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MAGNUM***MIGHTY MELODIC ROCKERS’ SUPERLATIVE NEW STUDIO ALBUM ‘SACRED BLOOD “DIVINE” LIES’’ RELEASED FEBRUARY 26th ON STEAMHAMMER / SPV + MAY UK TOUR CONFIRMED*** |
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| Mighty British melodic hard rock group Magnum are set to release their magnificent new studio album ‘Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies’, on Steamhammer / SPV on February 26th, as a limited edition DigiPak CD (with bonus DVD), standard Jewel Case CD, double gatefold vinyl with printed inner sleeves + CD (in paper sleeve), and download. ‘Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies’, a hugely stirring, uplifting opus, is a notably heavier, harder offering than its much acclaimed predecessor,‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’, and is packed with even more of Magnum’s massive trademark rousing rock melodies. The band have also lined up a 15 concert headline UK tour in support of the album, from May 11th through to May 30th; dates are:- 11th May SOUTHAMPTON The Brook 12th May CARDIFF Tramshed 13th May LONDON Islington Assembly Hall 14th May OXFORD 02 Academy 16th May NORWICH Waterfront 17th May NOTTINGHAM Rock City 19th May BIRMINGHAM 02 Institute 20th May HOLMFIRTH Picturedome 21st May MANCHESTER Academy 2 22nd May NEWCASTLE 02 Academy 24th May ABERDEEN Garage 25th May GLASGOW Garage 27th May BELFAST Limelight 1 29th May BRISTOL 02 Academy 30th May LEAMINGTON SPA Assembly Magnum mastermind Tony Clarkin started working on the resounding new album even before ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ crashed into the UK Album Chart at 38, (the band’s first top 40 album chart position for over 20 years), on release in March 2014. “I usually start composing for our next album immediately after the release of the previous one,” Clarkin recalls, continuing “When ‘Escape…’ arrived at the stores in March 2014, my thoughts had already turned to our next recording.” Clarkin was inspired to write 25 new songs during and after the subsequent triumphant European tour, the most outstanding 13 of which were selected for ‘Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies’. Ten of the numbers made it onto the standard album CD and another three onto the DigiPak bonus DVD, which also contains videos for three of the brand new songs on the album. The epicentre of this soundquake features, along with frontman Bob Catley’s charismatic voice, Clarkin’s awesome riffing and hard driving lead guitar licks, which provide the all-important substructure to each of the ten gems of songs on the album. ‘Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies’ counts without a doubt among the group’s most dynamic releases; Clarkin states that “I’ve always been into rock numbers. But it isn’t necessarily that easy to write really good rock material. It’s much more simple to compose a ballad. But that dynamic pace suits Magnum perfectly.” Nowhere is this more evident than on the title track and album opener; “I feel that Bob delivered it really well,” Clarkin praises his vocalist Bob Catley. “As far as I am concerned, ‘Sacred Blood “Devine” Lies’ is definitely likely to join the ranks of great Magnum classics.” So it comes as no surprise that ‘Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies’, with its significant message, became the album title. Among the other multiple highlights on this thoroughly powerful recording, mention must be made of the anthemic ‘Gypsy Queen’, which Tony was inspired to write after a concert in St. Petersburg, a city which deeply impressed him with its unique atmosphere. By no means less memorable is ‘Your Dreams Won’t Die’ which is based on a cascading piano chord sequence, reflecting the song’s poignant philosophical message. “To me, the title and lyrics have an almost religious depth,” says Clarkin. “There’s a saying that somebody is not forgotten if their name is remembered.” A successful rock group like Magnum should be entitled to eternal renown, shouldn’t it? Says Clarkin: “You want my honest opinion? I don’t think that far ahead, but of course it’s a nice notion that this band may always be remembered because so many people love our music.” And last but not least: ‘Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies’ closes with a song which surprised even Clarkin; “I liked the general sound of ‘Don’t Cry Baby’ from the start,” he remarks. “Although I initially didn’t have a lyric, the melody kept going through my head, as well as the chorus with acoustic and e-guitars plus piano. We even kept the drums from the demo version because our drummer Harry James liked them so much. He said: “I love it the way it is. We shouldn’t change a thing about it”.” ‘Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies’, the cover of which has once again been designed by renowned fantasy artist Rodney Matthews (Nazareth, Asia), is a stupendous record, packed with soon-to-be-proclaimed-classic, majestic hard rock compositions. |
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Sanctified– Roland Hyams on 020 8677 8466 / 07768 156392. 7th January 2016. |
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© Work Hard PR 2016 |
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MAGNUM***BRITISH MELODIC ROCKERS’ NEW ‘ESCAPE FROM THE SHADOW GARDEN – LIVE 2014’ ALBUM RELEASED MAY 11TH ON STEAMHAMMER / SPV*** |
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British melodic rock icons Magnum have lined up the release of a brand new live album, recorded at selected venues on their highly successful “Escape From The Shadow Garden” European tour in the spring of 2014; ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden – Live 2014’ will be unleashed as a Super Jewel Case CD and double gatefold LP + CD (in a cardboard sleeve) on May 11th on Steamhammer / SPV. The set list, comprised of 12 songs chosen from 7 of the band’s 19 studio albums, was chosen by the group so that newer fans can fully appreciate gems of songs from Magnum’s beginning in the 1970s, right up to the present day. ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’, was awarded 10/10 & Album Of The Month by Powerplay Magazine writer Dave Cockett, who stated in the March 2014 issue that “Put simply, Clarkin and the band have excelled themselves once again, and if like me you can’t get enough of the wonderfully idiosyncratic phenomenon that is Magnum, then ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ is an exotic delicacy that you can’t ignore. A veritable national treasure, they just keep getting better with age!” Magnum, who regularly breached the Top 40 of both the singles and album charts in the Eighties and early Nineties, came together in the Midlands in the mid-Seventies and released their debut album 'Kingdom Of Madness' in 1978, followed by 'Magnum II' in 1979 and their first live album 'Marauder' in 1980. During this period they toured relentlessly with the likes of Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult and Judas Priest. 1982's 'Chase The Dragon' album was the first to go Top 20, and was accompanied by a sold out UK tour. 1983's 'The Eleventh Hour', 1985's 'On A Storyteller's Night' and 1986's (Roger Taylor produced) 'Vigilante' album all fared similarly well but it was 1988's 'Wings Of Heaven' LP which really broke the band into the mainstream, going gold, breaching the top 5 of the UK chart and spawning three top 30 singles - 'Days Of No Trust', Start Talkin' Love' and 'It Must Have Been Love'. During this period the band regularly graced the stages of such venues as Hammersmith Odeon and major UK Festivals as Reading and Castle Donington. 1990's 'Goodnight To L.A.' album also went Top 10, spawned the Top 40 single 'Rocking Chair' and was accompanied by a tour of the UK's Arena circuit, including venues such as Wembley Arena and the NEC. 1991's 'The Spirit', 1992's 'Sleepwalking' and 1994’s 'Rock Art', were followed by the announcement of the band’s demise and an extensive farewell tour, during which the band's 1996 live album, 'The Last Dance' was recorded. Then, in the summer of 2001, Magnum reformed and began writing their February 2002 ‘Breath Of Life’ album, released 8 years after ‘Rock Art’. "It was particularly inspiring for me to write and produce new material for Magnum,” Clarkin enthused at the time, continuing that "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, the Magnum compositions are powerful, deeper, and more passionate.” 2004’s ‘Brand New Morning’ album was an even more accomplished body of work, and won over a host of new fans, as well documented on the ‘Livin’ The Dream’ live DVD, recorded in the UK in 2005, and released in 2006. Both ‘Princess Alice and The Broken Arrow’, released in March 2007, and 2009’s ‘Into The Valley Of The Moon King’, won over ever more new fans, leading to 2011’s ‘The Visitation’ charting at 55, and then ‘On The 13th Day’ charting at 43 in the UK national album charts in September 2012. 2014 saw ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ triumphantly catapult Magnum into the UK’s top 40 national album chart at 38, their highest British chart position for over 20 years. Tony Clarkin - guitars |
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Magnanimous– Roland Hyams on 020 8677 8466 / 07768 156392. 6th March 2015. |
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© Work Hard PR 2015 |
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MAGNUM***LEGENDARY BRITISH MELODIC ROCKERS’ ‘ESCAPE FROM THE SHADOW GARDEN’ DECEMBER UK TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED*** |
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Supreme British melodic hard rock group Magnum, whose latest studio album ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ crashed in to the top 40 of the UK national album chart on release in March this year, have confirmed the following December UK tour dates:- 1st December CAMBRIDGE Junction ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’, was awarded 10/10 & Album Of The Month by Powerplay Magazine writer Dave Cockett, who stated in the March 2014 issue that “Put simply, Clarkin and the band have excelled themselves once again, and if like me you can’t get enough of the wonderfully idiosyncratic phenomenon that is Magnum, then ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ is an exotic delicacy that you can’t ignore. A veritable national treasure, they just keep getting better with age!” Classic Rock AOR’s Phil Ashcroft stated in the March 2014 issue that “Like all our musical institutions, Magnum have their own unique sound and this is their best attempt this century at matching the effortless quality they had at their commercial peak. It’s a long time since I’ve been truly excited by a Magnum album, but ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ is the one I’ve been waiting for.” Magnum, who regularly breached the Top 40 of both the singles and album charts in the Eighties and early Nineties, came together in the Midlands in the mid-Seventies and released their debut album 'Kingdom Of Madness' in 1978, followed by 'Magnum II' in 1979 and their first live album 'Marauder' in 1980. During this period they toured relentlessly with the likes of Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult and Judas Priest. 1982's 'Chase The Dragon' album was the first to go Top 20, and was accompanied by a sold out UK tour. 1983's 'The Eleventh Hour', 1985's 'On A Storyteller's Night' and 1986's (Roger Taylor produced) 'Vigilante' album all fared similarly well but it was 1988's 'Wings Of Heaven' LP which really broke the band into the mainstream, going gold, breaching the top 5 of the UK chart and spawning three top 30 singles - 'Days Of No Trust', Start Talkin' Love' and 'It Must Have Been Love'. During this period the band regularly graced the stages of such venues as Hammersmith Odeon and major UK Festivals as Reading and Castle Donington. 1990's 'Goodnight To L.A.' album also went Top 10, spawned the Top 40 single 'Rocking Chair' and was accompanied by a tour of the UK's Arena circuit, including venues such as Wembley Arena and the NEC. 1991's 'The Spirit', 1992's 'Sleepwalking' and 1994’s 'Rock Art', were followed by the announcement of the band’s demise and an extensive farewell tour, during which the band's 1996 live album, 'The Last Dance' was recorded. Clarkin went on to work as a producer and songwriter for other artists, brought out two albums with Bob Catley in Hard Rain ('Hard Rain' in 1997 and 'When The Good Times Come' in 1999), and generally recharged his musical batteries. Then, in the summer of 2001, Magnum reformed and began writing their February 2002 ‘Breath Of Life’ album, released 8 years after ‘Rock Art’. "It was particularly inspiring for me to write and produce new material for Magnum,” Clarkin enthused at the time, continuing that "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, the Magnum compositions are powerful, deeper, and more passionate.” 2004’s ‘Brand New Morning’ album was an even more accomplished body of work, and won over a host of new fans, as well documented on the ‘Livin’ The Dream’ live DVD, recorded in the UK in 2005, and released in 2006. Both ‘Princess Alice and The Broken Arrow’, released in March 2007, and 2009’s ‘Into The Valley Of The Moon King’, won over ever more new fans, leading to 2011’s ‘The Visitation’ charting at 55, and then ‘On The 13th Day’ charting at 43 in the UK national album charts in September 2012. In March 2014 ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ crashed in to the UK’s national album chart at #38, the highest chart position achieved since 1992. Particularly spangling gems of new songs on ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ include epic opener ‘Live ‘Til You Die’, the groove-laden, hard rocking ‘Too Many Clowns’, the poignant, balladic ‘Don’t Fall Asleep’, and gorgeous album closer ’The Valley Of Tears’, with its tinkling ivories and luscious soundscapes. |
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Breaking Out – Roland Hyams on 020 8677 8466 / 07768 156392. 14th August 2014. |
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© Work Hard PR 2014 |
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MAGNUM***LEGENDARY BRITISH MELODIC ROCKERS’ NEW STUDIO ALBUM ‘ESCAPE FROM THE SHADOW GARDEN’ RELEASED MARCH 24TH ON SPV /13 DATE APRIL & MAY UK TOUR*** |
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Supreme British melodic hard rock group Magnum have confirmed the release of their utterly compelling new studio album, ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ on Steamhammer / SPV on March 24th. Like a vintage bottle of champagne, Magnum just get better and better with age, and never is this more evident than on ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’, the band’s nineteenth studio album. Magnum mastermind Tony Clarkin started working on ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ merely a month after the release of its illustrious predecessor, ‘On The 13th Day’, which crashed in to the UK national album chart at 43 and number 3 on the Rock & Metal chart, on release in October 2012. But as with all artists, creativity never comes at the push of a button; either angst or a certain amount of peace and serenity is required for inspiration, and Clarkin is certainly no exception to this rule. “We used to be under permanent pressure from our record companies” he notes, recalling that “They kept calling us, demanding hit singles and radio numbers. But that sort of thing doesn’t work on demand. Now we’re with SPV, where it’s a totally different situation. They give us the necessary time and trust us to do the right thing. That’s probably the reason why I enjoy working with Magnum again.” Clarkin’s regained joy is omnipresent on each and every one of the eleven wonderfully melodic, timeless, distinctively classic Magnum rock songs on ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’. Tony modestly explains that “I simply told myself: you’re a passable guitarist, so you should play the guitar. As the band’s guitarist and producer, I have all the freedom I need to create exactly what I feel like creating. This band has certain unmistakable trademarks; among them are my feel for melodies and Bob’s unique vocal style.” Particularly spangling gems of new songs on ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ include epic opener ‘Live ‘Til You Die’, the groove-laden, hard rocking ‘Too Many Clowns’, the poignant, balladic ‘Don’t Fall Asleep’, and gorgeous album closer ’The Valley Of Tears’, with its tinkling ivories and luscious soundscapes. A month after release, Magnum head out on a thirteen date April / May UK tour. Dates are:- 19th April SOUTHAMPTON - The Brook Magnum, who regularly breached the Top 40 of both the singles and album charts in the Eighties and early Nineties, came together in the Midlands in the mid-Seventies and released their debut album 'Kingdom Of Madness' in 1978, followed by 'Magnum II' in 1979 and their first live album 'Marauder' in 1980. During this period they toured relentlessly with the likes of Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult and Judas Priest. 1982's 'Chase The Dragon' album was the first to go Top 20, and was accompanied by a sold out UK tour. 1983's 'The Eleventh Hour', 1985's 'On A Storyteller's Night' and 1986's (Roger Taylor produced) 'Vigilante' album all fared similarly well but it was 1988's 'Wings Of Heaven' LP which really broke the band into the mainstream, going gold, breaching the top 5 of the UK chart and spawning three top 30 singles - 'Days Of No Trust', Start Talkin' Love' and 'It Must Have Been Love'. During this period the band regularly graced the stages of such venues as Hammersmith Odeon and major UK Festivals as Reading and Castle Donington. 1990's 'Goodnight To L.A.' album also went Top 10, spawned the Top 40 single 'Rocking Chair' and was accompanied by a tour of the UK's Arena circuit, including venues such as Wembley Arena and the NEC. 1991's 'The Spirit', 1992's 'Sleepwalking' and 1994’s 'Rock Art', were followed by the announcement of the band’s demise and an extensive farewell tour, during which the band's 1996 live album, 'The Last Dance' was recorded. Clarkin went on to work as a producer and songwriter for other artists, brought out two albums with Bob Catley in Hard Rain ('Hard Rain' in 1997 and 'When The Good Times Come' in 1999), and generally recharged his musical batteries. Then, in the summer of 2001, Magnum reformed and began writing their February 2002 ‘Breath Of Life’ album, released 8 years after ‘Rock Art’. "It was particularly inspiring for me to write and produce new material for Magnum,” Clarkin enthused at the time, continuing that "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, the Magnum compositions are powerful, deeper, and more passionate.” 2004’s ‘Brand New Morning’ album was an even more accomplished body of work, and won over a host of new fans, as well documented on the ‘Livin’ The Dream’ live DVD, recorded in the UK in 2005, and released in 2006. Both ‘Princess Alice and The Broken Arrow’, released in March 2007, and 2009’s ‘Into The Valley Of The Moon King’, won over ever more new fans, leading to 2011’s ‘The Visitation’ charting at 55, and then ‘On The 13th Day’ charting at 43 in the UK national album charts. Powerplay’s Dave Cockett awarded ‘On The 13th Day’ 10/10, asking “How come they can still find it within themselves to deliver an album as good as the impending ‘On The Thirteenth Day’? I’ll tell you why, Tony Clarkin is a genius… an under-appreciated, all too modest genius, but a genius nonetheless! A keen enthusiast of the ‘less is more’ principle, his innate musicality and unerring ability to pen great hooks and thought provoking lyrics are the cosmic glue that binds it all together….Deceptively simple yet deliciously overblown in all the right places, ‘On The Thirteenth Day’ is a rare precious jewel that deserves to be cherished.” Now ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’, the cover of which has once again be created by fantasy artist Rodney Matthews (Asia, Nazareth, Eloy); “Is a release which forges an arch to the early days of Magnum’s career” muses Clarkin, adding “And that’s wonderful! I was really happy when my friend Jimmy Lea of Slade came to visit me at the studio again and said: ‘You’ve done it again?’ Roland Hyams – roland@workhardpr.com / 07768 156392 / 020 8677 8466.
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Breaking Out – Roland Hyams on 020 8677 8466 / 07768 156392. 21st January 2014. |
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© Work Hard PR 2014 |
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MAGNUM***BRITISH MELODIC ROCK LEGENDS’ STONKING NEW STUDIO ALBUM ‘ON THE 13TH DAY’ RELEASED SEPTEMBER 24TH ON STEAMHAMMER / SPV PLUS 13 DATE NOVEMBER UK TOUR ANNOUNCED*** |
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Hugely influential British melodic hard rock group Magnum have confirmed the release of their upcoming eighteenth studio album, ‘On The 13th Day’ on Steamhammer / SPV on September 24th. ‘So Let It Rain’, taken from the album, will be released as a single at the end of August. ‘On The 13th Day’ will be available as a limited digipak edition with a bonus CD featuring unreleased, acoustic and live tracks from the Magnum vaults, plus as a double coloured vinyl LP, standard jewel case CD and download. ‘On The 13th Day’ follows the success of ‘The Visitation’, which charted at 55 in the UK national album charts, and at number one in the UK rock chart at the end of January 2011. Powerplay’s Dave Cockett awarded the album 10/10 in the magazine’s February 2011 issue, proclaiming “Just wait until you cop an earful of the likes of shimmering opener ‘Black Skies’, brooding title track ‘The Visitation’, ‘Doors To Nowhere’, ‘Freedom Day’ or ‘Mother Nature’s Final Dance’ and prepare to be absolutely gob smacked… To a man the band sound like they’re on fire – you know, that self-assured swagger bands only get when they just know they’ve come up with something special – and when you put all that alongside some of Tony’s best songs in what seems like forever, it’s not surprising there’s a real buzz around ‘The Visitation’. Simply can’t wait to see them live next Spring! In a word…brilliant!”. ‘On The 13th Day’ picks up where ‘The Visitation’ left off, boasting 11 soaring, brand new totally epic rock songs packed with hook filled choruses, glorious flowing melodies, luscious keyboards and flowing guitar licks. Right from the opening track ‘All The Dreamers’, (set to be the new ‘Sacred Hour’) you get an instant feeling that this album has something very special to offer. ‘So Let It Rain’, the first single to be taken from ‘On The 13th Day’, will without a doubt soon be officially classified as ‘classic’, while ‘Dance Of The Black Tattoo’, which, from the moment the first drum beats crash out of the speakers, mesmerizes from start to finish. ‘On The 13th Day’, which draws on the very best elements of Magnum’s illustrious back catalogue and high end production, is a strong contender for the title of ‘Magnum’s best album to date.’ Two months after the release of ‘On The 13th Day’ Magnum set off on a 13 date UK tour in November. Dates are:- 18th November Bristol – 02 Academy Magnum, who regularly breached the Top 40 of both the singles and album charts in the Eighties and early Nineties, came together in the Midlands in the mid-Seventies and released their debut album 'Kingdom Of Madness' in 1978, followed by 'Magnum II' in 1979 and their first live album 'Marauder' in 1980. During this period they toured relentlessly with the likes of Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult and Judas Priest. 1982's 'Chase The Dragon' album was the first to go Top 20, and was accompanied by a sold out UK tour. 1983's 'The Eleventh Hour', 1985's 'On A Storyteller's Night' and 1986's (Roger Taylor produced) 'Vigilante' album all fared similarly well but it was 1988's 'Wings Of Heaven' LP which really broke the band into the mainstream, going gold, breaching the top 5 of the UK chart and spawning three top 30 singles - 'Days Of No Trust', Start Talkin' Love' and 'It Must Have Been Love'. During this period the band regularly graced the stages of such venues as Hammersmith Odeon and major UK Festivals as Reading and Castle Donington. 1990's 'Goodnight To L.A.' album also went Top 10, spawned the Top 40 single 'Rocking Chair' and was accompanied by a tour of the UK's Arena circuit, including venues such as Wembley Arena and the NEC. 1991's 'The Spirit', 1992's 'Sleepwalking' and 1994’s 'Rock Art', were followed by the announcement of the band’s demise and an extensive farewell tour, during which the band's 1996 live album, 'The Last Dance' was recorded. Clarkin went on to work as a producer and songwriter for other artists, brought out two albums with Bob Catley in Hard Rain ('Hard Rain' in 1997 and 'When The Good Times Come' in 1999), and generally recharged his musical batteries. Then, in the summer of 2001, Magnum reformed and began writing their February 2002 released ‘Breath Of Life’ album, released 8 years after ‘Rock Art’. "It was particularly inspiring for me to write and produce new material for Magnum,” Clarkin enthused at the time, continuing that "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, the Magnum compositions are powerful, deeper, and more passionate.” 2004’s ‘Brand New Morning’ album was an even more accomplished body of work, and won over a host of new fans, as well documented on the ‘Livin’ The Dream’ live DVD, recorded in the UK in 2005, and released in 2006. Both ‘Princess Alice and The Broken Arrow’, released in March 2007, and ‘Into The Valley Of The Moon King’ Magnum’s 2009 studio album, proved how, like a good wine, this band just gets better with every year. Classic Rock’s Philip Wilding reviewed Magnum’s last studio album, ‘The Visitation’ in Classic Rock Prog’s February 2011 issue, stating; “Latter day Magnum have settled into their respective musical skins, more experimental, more mindful, a better band…The production’s lush and dense, the nuances are subtle and understated, and they can still take a tilt at Radio 2 playlists in songs like ‘Wild Angels’… Everything here feels denser and more thought out, less ambiguous…Songs like the opener ‘Dark Skies’ and ‘Door To Nowhere’ give the impression they are intended to convey something and raise a point, and Magnum are all the better for it.” On ‘On The 13th Day’, the cover of which will once again be created by famous fantasy artist Rodney Matthews (Asia, Nazareth, Eloy), Magnum more than step up to the plate to deliver an even more accomplished body of work than ever before! Line Up |
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Magnuminous – Roland Hyams on 020 8677 8466 / 07768 156392. https://www.facebook.com/pages/MAGNUM/ 15th June 2012. |
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© Work Hard PR 2012 |
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MAGNUM***LEGENDARY BRITISH MELODIC HARD ROCKERS’ NEW ‘EVOLUTION’ ALBUM RELEASED NOVEMBER 21st ON SPV PRIOR TO HEADLINING HARD ROCK HELL V IN WALES DECEMBER 2ND*** |
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Hugely influential British melodic hard rock group Magnum are set to release ‘Evolution’, a very special new album celebrating the last ten years since their reformation [and signing to] Steamhammer / SPV Records, on November 21st. ‘Evolution’ contains eight songs, taken from Magnum’s 5 comeback studio albums released in the last decade - all of which have been partially re-recorded and fully remixed - plus two newly recorded compositions. Two tracks are included from Magnum’s hugely acclaimed January 2011 released studio album, ‘The Visitation’, which cracked the Top 20 in Germany, breached the top 75 of the UK National album charts, plus made it to #3 in the UK rock charts. Powerplay’s Dave Cockett awarded ‘The Visitation’ 10/10 in the magazine’s February 2011 issue, stating that “To a man the band sound like they’re on fire – you know, that self-assured swagger bands only get when they just know they’ve come up with something special – and when you put all that alongside some of Tony’s best songs in what seems like forever, it’s not surprising there’s a real buzz around ‘The Visitation’…In a word…brilliant!” Magnum, who are guitarist / songwriter / producer Tony Clarkin, vocalist Bob Catley, keyboard player Mark Stanway, bassist Al Barrow and drummer Harry James, then head out on the road to play the following live concerts:- November 30th WOLVERHAMPTON The Robin 2 Magnum, who regularly breached the Top 40 of both the singles and album charts in the Eighties and early Nineties, came together in the Midlands in the mid-Seventies and released their debut album 'Kingdom Of Madness' in 1978, followed by 'Magnum II' in 1979 and their first live album 'Marauder' in 1980. During this period they toured relentlessly with the likes of Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult and Judas Priest. 1982's 'Chase The Dragon' album was the first to go Top 20, and was accompanied by a sold out UK tour. 1983's 'The Eleventh Hour', 1985's 'On A Storyteller's Night' and 1986's (Roger Taylor produced) 'Vigilante' album all fared similarly well but it was 1988's 'Wings Of Heaven' LP which really broke the band into the mainstream, going gold, breaching the top 5 of the UK chart and spawning three top 30 singles - 'Days Of No Trust', Start Talkin' Love' and 'It Must Have Been Love'. During this period the band regularly graced the stages of such venues as Hammersmith Odeon and major UK Festivals as Reading and Castle Donington. 1990's 'Goodnight To L.A.' album also went Top 10, spawned the Top 40 single 'Rocking Chair' and was accompanied by a tour of the UK's Arena circuit, including venues such as Wembley Arena and the NEC. 1991's 'The Spirit', 1992's 'Sleepwalking' and 1994’s 'Rock Art', were followed by the announcement of the band’s demise and an extensive farewell tour, during which the band's 1996 live album, 'The Last Dance' was recorded. Clarkin went on to work as a producer and songwriter for other artists, brought out two albums with Bob Catley in Hard Rain ('Hard Rain' in 1997 and 'When The Good Times Come' in 1999), and generally recharged his musical batteries. Then, in the summer of 2001, Magnum reformed and began writing their February 2002 released ‘Breath Of Life’ album, released 8 years after ‘Rock Art’. "It was particularly inspiring for me to write and produce new material for Magnum,” Clarkin enthused at the time, continuing that "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, the Magnum compositions are powerful, deeper, and more passionate.” 2004’s ‘Brand New Morning’ album was an even more accomplished body of work, and won over a host of new fans, as well documented on the ‘Livin’ The Dream’ live DVD, recorded in the UK in 2005, and released in 2006. Both ‘Princess Alice and The Broken Arrow’, released in March 2007, and ‘Into The Valley Of The Moon King’, released in June 2009, proved how, like a good wine, this band just gets better with every year. ‘The Visitation’ Magnum’s most recent masterwork, received rave reviews across the board. Classic Rock Presents Prog’s Phil Wilding enthused “Breaking up might have have been the best thing for them; latter-day Magnum have settled into their musical skins, more experimental, more mindful, a better band. Tony Clarkin’s left songs about about love pretty much behind and levelled his gaze at the bigger picture and broader themes, such as environmental crime, social politics, poverty, injustice. Though don’t expect to see them at the barricade anytime soon, it’s still Magnum. The production’s lush and dense, the nuances are subtle and understated, and they can still take a tilt at the Radio 2 playlist with songs like ‘Wild Angels’. Songs like the opener ‘Dark Skies’ and ‘Door To Nowhere’ give the impression they are intended to convey something and raise a point, and Magnum are all the better for it.” GuitarTechniques proclaimed in their April 2011 issue that “Magnum’s latest album is a winner... This is Magnum at their best and is everything their fans could desire and an excellent place to start for the uninitiated.” Tracklisting:- 1. THAT HOLY TOUCH : 4.47 Re-recorded drums, bass,guitar & some vocals (remixed)
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Embryonic – Roland Hyams on 020 8677 8466 / 07768 156392. 31st October 2011 |
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© Work Hard PR 2011 |
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MAGNUM***Legendary British Melodic Hard Rockers’ Announce New ‘The Visitation’ Studio Album Released January 17th On SPV &
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Hugely influential British melodic hard rock group Magnum are set to release their sixteenth studio album, ‘The Visitation’, on Steamhammer / SPV, on January 17th, and have confirmed a massive 15 date UK Concert Hall tour for April 2011. The line up of guitarist / songwriter / producer Tony Clarkin, vocalist Bob Catley, keyboard player Mark Stanway, bassist Al Barrow and drummer Harry James, have excelled themselves on ‘The Visitation’, one of the strongest albums in their illustrious (near-40-year) history to date. ‘The Visitation’, a luxurious sonic experience, contains ten deeply melodious, powerful gems of lavish, captivating progressive rock songs, all glowing with Magnum’s unique, unmistakable, glorious pomp rock overtones. “I feel we haven’t brought out one really weak album, yet none of our previous recordings featured a better production than ‘The Visitation’,” Clarkin announces proudly. “This release sounds more rock-oriented and at the same time more personal than anything we’ve recorded so far, and it definitely features the widest range of stylistic directions and atmospheres. What makes it so special is the fact that the music’s arrangements match the atmosphere and the lyrics’ statements. Every cog turns perfectly within the wheelwork.” Lyrical subjects range from the deeply personal to the highly political. The cover artwork, which was once again created by graphic designer Rodney Matthews, reflects the lyrics of ‘Door To Nowhere’, on which Magnum look back at their own childhood, while ‘Mother Nature’s Final Dance’ decries the destructive way we treat our environment. “Just look at what’s going on in the world at the moment, toxic red mud polluting a whole village in Hungary, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – terrible. It’s always a mix of greed and lack of responsibility which leads to these kinds of tragedies.” (Clarkin) ‘Freedom Day’ is a paean to self-determination; “We live in freedom in Europe, but looking at a lot of South-American or African countries, you see oppression, you see people living under the brutal reign of a dictator. That’s why we say: let’s fight for freedom.” Magnum, who won rave reviews for their incredibly well-received main stage performance at London’s High Voltage Festival in July 2010, return to the UK live arena to play the following shows:- 13th April Glasgow – The Garage Magnum, who regularly breached the Top 40 of both the singles and album charts in the Eighties and early Nineties, came together in the Midlands in the mid-Seventies and released their debut album 'Kingdom Of Madness' in 1978, followed by 'Magnum II' in 1979 and their first live album 'Marauder' in 1980. During this period they toured relentlessly with the likes of Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult and Judas Priest. 1982's 'Chase The Dragon' album was the first to go Top 20, and was accompanied by a sold out UK tour. 1983's 'The Eleventh Hour', 1985's 'On A Storyteller's Night' and 1986's (Roger Taylor produced) 'Vigilante' album all fared similarly well but it was 1988's 'Wings Of Heaven' LP which really broke the band into the mainstream, going gold, breaching the top 5 of the UK chart and spawning three top 30 singles - 'Days Of No Trust', Start Talkin' Love' and 'It Must Have Been Love'. During this period the band regularly graced the stages of such venues as Hammersmith Odeon and major UK Festivals as Reading and Castle Donington. 1990's 'Goodnight To L.A.' album also went Top 10, spawned the Top 40 single 'Rocking Chair' and was accompanied by a tour of the UK's Arena circuit, including venues such as Wembley Arena and the NEC. 1991's 'The Spirit', 1992's 'Sleepwalking' and 1994’s 'Rock Art', were followed by the announcement of the band’s demise and an extensive farewell tour, during which the band's 1996 live album, 'The Last Dance' was recorded. Clarkin went on to work as a producer and songwriter for other artists, brought out two albums with Bob Catley in Hard Rain ('Hard Rain' in 1997 and 'When The Good Times Come' in 1999), and generally recharged his musical batteries. Then, in the summer of 2001, Magnum reformed and began writing their February 2002 released ‘Breath Of Life’ album, released 8 years after ‘Rock Art’. "It was particularly inspiring for me to write and produce new material for Magnum,” Clarkin enthused at the time, continuing that "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, the Magnum compositions are powerful, deeper, and more passionate.” 2004’s ‘Brand New Morning’ album was an even more accomplished body of work, and won over a host of new fans, as well documented on the ‘Livin’ The Dream’ live DVD, recorded in the UK in 2005, and released in 2006. Both ‘Princess Alice and The Broken Arrow’, released in March 2007, and ‘Into The Valley Of The Moon King’ Magnum’s last studio album, released in June 2009, proved how, like a good wine, this band just gets better with every year. ‘The Visitation’ Magnum’s latest masterwork, while immediately captivating when it first bounds out of the speakers, gets still better with every listen. “I’d even say that many of our songs reveal all their strong points only after you’ve heard them a few times,” Clarkin explains, adding: “Our brand-new compositions in particular feature a large number of harmony and rhythm changes, I feel they should definitely be heard a few times so you can discover their many details.” ***Radio emphasis track – Wild Angels***
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Supernatural – Roland Hyams on 020 8677 8466 17th November 2010. |
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