MAGNUM – The Monster Roars

An example of productivity

There is no need to introduce the British veterans of Magnum: 22 studio albums since 1978. These 70 years old young men have nothing more to prove and do not seem ready to retire just yet. Or perhaps they have found the perfect routine: an album every two years and tours all over the world.  Something to be jealous of or admirative.

Just two years after the excellent The Serpent Rings and the even better Lost on the Road to Eternity, (with gorgeous illustrations by Rodney Matthews), Magnum is back with The Monster Roars. Unfortunately, the cover is this time not as pleasant as its predecessors. This cheesy rubber trolloc/orc with horrid platinum hair does not bode well for the rest. Be reassured, if the cover is terrible, the music is still fine.

The Monster purrs

The first notes of “the Monster Roars” cannot mislead you. Magnum still plays this progressive and melodic hard rock. You can only admire how well Bob Catley’s voice is preserved, even during fairly recent live records such as Lost on the Road to Eternity.

However pleasant The Monster Roars is, you cannot shake off the feeling that something is missing, like a pinch of salt. The personal touch of Magnum has always been these catchy choruses that do not fail to get stuck in your head. While you listen to the album, there is nothing wrong. The melodies are both emotional and punchy, the orchestrations well-wrought and the songs display, as usual, a great variety.

But… because there is a but… very few of them will linger in your head. While entertaining, this album fails to make a lasting impression after the fleeting moment of the listening sessions. Except for maybe “I won’t let you down” (who’s in favour of Magnum as the official Christmas Metal Band?) and “The Day after the night before.”

Nothing to worry about though, with a career as impressive as Magnum, all of the albums cannot be as strong as the others and it’s always nice for the fans to have a band that is so dedicated to producing new music while they could easily rely on their older classics.