There are few great bands on our planet that you can infallibly identify within the first few bars of one of their songs. Their unique melodic ability, their tasteful instrumentation, the right mix of depth and catchiness and then of course that charismatic voice: Magnum are Magnum!
The very inspired artwork for the new album was again designed by the great Rodney Matthews, who has already designed a number of Magnum covers for the band's atmospherically dense music. Says Tony Clarkin: "The back cover shows a kind of bird battalion in attack mode, which I think is a great allegory!"
In addition to the typical Magnum trademarks, "Here Comes The Rain" surprises with songs such as "Blue Tango", a number that is unlikely to keep anyone's feet still. Or "The Seventh Darkness" with brilliant brass sections by guest musicians Chris 'BeeBe' Aldridge (saxophone) and Nick Dewhurst (trumpet), which lend the song brilliance and form.
There's no doubt about it: with "Here Comes The Rain", the Magnum line-up, consisting of Catley, Clarkin, keyboardist Rick Benton, bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Lee Morris, has once again succeeded in creating an exceptionally colorful, varied and inspired new studio album. "Everyone played their part without me dictating anything," enthuses Clarkin, "everyone just instinctively played what their inspiration told them to." How good it is that these great musicians can rely on their intuition!
01 Run Into The Shadows 02 Here Comes The Rain 03 Some Kind Of Treachery 04 After The Silence 05 Blue Tango 06 The Day He Lied 07 The Seventh Darkness 08 Broken City 09 I Wanna Live 10 Borderline
Disc 2
01 Days Of No Trust 02 Lost On The Road To Eternity
03 The Monster Roars 04 The Archway Of Tears 05 Dance Of The Black Tattoo 06 Where Are You Eden? 07 The Flood 08 The Day After The Night Before 09 Wild Swan 10 Les Morts Dansant 11 Rocking Chair 12 All England's Eyes 13 Vigilante 14 Kingdom Of Madness 15 On A Storyteller's Night 16 Sacred Hour