Artist: Magnum
Title: The Visitation
Type: Album
Label: SPV

I remember reviewing the last Magnum album, Into The Valley Of The Moonking, for Metal Team and being a little disappointed by it. I’d loved 2007’s Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow and ...Moonking just couldn’t match up to it. I hoped that ...Moonking would prove to be an album that slowly revealed its charms over time but to this day I’m still finding it a resolutely difficult album to love. Hence, I approached The Visitation, Magnum’s sixteenth studio offering, with a degree of trepidation. On first listen the slightly pedestrian opener ‘Black Skies’ did little to allay my fears but as the album progressed I was quickly drawn under Magnum’s particular brand of musical enchantment. The sublime vocal melodies of ‘Doors To Nowhere’ immediately worked their magic, the undiminished power of Bob Catley’s vocals impressing enormously as lyrically the band reflect upon their childhoods.

Catley manages to inject such emotion into Magnum’s music when he’s on top form and on ‘Spin Like A Wheel’ and ‘The Last Frontier’ – a hymn of yearning for an England which is fast becoming a fading dream – he is very definitely in top form. Elsewhere the band have crafted some excellent, uplifting feel good Magnum anthems; ‘Wild Angels’ and ‘Midnight Kings’ are guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step while album closer ‘Tonight’s The Night’ is a classic lighters in the air, all sing together moment just made for the live arena. Guitarist Tony Clarkin reckons The Visitation boasts Magnum’s finest ever production and it’s nigh on impossible to find fault with the rich sound that the album is blessed with. Speaking of Clarkin, the guitarist’s lead work is hugely impressive, with some great solos studding so many of these tracks like perfectly cut gemstones. All in all I’m a much happier Magnum fan than I was after listening to ...Moonking and I can’t wait for the band’s extensive 15 date tour to kick off in April. Magnum are still relevant, still worthy and still producing very fine albums indeed.

http://www.magnumonline.co.uk