Magnum - The Monster Roars

Monday, a new week, it's time for "Record Of The Week".

"The Monster Roars" is the 22nd studio album by English rock band MAGNUM, released on 14 January 2022. A band that get's my full respect, a band that has a long history as they is impressive, when they look back at a career which started as early as 1972 and still continue to make great songs and keep the quality up is freaking amazing. To celebrate 50 years in business they now released their 22nd studio album "The Monster Roars". MAGNUM have struggled same as many other band with this pandemic with concert cancellations and the uncertain perspectives for the whole music industry and hopefully it will soon change and they will be able to play the new tunes live.

MAGNUM have been notably consistent with their outputs over the past decades, "The Monster Roars" feels like their strongest in a long time. They have created a vibrant, homogeneous album with great melodies, catchy choruses, marvelous solos and amazing vocals, I am really impressive how they manage this kinda quality so long into thier career.

"The Monster Roars" opens up with the title tune, like a smooth ride the song starts off with a soft piano along with Catley’s vocal until the rest joins up with some power. The vocal parts by Bob Catley is as we are used to, excellent, the Tony Clarkins guitar, Dennis Ward on bass, Lee Morris on drums and keys by Rick Benton sounds amazing. "Remember" is a catchy piece, marvlous guitar, nice piano. "All You Believe In" is a beautiful tune where Rick Benton really shines with his work. Where the keys goes straight into the heart, so nice! "I Won’t Let You Down" stands out a bit in style, but still very powerful. Time to turn back the time in "The Present Not The Past", a tune that could be picked from any of the bands 80's album, cool strings and some flavour to it. "No Steppin’ Stones" the album's first single features a brass intro, didn't see that comming, kinda cool and gives the tune some sparks. "That Freedom Word" serves us with some killer guitars, the solos are insanely beautiful. "Your Blood Is Violence" is a great rocker that follows by "Walk The Silent Hours", a great half ballad until it's time to rock again in "The Day After The Night Before", powerful with a big chorus. The guitar heavy "Come Holy Men" continues the powerful tracks until it's time to wave good bye with the closing tune "Can’t Buy Yourself A Heaven", half acoustic guitars surrounds Catley's vocals the long walk to then round off with a magical guitar solo like no other. To sum this up, "The Monster Roars" is a very good album by a band, they have mastered the craftmanship over 50 years and still continue to serve us listners with classy and hook laden rockers and this is really shows that the monster MAGNUM still roars. The only down side I can see is the artwork, I do miss Rodney Matthews fantasy!

Throughout those five decades the band mainstays have been vocalist Bob Catley and songwriter Tony Clarkin on guitar. The current line up is made up of more recent recruits bassist Dennis Ward, Rick Benton on keyboards and drummer Lee Morris.

Sum: MAGNUM shows that “The Monster Roars”.

Today's tune "I Won't Let You Down", taken from “The Monster Roars”, enjoy!



More info @

Official Magnum Web

Listen to ”Magnum - I Won't Let You Down" on Spotify!

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Magnum - Lost On The Road To Eternity

Monday, new week, time to introduce "Record Of The Week"

The British rockers have released their 20th studio recording "Lost On The Road To Eternity" by the group MAGNUM surrounding founder members Bob Catley (vocals) and Tony Clarkin (guitar) since their 1978 debut "Kingdom Of Madness". At the same time, Clarkin, Catley and bassist Al Barrow are set to introduce their current line-up featuring new additions Rick Benton (keyboards) and Lee Morris (drums). Benton joined the MAGNUM camp in December 2016 to replace long-standing member Mark Stanway, while Morris took over from Harry James only a few months ago.

"Lost On The Road To Eternity" sees British hard rock band MAGNUM celebrate a very special anniversary in 2018.

40 years as a rock band is pretty awesome, not many band reach that milestone. And in that time, since their debut record, they have made their own sound, you could say that they earned the right to a "MAGNUM” sound, like AC/DC sounds like AC/DC, IRON MAIDEN sounds like IRON MAIDEN and so on. "Lost On The Road To Eternity" sounds... well MAGNUM!

The album contains eleven new songs, among them the first single release "Without Love", a tune that doesn’t sound like classic MAGNUM, but you will recognize Bob Catley peculiar voice. Even the sound and melody doesn’t follow the typical melodic pattern, instead it flows on a groovy cloud with a funky beat, not bad at all, I do like this step outside the ordinary comfort zone. The title tune "Lost On The Road To Eternity" features vocals from both Bob Catley and Tobias Sammet (EDGUY & AVANTASIA), kinda natural for him to contribute here as they have been working together on AVANTASIA. It’s a fantastic powerful tune! "Show Me Your Hands" is a bouncy modern MAGNUM classic. Beautiful keys by Benton starts "Storm Baby", a softer approach before the tempo rises for a time until it sets back to it's originally beauty. "Peaches and Cream" is a catchy, gentle and very melodic piece, and the opposite of the right sublime tune "Welcome to the Cosmic Cabaret" where the melodic parts really flows out from the classic template that MAGNUM usually adopts, a song that certainly would have been significantly longer, but unfortunately, shortened to only 8 minutes, sad, why not give it all. The song is a piece of art, could easy be the theme for the cover of the album. "Tell Me What You’ve Got to Say" follows the more classic style, powerful melody with wonderful low chugging riff. "Ya Wanna Be Someone" is a straight catchy rocker. "Forbidden Masquerade" continues in the more classic MAGNUM template, great singing, great melody and great guitar playing. Keys and Guitars opens up "Glory to Ashes", an half paced powerful piece, with amazing playing and fine poetic vocals. "King of the World" closes this package grandiose, bluesy licks with big choruses.

The release will once again be complemented by Rodney Matthews's atmospheric cover artwork.

Sum:

"Lost On The Road To Eternity" is remarkable consistency album by this British institution, absolutely well worth revisiting!


MAGNUM are scheduled to embark on a major European tour from January to April 2018, see all the dates below.

Today's tune "Without Love" is taken from "Lost On The Road To Eternity", released 19 January 2018.


THE ROAD TO ETERNITY TOUR 2018

26.01.18 GB-Minehead – Giants Of Rock
20.02.18 GB-Bristol – Trinity
21.02.18 GB-Cardiff – Tramshed
23.02.18 GB-Holmfirth – Picturedome
24.02.18 GB-Manchester – Academy 2
25.02.18 GB-Hull – Welly
26.02.18 GB-Aberdeen – Garage
27.02.18 GB-Glasgow – Garage
01.03.18 GB-Belfast – Limelight
02.03.18 GB-Birmingham – Town Hall
04.03.18 GB-Preston – Guildhall
05.03.18 GB-Nottingham – Rock City
07.03.18 GB-Leamington – Assembly
08.03.18 GB-Cambridge – Junction
09.03.18 GB-London – Islington Assembly Hall
11.03.18 GB-Southampton – Engine Room
12.03.18 GB-Brighton – Old Market
14.03.18 NL-Leiden – Gebr de Nobel
16.03.18 SE-Stockholm – Fryshuset Klubben
17.03.18 NO-Oslo – John Dee
18.03.18 SE-Gothenburg – Sticky Fingers
19.03.18 SE-Malmoe – KB
21.03.18 D-Munich – Ampere
23.03.18 D-Nuremberg – Der Hirsch
24.03.18 D-Aschaffenburg – Colos-Saal
25.03.18 D-Berlin – Columbia Theater
27.03.18 D-Bonn – Harmonie
28.03.18 D-Stuttgart – Im Wizemann
29.03.18 D-Freiburg – Jazzhaus
31.03.18 D-Wuppertal – Live Club Barmen
01.04.18 NL-Uden – De Pul
03.04.18 D-Leipzig – Werk 2
04.04.18 D-Hamburg – Fabrik
05.04.18 D-Bremen – Aladin
07.04.18 D-Neuruppin – Kulturhaus
08.04.18 PL-Bydgoszcz – Klub Kuzinia
10.04.18 CZ-Prague – Nova Chemelnice
11.04.18 D-Memmingen – Kaminwerk
12.04.18 CH-Pratteln – Z7
13.04.18 I-Milano – Legend
15.04.18 E-Barcelona – Bikini
16.04.18 E-Madrid – But

More info @

Official Magnum Web

Listen to ”Magnum - Without Love" on Spotify!



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Tune Of The Day - Top 100 - 2016 (100-91)

Now we almost reached the end of this year, it's December 12th and around this time of the year it's time to sum all the best that 2016 have given us.

Once again it has been a really good year album wise. More than shit loads of money have been spent on records this year, all of them is now going to fight for the top spots on Tune of the days Top 100 list, yes top 100 this year :) It's freaking crazy, but I had really, I mean really hard to choose this year, to many good records have been released. But after some hours of agony, my music heart have decided and now when I look at it, it was not quite what I had expected from the beginning, but what the heck it's my choices and hope that some records might hook you up, might even find a few new favourites and that you buy a few of them to support the artists that have put all their soul into the creation of all the wonderful tunes that serves here. Another thing that I notice that It's pretty heavy this year, not many outsiders that usually slides in here and there.

First up we present this year's best albums between 100 - 91. Where you get the first 10 at once. Today's tune will be publish later on this evening. So here we go!

100. Architects - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us

ARCHITECS have managed to craft a sound that sounds like them and this is their strongest release so far. 

99. Port Noir - Any Way The Wind Carries

 An album that is full of emotions and pretty atmospheric.

98. Omnium Gatherum - Grey-Heavens

 

 

The 7-th album from the Finish rockers, an album that needs to be consume as a complete package to magic, bit's and pieces it will fall into the shadows.

97. Messenger - Threnodies

An excellent progressive rock album, interesting and complex beast.

96. Magnum - Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies

 Another great album from MAGNUM, and quite easily to listen to.

95. Grand Magus - Sword Songs

Even if the machinery is running at half-mast, GRAND MAGUS can kick ass.

94. Dust - Soulburst

 Swedish blues hard rockers have released a 70's classic rock influenced album that rocks!

93. Wolfmother - Victorious

 

 

An album that's easily good enough to keep WOLFMOTHER in scope.

92. Wo Fat - Midnight Cometh

 Midnight Cometh is a further proof that patience is a virtue.

91. Tygers of Pan Tang - Tygers of Pan Tang

 The self titled album of TYGERS OF PAN TANG has everything you want from an old-school record.

Today's tune will be posted soonish.

Magnum - Crazy Old Mothers

The British melodic rock icons MAGNUM from Birmingham will release their new album, "Sacred Blood 'Divine' Lies", on February 26th as a 2 LP colored version, digital download CD and as a digipak version (including a DVD).

Today's tune is the brand new song "Crazy Old Mothers", taken from the nineteenth album "Sacred Blood 'Divine' Lies". "The song is about working in a job you hate, when you had such big plans for yourself but you were too scared to take a chance and follow them through!" Says Tony Clarkin.



More info @

Official Magnum Web

Sorry no Spotify yet, will update up on release.

Follow tuneoftheday.blogspot.com on Spotify!

Magnum - Too Many Clowns

The British rockers Magnum released their latest album titled "Escape from the Shadow Garden" it's the 18th studio album. Escape From the Shadow Garden was released on 19 March 2014.

Magnum was formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin (guitar, songwriter), Bob Catley (vocals), Kex Gorin (drums) and Bob Doyle (bass) in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club in Birmingham. Magnum have undergone several changes in personnel over the years; however, the core of Catley and Clarkin remain.

Todays setup:

Tony Clarkin — guitar
Bob Catley — vocals
Al Barrow — bass guitar
Mark Stanway — keyboards
Harry James — drums

Vinyl Version

Todays tune "Too Many Clowns" taken from the latest album Escape from the Shadow Garden.



More info @

Official Magnum Web

Listen to "Magnum - Too Many Clowns" on Spotify here!

Follow tuneoftheday.blogspot.com on Spotify here