Release Date: January 17, 2020
Label: Steamhammer
UK-based rock veterans, Magnum, are back with their 20th studio
album, The Serpent Rings. Founders and driving forces, Tony
Clarkin (guitars) and Bob Catley (vocals), have forged a unique melodic hard
rock sound and have worked hard to evolve that sound. They’ve released studio
albums every two to three years since 1979, each album borrowing from and
building on the prior. Keyboardist Rick Benton joined the band in 2017, and
together with a new bass player, Dennis Ward joining Lee Morris on drums, the
rhythm section and the group as a whole seems invigorated.
The sound is rich and textured with hard rock, art-rock, and
prog-rock undertones. Think of Traffic meeting Queen, meeting Metallica. Magnum
steers the listener in and out of these atmospheres flawlessly, creating a
dramatic and cinematic sonic experience. While the landscape is rich, the
driving force is the guitar work of Tony Clarkin. Fear no more the demise of
the almighty guitar solo. You’ll find one on almost every track. Clarkin
appears to pause to take a breath before launching into his solos. This
provides a dramatic calm before the storm, and once it hits, it sounds like an
army crashing through the forest on their way to storming the castle.
Of equal importance is the attention to lyrical depth. If you
listen as much to the lyrics as you do to the music, you’ll be pleasantly
surprised by the wisdom conveyed in these songs. The galloping opening track
“Where Are You Eden?” is no exception. “A picture hangs. It’s always been
there to celebrate the news. Though people talk, they don’t understand. It only
serves to confuse.”
“Not Forgiven,” chosen as the first single and lyric video, is a
powerful and captivating rock song. It is somewhat formulaic, however, and
there are better, more envelope-pushing tracks on the album.
“Madman or Messiah” breaks that envelope open with inspired
guitar flourishes and haunting atmospheric keyboards. Other standouts include “You
Can’t Run Faster Than Bullets,” and “The Serpent Rings.”
These are carefully crafted songs that don’t merely shout a
mantra but tell stories, leaving the listener to use their imagination and
relate those stories to their own lives. On The Serpent Rings,
Magnum continues its consistent and impressive run of high-quality, distinctive
hard rock.
Tom Endyke - MuzikMan.net Staff
January 16, 2019
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Tracks
Tracks:
01. Where Are You Eden
02. You Can’t Run Faster Than Bullets
03. Madman Or Messiah
04. The Archway Of Tears
05. Not Forgiven
06. The Serpent Rings
07. House of Kings
08. The Great Unknown
09. Man
10. The Last One On Earth
11. Crimson On The White Sand
Tracks:
01. Where Are You Eden
02. You Can’t Run Faster Than Bullets
03. Madman Or Messiah
04. The Archway Of Tears
05. Not Forgiven
06. The Serpent Rings
07. House of Kings
08. The Great Unknown
09. Man
10. The Last One On Earth
11. Crimson On The White Sand