MAGNUM
MAGNUM “Here Comes the Rain”
By Colonel Angus
I was first introduced to MAGNUM in the pages of Kerrang! Magazine of all places. I never felt that they were heavy metal but the magazine did promote all things British. I remember getting “Vigilante” and “Wings of Heaven” on imports when they came out and it wasn’t until then that I started to check out their earlier catalogue. This was right when the band was starting to adopt a more commercial style and although there were prog elements peppered in their later releases, the music shifted a bit more to AOR and melodic rock. I never understood how MAGNUM wasn’t bigger in states as they had a sound that was perfect for radio. My tastes toward the late 80s drifted to more heavier and extreme metal so, truth be told, I lost interest in that style of music for a decade.
That being said, I have always had a soft spot for melodic rock and AOR, especially when it is done so well. I have revisited MAGNUM albums again in the 2000s and although I haven’t listened to each of them, I always enjoyed their records and felt that they were an overlooked band. Well, here we are with a new disk that sadly is released a week after the passing of founding member Tony Clarkin. His songwriting and guitar playing is a key component to the success and sound of MAGNUM. As I write this, this may in fact be their last record as I can’t see the band continuing with one of their key songwriters.
I guess the best things we can do to continue his legacy would be to play his records and keep his music alive. “Here Comes the Rain” is another great record in a catalogue of great albums. Things start off with a great piece of melodic rock in “Run in the Shadows”. One of the things that hits you is that sense of melody right off the bat. Also, Bob Catley’s vocals still sound great and have lost none of its charisma even after over five decades. The title track is a bit of a dramatic tune that borders slightly on a ballad but in a good way. Catley’s heartfelt vocal delivery and Clarkin’s emotional guitar carry the track and elevate it from mediocrity to something quite special.
The epic “Some Kind of Treachery” continues the same type of feel as the previous tune with keyboardist Rick Benton given the room to shine. “After the Silence” has a very cinematic vibe with it’s sweeping keyboard and dramatic vocal delivery. Things kick up a bit with a rockin’ “Blue Tango” that incorporates a slight prog sense. It’s one of the heavier tunes on “Here Come the Rain” but still has that MAGNUM sound. Speaking of the MAGNUM sound, I have a hard to describing the band to someone new as they really do have a sound all their own. Between the vocals and the mix of rock styles, they have a sound of their own. After the rocking “Blue Tango”, the guys go back to their prog meets AOR meets melodic rock with “The Day He Lied”. Again, Catley’s vocal performance here is stunning with plenty of passion and drama with every lyric.
They switch gears for another roickin’ track that harkens back to the first tune. “The Seventh Darkness” has a great swagger with Clarkin providing some great riffs and lead work along with this solo where he duels it out with a saxophone. This is definitely a highlight on the disk and showcases the best of MAGNUM. The keyboard heavy “Broken City” is definitely the ballad on “Here Comes the Rain” and while it’s not my favorite track, I still feel that it is not worth skipping. The unfortunately titled “I Wanna Live” is a pomp rock classic that made me a bit sad in light of Clarkin’s death. There is a cool URIAH HEEP vibe I get from the keyboards that gives it an older sound. The band end with another pomp rock thumper that ends things off in epic fashion. “Borderline” is a great track to end an album and possibly a catalogue.
I don’t know how the band can carry on without Clarkin as he was integral to the sound and songwriting. At this point, all we can really do is enjoy the twenty something studio album and countless live albums. If this is in fact the last MAGNUM record, it is a fitting ending as it has all the melody, drama, and classic elements of the band. It is bittersweet to think that it’s over but I’m sure Clarkin would want us to just enjoy his music and “Here Comes the Rain” has ten tracks of pure MAGNUM for us to enjoy.