ALBUM REVIEW: Magnum – Lost On The Road To Eternity

Steamhammer/SPV - January 19th 2018

Magnum is a particularly English institution, they are a band that could really only have come from that green a pleasant land but to try and decipher their appeal is rather moot. There’s melody, great structure, Catley’s voice and Clarkin’s guitar and the rest appears to be largely made up of magic. They are also a band that take you on a journey that is rarely by the most direct route, and that too is a large part f the charm: there is only only one song on ‘Lost on the road to Eternity’ under 5 minutes and that’s only by a second!

20 studio albums in Magnum have had several ups and downs over the years but since their 2002 reformation they’ve produced 9 albums and seem to be showing no signs of slowing down. Since their last outing though: 2016’s ‘Sacred Blood ‘Divine’ Lies’ they’ve also seen long standing keyboardist Mark Stanway leave the band along with drummer Harry James leaving the core of Clarkin and Catley with only long-time member Al Barrow on bass to welcome the changes.

Opening with ‘Peaches and Cream’ Clarkin immediately throws in a gentle curve-ball, it’s definitely Magnum but with gentle touches of someone like Robert Palmer. It’s a different, but not joltingly different, somehow simpler and smoother and it has you off balance for a moment before the rousing ‘Show Me Your Hands’ sets you immediately at ease.

The piano led ‘Storm Baby’ that follows builds to a rocking riff and and ebbs and flows beautifully producing an early highlight. Then the first of the epics ‘Welcome to the Cosmic Cabaret’ starts simply and gently like a deep cut by Toto but adds a gritty Catley vocal and soon finds it’s rocking feet tempered by a wonderfully emotive Clarkin solo. It’s a great song and one that I’ve kept on repeat.

The title track ‘Lost On The Road To Eternity’ is a powerful song – laden with keys, strings and great orchestration it’s lavish and another real highlight here, taking Magnum not exactly into uncharted territory, but rather venturing out into those lands on a fancier boat.

First single ‘Without Love’ is interesting in that it really doesn’t sound like classic Magnum – it rides a huge groove and sports a funky beat and although it has those unmistakable melodies short though there’s more repetition and less grand organic growth. Again though,  when they step outside the  comfort zone a little, it’s swiftly back to what they do best and ‘Tell Me What You’ve Got to Say’ certainly sounds more familiar.

The strangely informally titled ‘Ya Wanna Be Someone’ is another straight melodic rocker  that does things a little differently and more simply, and it’s the variation on the theme that really works best here. ‘Forbidden Masquerade’ that follows swiftly afterwards adds lighter brushstrokes to the mix and even a bluesy breakdown with characteristic Magnum style.

The album proper closes out with two of the best – ‘Glory to Ashes’  a glorious mid-paced rocker that tells an epic tale and paints a vivid Clarkin vignette and the second real epic ‘King of the World’ a more than fitting way to end the album with Clarkin and new keyboardist Rick Benton to the fore.

Magnum’s 20th studio album is one that rates very highly indeed and will not only please the diehard fans but also hints (especially in the title track) of new creative possibilities. Clarkin and Catley sound as fresh here as they have in years and along with that the return of the vintage logo is also a nice touch.

 

The album features a total of four live bonus tracks which were not available for review: ‘Sacred Blood – Divine Lies’, ‘Crazy Old Mothers’, ‘Your Dreams Won’t Die’ & ‘Twelve Men Wise And Just’, recorded at Magnum’s 2017 performance at the Leyendas Del Rock festival in Alicante, Spain.

 

MAGNUM Live 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-Nürnberg – 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

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