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MAGNUM

Prog Related • United Kingdom


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Magnum picture
Magnum biography
Founded in Birmingham, UK in 1972 - Hiatus between 1995-2001 - Still active as of 2019

Magnum formed in Birmingham around the early 70s. The members which guided through times good and bad were Bob Catley, the singer, and Tony Clarkin, the guitarist and chief songwriter. They gradually gained a solid enough reputation to be signed by CBS for one single. However, this deal didn't last too long, and it took them three years before they got another record deal. This time round they signed to Don Arden's label Jet, who were most famous for housing the Electric Light Orchestra. This deal lasted for 5 albums; 'Kingdom Of Madness', 'Magnum II', 'Marauder' (a live album), 'Chase The Dragon' and 'The Eleventh Hour'. Slowly the band did gain some real acclaim for these superb albums, yet Jet were struggling with internal problems at this time and soon Magnum bore the brunt of this. However, luck was at hand as they signed to FM-Revolver for the big hit album, 'On A Storyteller's Night' in 1985. This album even led to a big hit single in 'Just Like An Arrow', and soon the major label Polydor signed them up. Three more hugely successful studio albums- 'Vigilante', 'Wings Of Heaven' and 'Goodnight LA'- plus a live album, 'The Spirit', were to follow with various hit singles along the way. However, their commercial renaissance proved to be short lived as their next albums on different labels did very little, and after a valedictory live album in 'The Last Dance', the band split in 1996. This split didn't last too long though, as they came back with the 'Breath Of Life' album in 2002, and the 'Brand New Morning' album in 2004. They continue to delight fans with their brand of very English, pomp/prog rock.


Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com :
Magnum are a band in the great tradition of Uriah Heep, Styx, Asia and Argent, in that they fused prog rock with a touch of heavy rock and/ or AOR.

MAGNUM Videos (YouTube and more)


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MAGNUM discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

MAGNUM top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.29 | 71 ratings
Kingdom Of Madness
1978
2.84 | 70 ratings
Magnum II
1979
3.72 | 90 ratings
Chase the Dragon
1982
3.25 | 75 ratings
The Eleventh Hour
1983
3.90 | 102 ratings
On a Storyteller's Night
1985
2.80 | 66 ratings
Vigilante
1986
3.68 | 77 ratings
Wings Of Heaven
1988
2.43 | 42 ratings
Goodnight L.A.
1990
2.81 | 38 ratings
Sleepwalking
1992
2.67 | 33 ratings
Rock Art
1994
3.14 | 37 ratings
Breath Of Life
2002
3.16 | 38 ratings
Brand New Morning
2004
3.53 | 55 ratings
Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow
2007
3.14 | 41 ratings
Into The Valley Of The Moonking
2009
3.27 | 43 ratings
The Visitation
2011
3.03 | 37 ratings
On The 13th Day
2012
3.09 | 36 ratings
Escape From The Shadow Garden
2014
3.23 | 25 ratings
Sacred Blood Divine Lies
2016
3.75 | 36 ratings
Lost On The Road To Eternity
2018
3.53 | 21 ratings
The Serpent Rings
2020
4.03 | 11 ratings
The Monster Roars
2022
4.00 | 9 ratings
Here Comes the Rain
2024

MAGNUM Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.46 | 29 ratings
Marauder
1980
3.50 | 6 ratings
Invasion Live
1989
3.38 | 20 ratings
The Spirit
1991
3.89 | 9 ratings
Stronghold
1997
3.75 | 8 ratings
Invasion
1999
3.58 | 12 ratings
The Last Dance
1999
3.53 | 9 ratings
The River Sessions
2005
4.45 | 11 ratings
Wings Of Heaven Live
2008
2.14 | 3 ratings
Live On Air
2011
3.93 | 9 ratings
Live at The Symphony Hall
2019

MAGNUM Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.50 | 6 ratings
A Winter's Tale
2003

MAGNUM Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.36 | 13 ratings
Vintage Magnum
1986
2.80 | 5 ratings
The Collection
1990
2.88 | 8 ratings
Keeping The Nite Light Burning
1991
2.33 | 8 ratings
Chapter & Verse
1993
4.00 | 3 ratings
Progressive Classics
1999
4.17 | 6 ratings
Long Days Black Nights
2002
3.14 | 10 ratings
Evolution
2011
2.50 | 4 ratings
The Valley of Tears - The Ballads
2017

MAGNUM Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.00 | 2 ratings
On Christmas Day
2014

MAGNUM Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Magnum II by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 1979
2.84 | 70 ratings

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Magnum II
Magnum Prog Related

Review by proghaven

5 stars Magnum II is more original and distinctive, more complex, sophisticated and inventive, much more mature and slightly harder than its predecessor. (And closer to Kansas, by the way.) I'd say the most impressive are If I Could Live Forever, So Cold The Night and Firebird, but in total, the entire sequence from The Battle to All Of My Life is brilliant. (Though, if I produced the album I'd reverse the LP sides. Just try to listen to side 2 first and then to side 1. I think it would be better if the album started with So Cold The Night and ended with Reborn.) Unfortunately, there are also tracks of completely different sort than So Cold The Night or Firebird on this amazing album. I mean Great Adventure and Changes. Of course none of them is as primitive and trite as the continuous thresher of the band's later albums. Nevertheless, both are IMHO transitional fossils from Magnum's early prog to Magnum's later vulgar rock in the vein of Europe (do you remember this mediocre 'arena rock' band, very popular on the late 1980s FM radio and almost forgotten nowadays, though reportedly still active?). Since then, Magnum became more professional but completely lost their individuality. I listened to their albums from various periods between 1982 and 2022, including their latest one, hoping that one day they would remember that they were an excellent prog rock band in their early days. No, they never recovered. Magnum still keeps baking commercial stadium rock albums full of platitudes, one by one. Impossible to believe that now they are capable to write a song like So Cold The Night, even if they want to.
 Kingdom Of Madness by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.29 | 71 ratings

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Kingdom Of Madness
Magnum Prog Related

Review by proghaven

5 stars When I was sixteen, I listened to the newly released Magnum's third album Chase The Dragon. I concluded that Magnum is a mediocre band that does not deserve my attention at all (I was already deeply into Genesis, ELP, Yes, Eloy, Jethro Tull, Wakeman etc that time). A few months later, a classmate gave me for listening a cassette with two albums (taped from another cassette) by an unknown band, with no indication on it - no artist name, no album title or release year. The music was great. I had no idea what band it could be, just supposed that the music was released circa 1978-1979 (later it turned out I was right) and the band was from US (later it turned out I was wrong), due to some similarity to Kansas in some melody making techniques, the drummer's playing manner etc. Many years later, I suddenly discovered by chance that those two unidentified recordings on the old unmarked cassette were the first two albums by Magnum, Kingdom Of Madness and Magnum II. I would never have guessed myself! Both were absolutely unlike the trite and tacky straight FM rock from Chase The Dragon. As for Kingdom Of Madness, I'd say it's slightly raw but exceptionally promising hard prog, musically not too far from Kansas circa 1977-1982. There's no long epic here, only short tracks, but some of them follow in the non-stop mode, especially Invasion, Lords Of Chaos and All Come Together, de facto forming an epic suite. Though Magnum is one of the most long surviving and prolific bands in the history of rock, to me it became an artist of two albums. In later years, the band learnt very well how to make a good commercial product, but completely forgot how to compose and arrange good music.
 The Monster Roars by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 2022
4.03 | 11 ratings

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The Monster Roars
Magnum Prog Related

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars There are few bands who I can say I have enjoyed for 45 years, but Magnum is one of them. True, there have been line- up changes but when all songs are written by guitarist Tony Clarkin and sung by Bob Catley, who together formed this band back in 1972, does it really matter? They have created their own pomp sound, and are unmatched in the UK (and probably Europe) not only for their style but longevity. This album was released at the beginning of 2022, which means it was recorded when Bob was 73 years old yet his voice has none of the fragility or frailty one might expect. I have only seen the band four times, and probably not in nearly 30 years, yet I was always amazed at how powerful and on point he was in concert and in the intervening years nothing has changed.

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 Serpent Rings by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.53 | 21 ratings

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The Serpent Rings
Magnum Prog Related

Review by ElChanclas

3 stars The Serpent Rings is the 20th studio album by British hard rock, heavy rock, prog rock legends Magnum. All I can say is how impressed I am with this band's catalog, no matter the decade you dig into you will find gems, and anthems, a lot of them! Their sound is immense and the production pristine. Nothing new under the sun but everything so damn well executed, ear candy top to bottom. And that cover?my god! So inviting?

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!

 On a Storyteller's Night by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 1985
3.90 | 102 ratings

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On a Storyteller's Night
Magnum Prog Related

Review by huge

4 stars I'm currently listening to Magnum's latest release - The Serpent Rings (and worth a listen I might add) and realised that I never did provide a review for what, I believe, is their best album 'On a Story Teller's Night' - how remiss...

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...

 Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 2007
3.53 | 55 ratings

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Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow
Magnum Prog Related

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

4 stars This was the third Magnum album after their reunion, and it's another high-quality slab of material from the band - certainly suggesting they still had some fresh ideas to offer. It's not a revolutionary release - still largely in that strange middle ground between neo-prog, the poppier flavours of NWOBHM and melodic rock rock that their classic albums occupy, this time around with substantially less in the way of NWOBHM and more of those other two ingredients. It's a bit more introspective than, say On a Storyteller's Night, as the wistful album opener When We Were Younger strongly emphasises, but it's a delightful development of Magnum's music into a mature style.
 On a Storyteller's Night by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 1985
3.90 | 102 ratings

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On a Storyteller's Night
Magnum Prog Related

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

5 stars Slightly too cheesy and light to be part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal or the neo-prog scene, but somewhat too heavy and complex to be middle-of-the-road AOR hard rock, Magnum plotted a course between genres which finds them in fine form with this album. Compared to, say, Chase the Dragon, there's a bit more in the way of cheesy poppiness to proceedings on occasion, but it's part of a rich blend of musical styles which has consistently left Magnum very difficult to pin down in terms of genre, but means their music ends up having something to offer a wide range of listeners. Fantastic stuff.
 Chase the Dragon by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 1982
3.72 | 90 ratings

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Chase the Dragon
Magnum Prog Related

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

5 stars Recorded in 1980 but only released in 1982, Chase the Dragon is a landmark album for Magnum for many reasons. For one thing, it's the first of their albums to be graced by the delightful fantasy artwork of Rodney Matthews, who'd work closely with the band on numerous later releases and here establishes striking images which he'd keep coming back to in the Magnum cosmos - why, that combination of distant city, desolate plain, and spooky tree would be reflected on the cover of Escape From the Shadow Garden.

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.

 Live at The Symphony Hall by MAGNUM album cover Live, 2019
3.93 | 9 ratings

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Live at The Symphony Hall
Magnum Prog Related

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Back in 1980, I was perusing the singles at my local branch of Woolworths, and saw a double live single by a band I had never heard of, but it was only 50p! Looking at the photo on the rear they appeared to be a rock band so thought I would give it a try. I took it home, played it, and was then straight back down the shops to purchase the latest album, 'Marauder'. None of the four songs were contained on the live album, but I was immediately a fan of everything I heard. At the time I had no idea who they were, but on the basis of that album I ordered the first two, 'Kingdom of Madness' and 'II'. From here on I was a fan, grabbing each album when it came out, but I don't think even the fans were expecting the majestic might that was 'On A Storyteller's Night' in 1985. During the Eighties/early Nineties I saw them in concert multiple times (the first time I ever saw IQ was when they supported Magnum!), but until the last studio album must confess to having heard nothing by the band since 2004's 'Brand New Morning'. Nothing to do with the band, but moving to the other side of the world meant I just lost touch with what they were doing.

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.

 Lost On The Road To Eternity by MAGNUM album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.75 | 36 ratings

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Lost On The Road To Eternity
Magnum Prog Related

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Back in 1980 I was perusing through a record store, when I came across a double single by a band I hadn't heard of. I was intrigued by the format, liked the fact it was a cheap price, so bought it unheard and went home. The Magnum Live EP featured four songs recorded at the same time, but not featured on, the live album 'Marauder' which was my very next purchase, soon to be followed by the two studio albums. I then started following their career with interest, and thought the following two albums were amazing, only to be blown by the fifth, 'On A Storyteller's Night'. I managed to see them in concert multiple times in the Eighties, and was devastated when the band decided to call it a day. Of course, after working together as Hard Rain, singer Bob Catley and guitarist/songwriter Tony Clarkin couldn't resist using the old name again and a new band was formed. So, here they are, back with their twentieth studio album and although bassist Al Barrow has been there since 2001, both keyboardist Rick Benton and drummer Lee Morris are new additions.

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.

Thanks to salmacis for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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