Black Magic Tree Brings the Energy with "Terra", Showcasing Their Sharpest Sound Yet
Black Magic Tree is a quintet from Berlin whose sound is an alliance between the old and the new, combining golden heavy rock tones, soulful heavy blues, and colorful swirls of psychedelia. To this formula, the band adds an infusion of modern energy and (dare I say) radio friendly catchiness that grabs the attention of a wide variety of ears.
The band got their start in 2018, taking inspiration from bands like Led Zeppelin, Cream, Black Sabbath, and The Doors, as well as newer bands such as Rival Sons, Graveyard, and Wolfmother. Black Magic Tree released their debut EP Of Animals and Men in 2019, successfully grabbing the attention of the German heavy psych underground. In 2021, the band released their debut full-length album Through the Grapevine. This release was my first time hearing Black Magic Tree and I was immediately smitten with their exceptionally vibrant take on vintage heavy rock, with the song Mandala Lady in particular staying on heavy rotation for me ever since.
The official music video for "Mandala Lady"
On November 28, 2025, Black Magic Tree released their sophomore album Terra, their first with esteemed heavy underground label Majestic Mountain Records. With this album, the band continues to deliver their spirited heavy rock jams through a "distinctly Berlin soul", but this time, they do it with newfound confidence.
Black Magic Tree - Terra
Terra opens with the level of energy I expected from Black Magic Tree on first track Time Parrots (Hit Me Up!), a feel-good modern rock sound kissed by vintage rock tones. Popcorn and Coke maintains this momentum, delivering an equally upbeat and infectious tune with a particularly memorable chorus. Interestingly, this one has a whisper of a glam metal vibe to my ears, and I'm here for it.
The music video for "Popcorn and Coke"
From here, the vibe of Terra begins to get a bit more serious and emotional. On third track Pagos, my favorite song on the album, rollicking grooves frame a much more pensive mood marked by bittersweet, emotive choruses. At this point, some songs take on a more sensuous temper (such as fourth track Grace), morph into lamentable ballads (such as the songs Love & Doubt and Roadway), express feelings of anger (such as in final track Veleno), or do a little bit of all of these things, delivering a more serious but lively assertion (such as in the songs Chasing the Light and Summer).
Final Thoughts
While Terra delivered the caliber of energy and tunefulness that I was expecting, it also surprised me with so much more.
First off, it feels like Black Magic Tree's sound has gotten an HD makeover. While their tone has always been crisp and colorful, there are even sharper edges, additional shades and hues, and infinitely more depth throughout this album that signal heightened attention to detail.
Also dialed up to eleven is the emotive intensity of Terra - both vocals and instrumentals feel even more expressive and more honest than ever before.
While Terra is still brimming with the vintage heavy rock and psychedelic groove the band is known for, Black Magic Tree seems to be updating their sound for the modern era, infusing their songs with even more contagious energy and relatability, ensuring their songs are more memorable than ever for an even wider variety of listeners. Along those same lines, I feel that Black Magic Tree is exceptionally confident and authentic with their approach to songwriting, playing, and recording, particularly on this new album (as they should be). This results in a bold and genuine sound, allowing Black Magic Tree to be straightforward but vulnerable with their listeners.
With all of this growth in both self-assuredness and sound, Black Magic Tree makes it clear on Terra that they're quickly becoming pillars of the underground heavy psych scene on a global scale.
More About Black Magic Tree
You can follow Black Magic Tree and listen to their music at the following links:
Black Magic Tree Is:
Alessandro Monte – Vocals
Christian Reuter – Electric Guitar
Max Milan Bergrath – Electric Guitar
Michael Hupp – Drums
Philipp Ott – Electric Bass Guitar
A massive thank you to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo!
Check out Screaming from the Heavy Underground on YouTube:
Comments
Post a Comment