MAGNUM

Is this album as immediate as their classic early albums? No, not at all, but it is a grower in the way of many of their later ones. Clarkin has a way of crafting great songs with wonderful hooks which rarely have a need for a solo, as it is all about verse/chorus/bridge and Catley's delivery. This is the second album with Rick Benton (keyboards), Lee Morris (drums) and Dennis Ward (bass guitar, backing vocals) and somewhere in the world they will be on tour, shaping the songs, and let us hope they find room for quite a few of these in the set along all the others the fans will want to hear. Magnum are a force of nature, and have no idea on how to release a bad album, and while 'On A Storyteller's Night' might seem like a millstone to many that was 38 years ago, and they are still going strong. Only death or disability will stop the Brummies from giving it their all, and yet again us Magnum fans are going to enjoy yet another totally enjoyable album from beginning to end.

The lineup for this specific album is:

Tony Clarkin on guitars (founding member)

Bob Catley on vocals (founding member)

Dennis Ward on bass guitar

Rick Benton in keyboards

Lee Morris on drums

I like every single song on this album and could all be favorites, however my highlights are:

- Where are you Eden?

- Madman or Messiah

- Not Forgiven

- The Serpent Rings

- Man

Any music lover, especially those that already embrace heavy metal and hard rock should definitely look into this band, their music is full of jaw dropping hooks, memorable melodies, heavy riffing, tight and heavy sounding bass and drums, atmospheric and enchanting keys and of course, those signature vocals by Mr. Catley so wonderfully preserved through all these years, incredible. I highly recommend this album, a more than enjoyable listen!

I can still remember buying this (vinyl) when it was released, it spent far too much time on the turntable (or perhaps I had too much time to spend listening to what is a 'tour-de'force'). Conversely, the only track that didn't pique my interest was the very successful single from this album (it still doesn't).

How Far Jerusalem, On a Story Teller's Night, Les Morts Dansant, All England's Eyes and The Last Dance were (for me) the stand out tracks (and still are).

I can't believe it was 35 years ago that this was released! Magnum also have the personal accolade of the band I've seen live the most - 10 times and potentially counting...

In addition to being the album where Magnum's distinctive cover art aesthetic really came together, Chase the Dragon is also the album where their sound came into its own. In retrospect, perhaps 1982 was the perfect year to release something like this, with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal wave riding high and the neo-progressive rock movement bubbling up through the underground.

It's not that Magnum quite belongs to either of those movements, but they seem to occupy a unique musical space all of their own which hovers in a somewhat AORish region partway between the two styles. They have enough synthesisers, fantasy lyrics, and occasional instrumental flair to put one in mind of neo-prog, without ever quite leaning enough on prog influences like Uriah Heep or embracing long, complex song structures sufficiently to really be any flavour of prog, neo- or not.

Likewise, whilst they have a boisterous energy reminiscent of the NWOBHM and traditional heavy metal (which are also fields not averse to fantasy lyrics), they don't quite go heavy enough to cross the boundary between hard rock and metal. (If they did, it feels like they'd land somewhere near Dio.)

On paper, it feels like such an act would end up falling between two stools, failing to be sufficiently one thing or the other and pleasing nobody. Instead, Chase the Dragon is a delightful album which will have something to appeal to fans of the lighter ends of traditional heavy metal or neo-prog alike - and if you happen to dig both, as I do, you'll probably absolutely love it. Soldier of the Line is an excellent album opener, one of those songs which will have you reaching for the "back" button when it ends so you can listen to it over and over again despite yourself, and the rest of the album retains a high standard throughout.

This was apparently a make-or-break moment for Magnum, due to the shaky reception of Magnum II throwing them off-kilter a little; in retrospect, they pulled out exactly the album they needed to produce here. You can count me as a freshly-minted Magnum fan on the strength of this album alone.

But when I realised they had a new live album out, then of course I had to get it. Guitarist Tony Clarkin and singer Bob Catley are of course still there, without them both this could never be Magnum, and bassist Al Barrow was working with them when Magnum stopped with Tony and Bob forming Hard Rain and has been in the band ever since. I am sorry to see Mark Stanway left in 2016 after many years of service, as I always felt he was a much under- rated keyboard player, but here he has been replaced by Rick Benton while drummer Lee Morris joined in 2007 when Thunder's 'Arry felt he could no longer commit.

By now surely everyone knows what they are going to get from a Magnum concert. They have cornered the market in British pomp rock, and the way the keyboards and guitar link are really like no other. Tony has never enjoyed playing solos, so these are few and far between and are far slower and more melodic than one would expect from a guitar hero, as instead he provides the crunching riffs everyone enjoys so much. Just listen to the crowd joining in during 'How Far Jerusalem', not letting even an extended bass solo slow them down too much. This was their first gig in Birmingham for a while and was at the end of a 42-date tour, so both they and the crowd were on fire.

The older numbers such as 'Don't Wake The Lion' are still my favourites to honest, just because I know them so very well indeed. Guest Tobias Sammet (Avantasia, Edguysounds like he also had a great time when he appeared for 'Lost On The Road To Eternity' to provide additional vocals, just like he did for the track's studio recording. It is a wonderful album, with Bob showing that hitting 70 has had no impact whatsoever on his vocals ' he is one singer I have always been impressed with as he is always in total control, and again proves it in spades. One problem of a band who have been going for so many years (formed in 1972, first album in 1978) is the amount of material they have available when it comes to a setlist, so there are always going to be favourites missing. But I never thought I would hear a Magnum concert without 'Kingdom of Madness', and it doesn't appear to have been on the set list for when this was recorded on 19th April 2018. But that really is a small moan, Magnum have always been a great live band, and 40 years on from their debut they prove it yet again.

For one reason or another I have lost touch with the band over the years; the last album I recall hearing was 2004's 'Brand New Morning', but just putting this on and it was as if they had never been away. Tony crunches the pomp rock riffs like no other, rarely soloing, while Bob Catley has always been one of finest singers around, whether in the studio or in concert. When I first played this I was convinced that it was just another Magnum album that I had come across over the years, not really any better or worse, but the more I listened to it I started to realise that this was actually the best Magnum album I had come across for many years. In fact, possibly the best since those heady days in the Eighties when I was singing "How Far Jerusalem" along with everyone else in the crowd (strange fact: the first time I ever saw IQ was when they supported Magnum at the Hammy O). Tony seems to have a new enthusiasm, and given that he is now 71 he is showing no sign at all of slowing down! If like me you were a Magnum fan who felt they had gone off the boil, then track this out and listen to "Welcome To The Cosmic Cabaret" and you won't be disappointed.