Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Magnum
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release: 1978
Rating: 4/5
British art rock heroes Magnum, who later became melodic rock heroes too, had shaped their sound by the time of their cult debut “Kingdom Of Madness” after the example of most other progressive rock bands of the era. That is, in the second half of the 70s, when some new musical trends were emerging, many bands began to favor a combination of melodic sensibility and punch over excessive complexity, improvisation and tectonic symphonic arrangements.
On “Kingdom Of Madness”, and thus practically right at the start of their career, Magnum’s sound was built on a rich melodic tradition, though it still had its share of bombastic keyboard arrangements and even the occasional flute, handled by keyboardist Richard Bailey. In other words, the kind of elements you’d normally find in symphonic prog rock. On the other hand, guitarist Tony Clarkin, who by the way is usually the author of the lion’s share of Magnum songs and also a fine acoustic guitarist, gave most of the compositions a heavy rock drama with his punchy riffs and epic solos, not that far from what Kansas and Styx were doing back then. And last but not least, there’s of course the superb singer Bob Catley, a man obsessed with fantasy literature and mythological sagas, whose mighty, epic way of singing, backed by frequent harmony vocals (the influence of Queen and Uriah Heep was obvious here), was essential to the band’s recognizability.
One of the main trademarks that accompanied Magnum throughout their story was Catley’s lyric-writing style, which was mostly steeped in fantasy themes. Something similar to what Ronnie James Dio, one of the pioneers of fantasy lyrics in rock music, did in his day with Rainbow. On “Lords Of Chaos,” Catley’s friend lent a hand too, none other than the famous fantasy author Michael Moorcock, who in his past also collaborated as a lyricist with Hawkwind (he was even a member for a while) and Blue Oyster Cult. The lyrics of this song deal with the saga of Elric of Melniboné, Moorcock’s most beloved and best-known collection of tales, which still inspires numerous musicians today.
The mystical journey into the kingdom of madness begins, fittingly for the title, with the excellent “In The Beginning,” marked by Clarkin’s razor-sharp riffs, Catley’s epic vocals and the playful, “Wakemanesque” sound of Bailey’s keyboards (of all the classic prog rock bands, the influence of Yes is the most obvious in their sound). Right away it serves up the characteristic Magnum sound, moving from melodic rock and short acoustic moments to symphonic rock nuances, and delivers first-rate mystical atmosphere. It’s followed by a direct transition into the hard rock-leaning “Baby Rock Me,” which is rather atypical for the band, a noticeably earthier piece with a simple melodic chorus, scorching guitar passages and erotically teasing vocals. In the second, instrumentally spiced-up half it briefly wanders into slightly more experimental waters, but otherwise it’s the perfect song for a wild midnight party. “Universe,” together with its philosophical lyrics, is a gorgeous mystical ballad where Catley above all shines with his epic-melancholic vocals, backed by layered vocal harmonies. The warm sound of the keyboards, especially the Mellotron, and the gentle accompaniment of the acoustic guitar provide a great symphonic melody.
The title track “Kingdom Of Madness” is the album’s peak and one of Magnum’s classics, in which their blend of symphonic sensibility and heavy rock energy comes alive in the best possible way. The intro has short passages on acoustic guitar and flute, then through dramatic riffing and rhythmic build-up it tips over into a turbulent section, followed by a gorgeous chorus with flute, mighty vocals and backing harmonies (some of which more than obviously nod to Queen’s), which is the centerpiece of this excellent composition. The prog rock roots come alive at full power on the superb power ballad “All That Is Real,” which is likewise spiced with an excellent Catley vocal performance and plenty of varied keyboard passages. A short instrumental breather with bravura guitar passages is there too. The very good, extremely epic “Bringer” is more than obviously inspired by some Queen creations and combines mysticism with punch. It features almost heavy metal riffing, dramatic build-up on piano and assorted percussion (cowbell included) and mighty vocal harmonies.
The band’s Queen obsession doesn’t skip the over-the-top “Invasion” either, which right at the start serves up operatic, multi-part vocal harmonies that then dominate the whole composition. Then it moves into a dramatic drum build-up, razor-sharp guitar riffing and wickedly tinged vocals. Clarkin’s excellent triple guitar passages (the unmistakable influence of Wishbone Ash, pioneers in the field) wouldn’t have embarrassed any NWOBHM band either, and tellingly hint at how important Magnum were for the further development of heavy metal. Another very interesting piece is the previously mentioned fantasy epic “Lords Of Chaos,” which is also one of the best things on the album, with plenty of experimental touches on keyboards, a funky pulse on guitar and yet another mighty vocal performance. The closing, slightly nostalgic “All Come Together,” packed with top-notch mysticism and epic grandeur, is finger-licking good as well. Assorted keyboard embellishments, especially on the Moog synthesizer, and bristling guitar passages over the vocals tell yet another of Catley’s dramatic stories. It’s one more of those compositions where their symphonic prog roots were plain to see, and an excellent way to close the album.
“Kingdom Of Madness” is an excellent debut, marked by a fine balance of splendid epic arrangements, rich melodies and a prevailing mystical atmosphere. In my opinion it still ranks among their best work today, so it can be safely called an art rock classic whose sound influenced many future bands, including the genre that came to be known in the 80s as neo prog rock. As the most progressive-sounding album in their entire discography, it still has the potential to win over even those who don’t count Magnum among bands known for excessive experimentalism and remember them mostly for their melodic rock/AOR successes in the 80s. Most of the songs on “Kingdom Of Madness” were written back in 1976, but excessive delays meant the album came out only two years later, by which time punk had arrived and indirectly contributed to the lack of bigger commercial buzz, which it could otherwise easily have achieved given the successes enjoyed at the time by the aforementioned American art rock cousins Kansas and Styx, the bands Magnum shared the most stylistic similarities with, even though they were always an authentic incarnation of unique British mysticism after the Tolkien recipe.
Lineup
Bob Catley — vocals
Tony Clarkin — guitar
Wally Lowe — bass guitar
Richard Bailey — keyboards, flute
Kex Gorin — drums
Production
Jake Commander
Track list
1. In The Beginning (7:52)
2. Baby Rock Me (4:05)
3. Universe (3:45)
4. Kingdom Of Madness (4:25)
5. All That Is Real (3:50)
6. The Bringer (3:58)
7. Invasion (3:22)
8. Lords Of Chaos (3:21)
9. All Come Together (4:52)
