Today, British rock icons MAGNUM share “Blue Tango”, the first single from their upcoming studio album, ‘Here Comes the Rain’, out January 12th, 2024 via Steamhammer / SPV. the track is accompanied by a new lyric video.
Tony Clarkin had this to say about “Blue Tango,” :
“Apart from MAGNUM’s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises in store, such as ‘Blue Tango’, which is a real riff-rock number that makes you want to move your feet.”
Watch the New Lyric Video for “Blue Tango”
There are few great bands on our planet that can be infallibly identified within the first few bars of one of their songs. With unique melodic skill, tasteful instrumentation, an amazing balance of depth and catchiness, and, of course, that charismatic voice: MAGNUM are Magnum!
The same can be said of their latest studio album ‘Here Comes The Rain’, which will be released via CD + DVD, double vinyl LP, as a box set and for digital download, proving once again that classic rock music could hardly sound more atmospheric.
The album’s highly inspired artwork is once more designed by the great Rodney Matthews, who has already created a number of MAGNUM sleeves to support the band’s atmospherically dense music. Says Tony Clarkin: “The back cover features a kind of avian battalion in attack mode, which I think is a great allegory!”
Apart from MAGNUM‘s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises. First single, “Blue Tango”, is a catchy, guitar rock groover while “The Seventh Darkness”, is filled with awesome brass sections courtesy of guest musicians Chris ‘BeeBe’ Aldridge (saxophone) and Nick Dewhurst (trumpet), which lend the song brilliance and shape.
There is no doubt about it: ‘Here Comes The Rain’ sees the MAGNUM line-up consisting of Catley, Clarkin, keyboardist Rick Benton, bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Lee Morris, once again succeed in creating an outstanding, colorful, varied and inspired new studio album.
“Everyone played their part without me dictating anything,” Clarkin enthuses, “everyone just instinctively played what their inspiration told them.”
Hello everyone We want to share with all you guys the news that Al has decided to leave the band. He has been finding it increasingly difficult to spend so much time away from home now that he lives in America.
We’re all going to miss him very much, not just what he brought musically but his company and character. His tireless efforts in helping with putting our albums together, social media, website, and promotional literature have always been massively appreciated, especially when we didn’t pay him for them (JK)!!
We wholeheartedly wish him the best in all his future projects both musical and personal. We’ll be keeping in touch, and for the time being, he will still be helping out on Facebook.
Stepping into his shoes we are pleased to announce that Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, ) will be joining us effective immediately. We’ve already been working hard with him on the new album – due for release early 2020, with artwork by Rodney Matthews. We’re all very excited by this next chapter in the Great Adventure that is Magnum.
Al has recorded a personal video message to you all we hope you enjoy it. Thank you for your continued support and hope to see on tour next year. Tony, Bob, Rick, and Lee.
Every music lover knows that the closing concert of a long tour is always a very special event. For weeks in advance, the audience has been able to read up on how much the band has been celebrated in their previous concerts evening after evening and they are all the more excited to see their heroes with their own eyes. After having played those numerous concerts, the band is in excellent shape, perfectly attuned to one another and of course, they want to outdo themselves with this final show. One of those tour finales took place on 19 April 2018 inside Birmingham`s Symphony Hall. It was there that the British rock band Magnum completed their Road To Eternity tour, which consisted of 42 concerts, and performed at the highest level.
“A truly magical evening”, guitarist Tony Clarkin confirms, “especially seeing as the show was a sort of home game for us, since all of us are from around the area between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, although during the last 20 years we have performed in Birmingham only once. In this respect, it was a special moment for Magnum in more than one way.” According to the occasion, band members Tony Clarkin, vocalist Bob Catley, bassist Al Barrow as well as their two newest members keyboarder Rick Benton and drummer Lee Morris confidently played their way through a well-chosen mix of classics and newer songs, which rather successfully join the ranks of the band`s long tradition of atmospheric rock songs.
Star guest Tobias Sammet (Avantasia, Edguy), too, was swept along by this enthusiasm and the blazing interaction between the musicians and their Birmingham audience when he went on stage for ‘Lost On The Road To Eternity’ to lend energetic support to vocalist Bob Catley just like he did for the track’s studio recording. Oh and just by the way: As a forerunner to this gripping live album ‘Lost On The Road To Eternity’ will hit the market as a digital single on November 9th, 2018.
All that’s left to ask now is what makes Live At The Symphony Hall any different from former Magnum live recordings. “Bob and I have been in this band for quite a while now, but we’ve never lost our passion for Magnum”, Clarkin elaborates. “We want to keep learning new things and are open to tips and advice. That’s why we constantly revise our old songs, sometimes we play them a bit faster, sometimes a bit slower, we change a solo here and a part of the melody there. That way we not only keep our audience interested but also our own enjoyment in these pieces alive.” There isn’t a more fitting way to describe the magic that happens on Live At The Symphony Hall.
“Live At The Symphony Hall” will be released through SPV/Steamhammer on January 18th, 2019 as 2CD DigiPak, 3LP Gatefold, download, and stream.
Tracklisting:
CD1
1. When We Were Younger 8:00
2. Sacred Blood ‘Divine’ Lies 6:28
3. Lost on the Road to Eternity 6:11
4. Crazy Old Mothers 5:35
5. Without Love 6:14
6. Your Dreams Won’t Die 5:42
7. Peaches and Cream 5:09
8. How Far Jerusalem 10:46
CD2
1. Les Morts Dansant 5:46
2. Show Me Your Hands 5:52
3. All England’s Eyes 4:48
4. Vigilante 5:24
5. Don’t Wake the Lion (Too Old to Die Young) 11:43
6. The Spirit 4:30
7. When the World Comes Down 6:11
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