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.
Rate the 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
The new year means brand new music. However, January is typically light on the full-length masterpieces that grace our speakers and vinyl needles. While there still were not many big releases so far, Selena Gomez bursts into 2020 in defining herself during the upcoming next decade. The album maintains a positive tone inside Rare. The title track ushers in an old touch of ‘50s style music, getting the listener pumped up at the same time.
After a 3-year long hiatus from the music scene, her confidence exudes deep in the lyrics of tracks like “Vulnerable.” “Lose You to Love Me,” and “Dance Again.” You might as well dance all the way to track four, “Lose You to Love Me,” because it shifts into a self-reflection in still keeping with a positive, flowing attitude. From acoustic to mainstream Pop, “Ring” and “Vulnerable” respectively, give the listener a dose of two sides of the same coin with Gomez. We get some clever wordplay on “Ring” and, “Vulnerable” lets in traditional Top 40 elements.
“People You Know” keeps up with the mystical sound of the record as it’s not something many are used to hearing in a typical pop record. Feeling like I’ve entered a club all of the sudden, “Let Me Get Me” hits your eardrums with a ‘get on the floor and shake’ sensation. There are few tracks on Rare that give off an emotional or sensual tone, as it seems Selena seems to capture a more upbeat outlook for her mind and music going forward. “Crowded Room,” featuring rapper 6LACK exhibits how some people go from strangers to lovers overnight. “Kinda Crazy” tells of a lover’s suddenly odd behavior and putting an end to it before things escalate to a point of no return. At the same time, there’s just something about this person that is hard to overlook.
Rounding out the album, are three tracks that have their own unique pattern. “Fun” is exactly that, the clap-along-beat stays along the same lines as its acoustic partner “Ring.” It is a cool, up-tempo song that can lift any mood. “Cut You Off,” briefly aligns Gomez with imagery of Alanis Morissette. For those who like an Alternative/Indie style of Pop, this track is a no-mercy, changeup that makes you think twice about how someone might be treating you. Lastly, joined by renowned rapper, Kid Cudi, Gomez celebrates getting to the final destination she’s been searching for over the past 3 years.
Clearly, Selena Gomez is making all the right moves to set herself apart from her childhood and many of her youth co-stars in the way she is developing herself as an artist. While she certainly stays within the realm of Pop, she has no trouble diving into Indie flavors, especially on this new record. And that might just be what fits her best. But, like all young and developing artistry, it is always incomplete; for it always leaves room for experimentation and new creation.
Gregg Keniston – Muzikman.net Staff January 10, 2020
Rate The Tracks Tracks: 01. Rare 02. Dance Again 03. Look At Her Now 04. Lose You to Love Me 05. Ring 06. Vulnerable 07. People You Know 08. Let Me Get Me 09. Crowded Room (feat. 6LACK) 10. Kinda Crazy 11. Fun 12. Cut You Off 13. A Sweeter Place (feat. Kid Cudi)
mariaFausta has a killer new track out titled "I'm Betting on You." And I am betting on you, the listeners, that if you like to rock you are going to love this track! I sure did. Maria can sing and the song just kicks ass from start to finish. I think if the album that follows this track continues with the same formula that she will really have a substantial following. I have included the stream and the video to check out so please do!
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, violinist, composer and conductor. Born on September 24, 1984 . She has always shown versatility for example ranging from classical to prog, rock, pop as well as jazz, blues and all sorts of music...READ MORE...
Wishbone Ash continues a milestone year with tour of Southern, Western United States
Wishbone Ash celebrates a half-century of live twin-lead guitar power in 2020. Fans can look forward to enjoying repertoire from the band's vast catalog of exactly 100 unique releases – 27 studio albums, 24 live albums, 43 compilations and box sets and five live DVDs, along with a DVD rockumentary (“This is Wishbone Ash”). Continually pushing their creative process, the band will release their next studio album, “Coat of Arms,” through SPV/Steamhammer on February 28th, 2020 as CD DigiPak, 2LP version (incl. bonus track), download and stream: https://WishboneAsh.lnk.to/CoatOfArms
The first single, “We Stand As One,” was officially released on Jan. 10. See the video at:
The first leg of the 50th anniversary tour in the States begins in Melbourne, FL on Feb. 15, traversing the country's Southern swath from Florida to California and up the Pacific Coastline. The band will return for a Fall Tour in the Northeast and Midwest.
Formed in October 1969 in London, England, Wishbone Ash is one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock. Inspired equally by British folk traditions, American jazz and R&B, the group vaulted to public and critical acclaim, touring arenas, stadiums and theaters throughout Europe and the United States. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans.
Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica. Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s signature is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.
“The blueprint and musical roots that we laid down in the early 1970s must have been really strong to have lasted this long,” says founding member Andy Powell (guitar, vocals). “Every band needs a plan and most importantly, to find THEIR own sound.”
The 50th-anniversary tour officially kicked off in October 2019 with 31 shows in the UK, followed by January and early-February dates in Europe that included a package tour with Nazareth and Uriah Heep. Following the US tour, the band embarks on their second On the Blue Cruise adventure, with more exciting shows to be announced later in the year.
True road warriors, each year Wishbone Ash logs around 30,000 road miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth.
“The band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recordings,” says Powell. A key ingredient in the band's recipe for success is a devoted fan base, many who have followed Wishbone Ash from the beginning, and which often includes their children and even grandchildren. “We value our fan community above all else,” Powell says.
In 2015, Powell released his musical memoir, “Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with renowned Irish music journalist Colin Harper and available in Kindle and Apple iBook formats.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the music business and the world in general, as you can imagine,” Powell says. On looking back over the 50 years of the band, he muses, “Like all success stories, a career like this has its downs as well as its ups, and and the true ups can only be measured in this way.”
There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than Wishbone Ash. Visit www.wishboneash.com for more information, and follow the band on Facebook (@wishbone.ash.official) and Twitter (wishboneash_com).
2020 US Spring Tour 15 FEBRUARY King Center – Melbourne, FL 16 FEBRUARY Skipper’s Smokehouse – Tampa, FL 18 FEBRUARY Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL 19 FEBRUARY House of Blues – New Orleans, LA 20 FEBRUARY Dosey Doe The Big Barn – The Woodlands, TX 21 FEBRUARY The Guitar Sanctuary Music & Event Center –McKinney, TX 22 FEBRUARY Sam's Burger Joint – San Antonio, TX 23 FEBRUARY One World Theatre – Austin, TX 26 FEBRUARY Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ 27 FEBRUARY Boulder Station – Las Vegas, NV 28 FEBRUARY Ramona's Mainstage – Ramona, CA 29 FEBRUARY Arcadia Blues Club – Arcadia, CA 1 MARCH The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA 4 MARCH Yoshi’s – Oakland, CA 5 MARCH The Fox – Redwood City, CA 7 MARCH Abstract Entertainment – Sacramento, CA 8 MARCH Moe’s Alley – Santa Cruz, CA 11 MARCH Aladdin Theater – Portland, OR 12 MARCH Jazzbones – Tacoma, WA 13 MARCH Triple Door – Seattle, WA 01-08 APRIL Miami, FL US/St. Maarten, AQ /St. Thomas, VI/Great Stirrup Cay, BS
2020 US Fall Tour 09 SEPT Bull Run – Shirley, MA 10 SEPT Daryl's House Club – Pawling, NY 11 SEPT Mauch Chunk Opera House - Jim Thorpe, PA 12 SEPT Rams Head on Stage – Annapolis, MD 13 SEPT Tin Pan – Richmond, VA 16 SEPT Ludlow Garage – Cincinnati, OH 17 SEPT The 210 – Highwood, IL 18 SEPT Arcada Theatre – St.Charles, IL 19 SEPT Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL 20 SEPT Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL 22 SEPT River Music Experience – Davenport, IA 23 SEPT The Black Room at Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI 24 SEPT The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN 25 SEPT The Kent Stage – Kent, OH 26 SEPT Fur Peace – Pomeroy, OH (sold out) 28 SEPT Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA 29 SEPT Sportsmen's Tavern – Buffalo, NY 01 OCT Tupelo Music Hall – Derry, NH 02 OCT Wall Street Theater - Norwalk, CT 03 OCT Record Collector – Bordentown, NJ 04 OCT Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA
Band photo at top from left to right: Bob Skeat, Andy Powell, Joe Crabtree, Mark Abrahams.
For more information: www.wishboneash.com Facebook: @wishbone.ash.official Twitter: @wishboneash_com
Wishbone Ash continues a milestone year with tour of Southern, Western United States
Wishbone Ash celebrates a half-century of live twin-lead guitar power in 2020. Fans can look forward to enjoying repertoire from the band's vast catalog of exactly 100 unique releases – 27 studio albums, 24 live albums, 43 compilations and box sets and five live DVDs, along with a DVD rockumentary (“This is Wishbone Ash”). Continually pushing their creative process, the band will release their next studio album, “Coat of Arms,” through SPV/Steamhammer on February 28th, 2020 as CD DigiPak, 2LP version (incl. bonus track), download and stream: https://WishboneAsh.lnk.to/CoatOfArms
The first single, “We Stand As One,” was officially released on Jan. 10. See the video at:
The first leg of the 50th anniversary tour in the States begins in Melbourne, FL on Feb. 15, traversing the country's Southern swath from Florida to California and up the Pacific Coastline. The band will return for a Fall Tour in the Northeast and Midwest.
Formed in October 1969 in London, England, Wishbone Ash is one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock. Inspired equally by British folk traditions, American jazz and R&B, the group vaulted to public and critical acclaim, touring arenas, stadiums and theaters throughout Europe and the United States. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans.
Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica. Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s signature is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.
“The blueprint and musical roots that we laid down in the early 1970s must have been really strong to have lasted this long,” says founding member Andy Powell (guitar, vocals). “Every band needs a plan and most importantly, to find THEIR own sound.”
The 50th-anniversary tour officially kicked off in October 2019 with 31 shows in the UK, followed by January and early-February dates in Europe that included a package tour with Nazareth and Uriah Heep. Following the US tour, the band embarks on their second On the Blue Cruise adventure, with more exciting shows to be announced later in the year.
True road warriors, each year Wishbone Ash logs around 30,000 road miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth.
“The band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recordings,” says Powell. A key ingredient in the band's recipe for success is a devoted fan base, many who have followed Wishbone Ash from the beginning, and which often includes their children and even grandchildren. “We value our fan community above all else,” Powell says.
In 2015, Powell released his musical memoir, “Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with renowned Irish music journalist Colin Harper and available in Kindle and Apple iBook formats.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the music business and the world in general, as you can imagine,” Powell says. On looking back over the 50 years of the band, he muses, “Like all success stories, a career like this has its downs as well as its ups, and and the true ups can only be measured in this way.”
There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than Wishbone Ash. Visit www.wishboneash.com for more information, and follow the band on Facebook (@wishbone.ash.official) and Twitter (wishboneash_com).
2020 US Spring Tour 15 FEBRUARY King Center – Melbourne, FL 16 FEBRUARY Skipper’s Smokehouse – Tampa, FL 18 FEBRUARY Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL 19 FEBRUARY House of Blues – New Orleans, LA 20 FEBRUARY Dosey Doe The Big Barn – The Woodlands, TX 21 FEBRUARY The Guitar Sanctuary Music & Event Center –McKinney, TX 22 FEBRUARY Sam's Burger Joint – San Antonio, TX 23 FEBRUARY One World Theatre – Austin, TX 26 FEBRUARY Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ 27 FEBRUARY Boulder Station – Las Vegas, NV 28 FEBRUARY Ramona's Mainstage – Ramona, CA 29 FEBRUARY Arcadia Blues Club – Arcadia, CA 1 MARCH The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA 4 MARCH Yoshi’s – Oakland, CA 5 MARCH The Fox – Redwood City, CA 7 MARCH Abstract Entertainment – Sacramento, CA 8 MARCH Moe’s Alley – Santa Cruz, CA 11 MARCH Aladdin Theater – Portland, OR 12 MARCH Jazzbones – Tacoma, WA 13 MARCH Triple Door – Seattle, WA 01-08 APRIL Miami, FL US/St. Maarten, AQ /St. Thomas, VI/Great Stirrup Cay, BS
2020 US Fall Tour 09 SEPT Bull Run – Shirley, MA 10 SEPT Daryl's House Club – Pawling, NY 11 SEPT Mauch Chunk Opera House - Jim Thorpe, PA 12 SEPT Rams Head on Stage – Annapolis, MD 13 SEPT Tin Pan – Richmond, VA 16 SEPT Ludlow Garage – Cincinnati, OH 17 SEPT The 210 – Highwood, IL 18 SEPT Arcada Theatre – St.Charles, IL 19 SEPT Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL 20 SEPT Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL 22 SEPT River Music Experience – Davenport, IA 23 SEPT The Black Room at Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI 24 SEPT The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN 25 SEPT The Kent Stage – Kent, OH 26 SEPT Fur Peace – Pomeroy, OH (sold out) 28 SEPT Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA 29 SEPT Sportsmen's Tavern – Buffalo, NY 01 OCT Tupelo Music Hall – Derry, NH 02 OCT Wall Street Theater - Norwalk, CT 03 OCT Record Collector – Bordentown, NJ 04 OCT Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA
Band photo at top from left to right: Bob Skeat, Andy Powell, Joe Crabtree, Mark Abrahams.
For more information: www.wishboneash.com Facebook: @wishbone.ash.official Twitter: @wishboneash_com
