At a certain point, every band must inevitably be declared ‘past their prime:’ no-one in the world is an endless source of creativity and inventive ideas, and there’s no shame in established bands beginning to rest on their laurels, given time. Listening to the newest offering from Norwegian progressive rock outfit Gazpacho, one can’t help but reflect on just how long ago the likes of 2007’s ‘Night’ or 2012’s ‘March of Ghosts’ released. More inoffensive than genuinely intriguing, 2025’s ‘Magic 8-Ball’ is the sound of a group running on empty.

More than ten albums deep into their discography, it’s clear that Gazpacho are not reinventing the 8-Ball: the band have put years of work into establishing their signature style of progressive and post-rock, allowing their newest release to walk right through. A cut like ‘Sky King’ demonstrates just how clean and wide-open the group’s soundstage is, leaning into a number of lush textures— cautious pianos, atmospheric strings and hollow synth tones make up the backbone of ‘Magic 8-Ball,’ leading to an album that feels almost completely weightless at all times. Even when the group see fit to dial up the intensity, that feeling of sonic softness remains ever-present. It’s for this reason that Gazpacho’s latest album is extremely easy-listening: if anything, the gentle lilt of Ohme’s vocals is in danger of being automatically tuned out.

That danger doesn’t surface until part-way through the record though: in its opening moments, ‘Magic 8-Ball’ does its damndest to hook the listener in (and certainly provides more to grab onto than 2020’s ‘Fireworker’). Opener ‘Starling’ is the most ambitious cut on the record, which is nothing new for Gazpacho. It’s a song full of gentle string and piano progressions that slowly, slowly creep toward a climactic crescendo seven-minutes in the making— the band’s post-rock influences are on full display here, working to establish a serene atmosphere that envelops the listener. That climax is hardly the most daring or deafening in the group’s discography— this is no ‘Dream of Stone’ after all— but in this case, the journey is far more important than the destination: the beautiful interplay between acoustic guitars, warbling synthesisers and Ohme’s near-whispered refrains of “let us be reborn” are a strong combination that really earns the Gazpacho name. It’s a charm that hasn’t quite worn off by the time single ‘We are Strangers’ saunters in: though its vocoder effects and distracting drum mix aren’t exactly star elements, the song’s hooks go just enough distance to call this another success story.

Any album that places its appeal on atmosphere runs a great risk though, as sustaining a complex mood throughout an entire LP is a tall order: Gazpacho may have been masters of that art in the past, but it’s not a talent they display on ‘Magic 8-Ball.’ The central issue is that, even despite their shimmering exterior, the tracks on offer here aren’t hiding anything beneath the surface— when Ohme and company so readily show their hand, there is no mystery to keep us hooked. ‘Gingerbread Men’ feels frustratingly cautious, outright refusing to build or develop across its seven-minute runtime: the jaunty piano line that sneaks its way into the song hints at some potential, but only so Gazpacho can quickly return to more washes of ambient noise. The same criticisms could easily be levied against the likes of ‘Immerwahr’ and ‘Unrisen,’ which seem completely terrified of any kind of risk: it’s no surprise, then, to find ourselves unable to recall even a single melody or interesting moment from either track.

Contrary to the norm for a band who’s best material was always their most adventurous and expansive, ‘Magic 8-Ball’ offers more to its listeners in its shorter tracks: at least here, Gazpacho are forced to step out from the shadow of ‘ambient atmosphere’ that makes the record so dull. ‘Ceres’ is hardly some progressive epic, but its sweet piano lines and climactic bell hits are small moments of ear candy: surrounded by such bland sound portraits as they are, these small inclusions are easy to lap up. The title track, meanwhile, is pointedly bizarre, skipping across various keys in a purposefully trippy and non-serious manner— the song absolutely stands out among its peers, even if it’s not something we’re jumping at the bit to return to. Truthfully, these songs really aren’t highlights from Gazpacho, who could probably solo this entire record with a single song from ‘March of Ghosts.’ The simple fact of the matter is that that magic faded a decade ago, leaving the group feeling somewhat directionless.

The greatest failing of ‘Magic 8-Ball’ is it’s missed potential, not only because it carries the Gazpacho name, but because the pieces are in place for a solid progressive rock album here. The band continue to craft strong atmospheres in 2025, utilising a wide-open soundstage that does feel genuinely immersive: the issue is simply that their newest record refuses to do anything interesting in that space. It’s time for a creative switch-up from Ohme and company, who’ve been spinning their wheels in this lane for far too long— another record like this, and it might be time for the band to throw in the towel altogether.