There are few phrases on a press release more likely to strike fear into the heart of a reviewer than “legendary orchestral hard rock group” but this is exactly what Magnum appear to be contentedly tagging themselves with. Hitting the scene back in 1978 Magnum are back again with what they call “one of the best and rounded records we have ever made.” After the opening couplet of decidedly ‘filler’ tracks,
Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow reveals itself to be a very solid mid paced rocker indeed. Some delightfully solid grooves grab the listener with
Like Brothers We Stand and keep on coming. For all the needlessly wordy language that I’m bombarded with to describe the release, it’s an extremely listenable and well screwed together record that’s easy on the ear without falling into the ‘classic rock by numbers’ category. Magnum have obviously spent a great deal of time capturing a raw energy and added the bare minimum of sheen at the mixing desk.
The obligatory softer side is present with
Inside Your Head, as singer Bob Catley shows off a voice that has the presence and almost tragic quality of early Rod Stewart. Yes, Rod Stewart is a proper rock and roller, for you young upstarts skulking at the back. The mood is deflated slightly by some cheesy synths on
Be Strong but I can easily forgive that because of the overall quality of this album. These guys are obviously pretty clever songwriters who understand that overproducing and overcomplicating do not a good album make. Quite honestly, anyone who likes quality hard rock would appreciate this offering. Granted, I’m currently listening to it with a cup of tea and nice biscuit in hand, but I’m a mean motherfucker that eats children and shits bats so I get away with being a little mature sometimes. A lot of these songs could easily be churned out by modern artists and have NME falling over themselves but the fact that you’re listening to a bunch of ageing rockers makes it just that little bit cooler to my ears.
Chances are this might be something your Dad would listen to, but check out Magnum if you get the chance. A very pleasurable way indeed to spend a Thursday evening.
Magnum are on tour across the UK in May 2007
Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow is out now on SPV
www.magnumonline.co.uk
If I was a few years older I’d no doubt have a well worn denim waistcoat with a heavy metal patches all over it. Well, that and a horrid, greying, combed-over mullet horror. There is also little point in pretending that my beloved garment wouldn’t have bloody huge Saxon patches all over it. From the tail end of the 1970s Saxon were responsible for some of the best british heavy metal on the market. Check out classics like
Denim and Leather,
Wheels Of Steel and
747 (Strangers In The Night) for what I’m talking about. My eternal critique of the great Saxon records was that they were superbly written rifftastic rock tunes that were let down by pretty damn nonsensical lyrical content. Check out
Dallas 1pm and make sure you have Kleenex handy to catch the tears of laughter. It’s all a bit cheesy, but they’re forgiven as somehow it tends to work.
Fast forward a few hundred years (or so it seems) and we have the boys from the north of England back with new studio offering
The Inner Sanctum. As always I approach new releases by long in the tooth bands with a bit of speculation; will it be an embarrassing collection of outdated, irrelevant heavy metal wanderings or will I be surprised. It’s hard for an older band to be at the cutting edge and sometimes it’s best if they don’t try and be hip with what turns the kids on. Sadly, this is the case with the first few tracks. Lots of nice thumping double kick drumming and crunchy guitars but it’s all pretty bland formulaic stuff. Almost as fate would have it the superb
I’ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive) is the first indication that there’s redemption available. Here we have classic Saxon with an infectious heavy beat and powerful chorus. Singer Biff Byford seems to have lost little of his potency so we’ll forgive the rather obvious lyrical stylings.
The pattern of the album seems clear: bland yet heavy songs peppered with others which will undoubtedly make rousing live numbers.
Going Nowhere Fast being an excellent example of a song that will probably have the Saxon hordes pleased as punch come gig night. To expect wonders and musical enlightenment is probably placing an unfair burden on a band like Saxon but it’s nothetheless an enjoyable wee record that’ll be a good companion as you sew that 2007 tour patch on.
The Inner Sanctum is released on March 9th on SPV
www.saxon747.com
Next up are German power metal stalwarts Helloween, who bring us a double live album recorded in 2005/06 as part of a 100 date world tour. The entire show in Sao Paulo is packaged along with some extra tracks culled from other dates.
Helloween fans should like this, it’s well recorded and going by the crowd reaction the gig was a stormer. A lot of live metal albums suffer in my opinion due to being recorded in large stadiums without much atmosphere. Not so here, with just 6,000 fans attending the recorded show the listening experience feels a little more intimate. Also offered is a double tour DVD with a wealth of interviews, films shot on the road and promo video clips. Check it out if Helloween light your ring!
Keeper Of The Seven Keys -The Legacy- World Tour 2005-06 Live In Sao Paulo is out now on SPV
www.helloween.org
