Moran Magal – “Shades of Metal Private Collection” (2016)

Independent Release

Review by Warren Mayocchi

It is always interesting to hear familiar songs performed by different artists who bend the song to their own style. Moran Magal sings with expression to the accompaniment of piano and that is how eleven heavy metal cover versions are presented to our ears. There is one original song among the covers and there are also a few songs where she is joined by elements: male vocalists, and acoustic instruments. Moran Magal labels her sound as piano based progressive folk/rock with metal/gothic edge. To add another word, at times, there is a Celtic feel to the music. Song selection comes from Moran‘s favorite rock and metal. Due to the nature of the performance, the album works best when the original song has strong lyrical content or melody. “Solitude” (Black Sabbath cover) is a real standout. It features Warrel Dane sounding a lot like Nick Cave. I am also impressed with “Secret Way to Heaven” which is the Moran Magal original. The bare nature of the song performances creates a real challenge for Moran Magal when comparing with the original songs. She is up to the challenge most of the time, only in the aggressive chorus of “Master Of Puppets” (Metallica Cover) does the album struggle to translate from the original. I like this album, it is usually a delight to hear artists interpret songs I know in different ways. The solo songs featuring Moran Magal on vocals and piano are full of sound and emotion probably due to the rawness of this arrangement. When an additional element is then added it really has an impact. I recommend the “Shades of Metal Private Collection” to hear something new being bought to the well known, but more so because Moran Magal performs with passion.

Rating – 85/100

 

Tracklist

1. Chop Suey! (System of a Down)
2. Poison (Alice Cooper)
3. Master of Puppets (Metallica)
4. Solitude (Black Sabbath) feat Warrel Dane
5. Secret Way to Heaven
6. Toxicity (System of a Down)
7. From Broken Vessels (Orphaned Land) feat. Kobi Farhi
8. Coma White (Marilyn Manson)
9. Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
10. In The Name of God (Dream Theater)
11. Children Of The Damned (Iron Maiden) feat. Yossi Sassi
12. Fields of Sunrise – Yossi Sassi (Bonus) (Instrumental)

 

Links

facebook.com/moran.magal

moranmagal.com