NORWEGIAN PROG MASTERS GAZPACHO RETURN WITH THEIR NEW ALBUM MAGIC 8-BALL (31st October, Kscope)
FIRST SINGLE ‘8-BALL’ OUT TODAY WITH CULT-INSPIRED VIDEO
After a five-year break, Magic 8-Ball marks Gazpacho’s return with eight new tracks built around the idea of fate. How it moves without warning, and how the choices we make can slowly strip away who we thought we were. Today, the band have shared the first single ‘8-Ball’ alongside a new video by Matt Vickerstaff inspired by the suffocating and oppressive nature of cults.
Speaking about the new video, the band shared –
“We removed God and left nothing to replace him. We started believing in the void handing everything over to chance.
Magic 8 Ball is about someone who gambles everything, believing that eventually everyone gets their break.
That the universe is fair if you just wait long enough.
But the break never comes.
He loses everything and is left with the realization that it was never fate, only his own choices. His responsibility. His idea.
We didn’t become more rational.
We just found new things to believe in and built a new magical reality to replace the one we tore down.
Stocks. Crypto. Luck.
Magical ideas pretending to be modern.
The video, created by the insanely talented Matt Peaceville, is a found recruitment tape from The Cult of Infinity, who worship chance itself.
To them, the Magic 8 Ball is divine because of its emptiness.
No thoughts. No mercy. Just pure, sacred random.
The 8 isn’t a number. It’s infinity.
We’ve just been looking at it sideways.
WATCH THE NEW VIDEO FOR ‘8-BALL’ BY MATT VICKERSTAFF
STREAM/DOWNLOAD THE NEW SINGLE ‘8-BALL’
The title, Magic 8- Ball, ties into the idea of randomness and inevitability. Shaking something for answers you already suspect and repeating the cycle over and over. The idea of infinity is central. These stories repeat throughout the album. Different forms, same patterns always finding a way back.
Musically, the album stays true to Gazpacho’s core. Atmospheric, layered, and emotional. But more focused. No unnecessary weight. Just eight stories told with clarity and tension. The album was mixed by Thomas Juth (a-ha/Elton John/Paul McCartney/Cat Stevens) and mastered by Hans Olsson at Svenska Grammofonstudion Mastering.
‘one of the greatest bands the scene of prog rock has ever seen’ – REBEL MUSIC
Gazpacho – Magic 8-Ball
- Starling [09:12]
- We Are Strangers [04:47]
- Sky King [05:02]
- Ceres [03:22]
- Gingerbread Men [07:10]
- Magic 8-Ball [03:10]
- Immerwahr [07:41]
- The Unrisen [06:12]
Widely regarded as one of the most innovative acts in modern progressive music, Gazpacho have carved out a cult following with their unique blend of art rock and cinematic storytelling. From their critically acclaimed 2007 masterpiece Night to the hauntingly beautiful Demon (2014), the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of progressive music.
They’ve toured with legends like Marillion, played to devoted audiences across Europe, and earned a reputation for crafting concept albums that challenge and move listeners in equal measure.
Gazpacho are:
Jan-Henrik Ohme – vocals
Thomas Andersen – keyboards, programming
Jon-Arne Vibo – guitars
Mikael Krømer – violin, additional guitars
Kristian “Fido” Torp – bass
Robert R Johansen – drums
Follow Gazpacho online:
https://www.facebook.com/Gazpacho.Official.BandPage