Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Magnum
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release: 1979
Rating: 3/5
England’s art rock masters Magnum carried on, in many ways, the musical direction of their splendid debut “Kingdom Of Madness” (1978) with their second album, blandly titled “Magnum II”. Even though it’s an extremely solid record that has most of the ingredients that eventually turned Magnum into one of the most beloved and influential art/melodic rock bands around, it never landed the commercial success that would have broken the band through to a wider audience, and among their own fans it isn’t exactly held in huge esteem either. For some it’s even one of their weaker efforts. To a degree that dismissiveness is fair, since “Magnum II” is a somewhat less inspired record than its very good predecessor.
Even though it somehow doesn’t match that album’s mystique, it still has a bunch of great tracks with the trademark Magnum epic motifs, built mostly on the seamless interplay between punchy, heavy rock riffs and melancholic passages from the fingers of guitarist and main songwriter Tony Clarkin, plus the mighty, melodic vocals and dominant fantasy lyrics delivered by that untamable storyteller, singer Bob Catley. His lyrics, as usual, are full of mystical tales of epic adventures and battles. Here and there a love ode sneaks in too (mostly on the power ballads), which some would surely label as over-the-top cheese, but he pulls it off without pretension, unlike, say, some later metal bands influenced by Magnum’s music.
Musically, the album is already a bit less progressive-rock experimental and closer to the epic melodic rock they’d become famous for on the following albums. That prog stamp rests mostly on the epic sound of the keyboards and the occasional flute from then-keyboardist Richard Bailey, as well as on Clarkin’s inventive guitar passages. Clarkin isn’t shy about picking up an acoustic guitar either, which gives certain compositions a noticeable pastoral flavor. Magnum once again confirmed their reputation as the incarnation of rock pomp in the style of the already famous kindred bands like Kansas, Styx or Queen, which, in the eyes of a music critic who loves every good form of rock pomp, can never carry a negative meaning. The fact that the album leans toward a somewhat heavier rock sound over symphonic influences is certainly down to the influence of then-producer Leo Lyons, otherwise the bassist of Ten Years After. He also made a name for himself as the producer of some beloved UFO albums.
Just like with “Kingdom Of Madness”, most of the songs were written months before the album was made, which had no real effect on its quality. The opener “Great Adventure”, with its epic motifs, successfully continues the mystical direction of the debut. Catley’s dramatic vocals are in great harmony with the varied synthesizer passages and Clarkin’s sophisticated switching between acoustic and electric guitar. The melodic rocker “Changes”, which also came out as a single, already resembles in many ways one of those earworms that would later bring the band worldwide fame. With expressive riffs, a mighty epic chorus and interesting symphonic embellishments on piano and synths, it tickles your ear receptors from start to finish. The epic “The Battle” is also one of the album’s better tracks, with its combination of energetic singing, punchy riffing and dramatic keyboard passages, and in its heavy rock expression it’s not that far from the then newborn NWOBHM movement. The excellent “If I Could Live Forever” is the most prog-rock-oriented piece on the album, with plenty of interesting transitions between individual motifs and shifts in mood. After a mystical keyboard intro with orchestral and choir harmonies, it kicks into a punchy tempo full of pompous motifs, where Catley’s expressive vocals reign supreme, though calmer instrumental moments aren’t missing either.
The excellent “Reborn” also brings together all the ingredients that make Magnum interesting to the prog rock crowd too, as it’s a fascinating mix of heavy rock, a power ballad with some pastoral passages on flute and acoustic guitar, and symphonic rock via plenty of tasteful keyboard passages. “So Cold The Night”, another epic of many dimensions, also brings out some prog rock elements, mainly thanks to the almost neo-prog-flavored use of synths in places. Besides the calmer moments, the song also has an almost ominous undertone with its often marching drums and sharpened riffs of the kind you’d usually find in metal. “Foolish Heart”, another single from this album, is again a somewhat more direct, melodic rock piece, and with its slightly monotonous chorus it’s the weakest composition on the album, even though Clarkin shows off some of his best passages on the record.
“Stayin’ Alive”, with its mighty melodic, almost anthemic chorus and tasteful symphonic embellishments, continues their tradition of excellent power ballads. The mystical “Firebird” has a melancholic troubadour-style intro with acoustic guitar passages, then moves through sharp guitar lines and keyboard sounds into more dramatic heavy rock waters. In the middle they also treat us to a short baroque folk rock interlude on flute. The closing epic anthem “All Of my Life” is the incarnation of genuine Magnum pomp, with interesting jazzy opening passages built on piano and bass guitar. Catley’s wonderfully melodramatic vocal performance, which ends in a high register atypical for him, is what leaves the most impressive mark on the listener.
Even though “Magnum II” doesn’t reach the compositional quality of the debut, let alone masterpiece status, it undoubtedly deserves more respect, since it’s yet another quality album that in many ways continues with those art rock elements that secured them cult status, and that can bring fans of melodic rock, heavy rock and progressive rock together under one roof. Maybe the album’s lowly reputation is also down to the ugly cover, which is easily the worst in their history and lacks the usual mystical theme. Because of this record’s commercial failure, they took quite a while before releasing the next album, which finally defined their sound, and in the end that paid off handsomely.
Line-up
Bob Catley – vocals
Tony Clarkin – guitar, backing vocals
Richard Bailey – keyboards, backing vocals
Wally Lowe – bass guitar, backing vocals
Kex Gorin – drums
Production
Leo Lyons
Track List
1. Great Adventure (4:54)
2. Changes (3:15)
3. The Battle (2:10)
4. If I Could Live Forever (4:02)
5. Reborn (5:45)
6. So Cold The Night (4:04)
7. Foolish Heart (3:13)
8. Stayin’ Alive (3:22)
9. Firebird (4:47)
10. All Of My Life (4:43)
Album length: 40:33
