MAGNUM – Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow

Magnum is a band that needs little introduction. They were formed in Birmingham, England in 1972 and released their first full-length record, Kingdom Of Madness, in 1978. The band has undergone several changes in personnel over the years and the only one’s left from the original line-up today are vocalist Bob Catley and guitarist Tony Clarkin.

Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow is Magnum’s thirteenth studio album, and what a release this is! This album consists of eleven great Melodic Rock songs and no fillers. Every song on this record sends shivers down your spine, and while you’re at it, it’s also a great record to put on while making love (oh, yes)! Magnum has avoided the typical Melodic Rock album trap where all the songs sound the same. With a run time in excess of an hour, you feel like you could listen to the album once more without pausing.

The album starter is “When We Were Younger.” The song reflects on growing old, losing friends, regretting things that have been done, and missing the days of youth. It has perhaps the most stand-out lyrics on the record. Keyboard with both piano sounds were added to give the song more breadth, while the guitar and bass rock in the background, giving Catley enough space to run the show with his incredible voice. The vocals are filled with emotions and the rest of the band is never far behind. And, just to top it all of, Clarkin plays an acoustic guitar solo over of a galloping Hard Rock riff. What a way to start the record!

Next is “Eyes Wide Open,” a song of the same mood as the previous, but still totally different. The chorus is incredibly catchy and Catley clearly knows what buttons to push. Clarkin drives this song with cool and uncompromising guitar riffs, while Stanway adds the necessary depth to the music with his almost Symphonic keyboard sounds. The guitar riffs fit great with Al Barrow’s steady bass play. It’s quite interesting when you think about it; Barrow was only four years old when Magnum was formed!

“Like Brothers We Stand” starts with a hovering keyboard, relieved by Catley declaring “… I’ve never shot no one.” It’s more of a down-paced song than the others, and along with the piano-driven “Inside Your Head” and the semi-ballad “Thank You For The Day,” it represents the slower, but beautiful part of the album. “You’ll Never Sleep” is the closer. It starts with beautiful piano/keyboards and gradually builds up to a great A.O.R. mid-paced riff. This is perhaps the catchiest song on the record. It’s more piano/guitar driven and this causes the song to have a lighter mood than the other songs, and it’s a great way to end the record.

The production sounds great and it’s a thrilling listen. The melody and the riffs are clever and reminiscent of Magnum in the mid-80s. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that the cover artwork is made by fantasy artist Rodney Matthews, who also designed the sleeve for On A Storyteller’s Night (1985).

Catley lets his emotions fill his voice and adds a great amount of credibility to the lyrics on this record, while Clarkin proves that he is an amazing songwriter as well as a great guitarist. All the songs on Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow are extremely catchy and this is definitely the best Melodic Rock release in years. There is no other way to say this, but: buy this record, Buy This Record, BUY THIS RECORD!

Lineup

Tony Clarkin – Guitars
Bob Catley – Vocals
Mark Stanway – Keyboards
Jimmy Copley – Drums
Al Barrow – Bass