Six Magics - The Secret Of An Island (2003)

Six Magics' second album polishes the erractic nature of their debut, DEAD KINGS OF THE UNHOLY VALLEY, to produce a quite stunning release this time around. Again, a choir gells with the band throughout as a strange, rather grim tale is told, something about an island involving strange creatures, a woman who has her baby staken from her, and a ghost ship on the seas of Chile.
I've probably got it all wrong, but, even though its length of around seventy minutes is a bit excessive, most of it comes together remarkably well, with some beautiful passages that enlighten such songs as "Chiloé, the Creation", "Goddess Of The Seas", "Trauco (Seed Of Pain)" (which ends with a woman's cry of anguish, which might be the most heartbreaking sound I've ever come across on a recording), "The Basilisk" and the epic, closing title track.
As stated, it is pretty bleak stuff (e.g. "Brutal Sacrilege" has the mother stating that "my innocent boy is part of my entrails".  Ick. I hope my mother never spoke about me that way), and it could be argued that it's still a bit rough around the edges, but there's so much to like here that this would have to be one of the best in the operatic/symphonic metal genre.
Six Magics did not bring out another album until 2008, so it will be a while before I can find out whether they have come close to matching this one.

****1/2