums, and I was making the same Savatage/Jon Oliva comparisons. Morgana Lefay have that raw, old school Savatage sound in places.

Unfortunately I won't be able to witness them tearing down the place at Powerfest. But I do hope to see them someday.



~Hoyt.

 

[woosta]

Maleficium and The Secret Doctrine for me! All of their cds are very good! (Except the s/t Morgana Lefay cd).

 

[TwstDrSteph]

I wholeheartedly second (or third?) the notion that "all of them" is the best way to go! However, avoid the S/T cd like the plague! uke: Charles and Tony had nothing to do with it, and it doesn't sound ANYTHING like the REAL Morgana Lefay.

Can't wait to see them live again!

Steph

 

[The Fiddler]

My first observation is that on GRAND MATERIA, Charles really sounds a lot like Jon Oliva in certain places, doesn't he?! The first time I heard the CD, I had to check the liner notes to make sure he wasn't doing a guest appearance.

On Grand Materia, Martin Popoff compared Charles voice to that of Jon Oliva on steroids (or a stairmaster)! LOL!

http://www.bravewords.com/hardwares/1000866

 

[Tess]

Greetings!

Greetings!

My first observation is that on GRAND MATERIA, Charles really sounds a lot like Jon Oliva in certain places, doesn't he?! The first time I heard the CD, I had to check the liner notes to make sure he wasn't doing a guest appearance.

Tooooooooooooootally. Did the same thing with the liner notes too!

 

[lucretia96]

Seventh Seal and the remastered Symphony of the Damned are probably my favorite, but I only got 5 of their albums waiting/hoping for older ones to be remastered to buy them.

 

[booB]

Seventh Seal and the remastered Symphony of the Damned are probably my favorite, but I only got 5 of their albums waiting/hoping for older ones to be remastered to buy them.

LOL... you'll be waiting a long time... Black Mark won't remaster the old stuff until the band changes its name to "Bathory".

Not that the old discs really need it... the only disc of theirs with somewhat sub-par sound production is Knowing Just As I, and it actually serves to give a darker sound to the music. And that's mostly just the first track, "Enter Oblivion"... for some reason it sounds thinner than the rest of the album, but it still sounds good.