Page 90 - Classic Rock (February 2020)
P. 90
ALBUMS
…And You Will Black Keys or recent Johnny
Know Us By The Marr, but the poppier moments
Trail Of Dead are far more hit-and-miss. Better
X: The Godless Void And Man sparkles like a synthetic
Other Stories INSIDEOUT R.E.M., and Previous Parties finds
The prog-hardcore interface Liam Fray carrying off a motoric
reaches new highs on its synth-pop romp about 80s
silver jubilee soirees attended by new
It’s strange to romantics, Nico, Sylvester
think that Texan Stallone and George Best. But
rockers …And the big ballads are way too boy-
You Will Know band, and the title track aims for
Us By The Trail Foals doing New York disco and
Of Dead have reached their 25th hits cheap Arctic Monkeys
year, a period of time that remix. They’re also still some
usually finds bands looking over way off leading any packs, but
their shoulder. And although they’re making up ground.
their six-year absence from the QQQQQQQQQQ
studio found them doing just Mark Beaumont
that with the live revisitation of
their second album, Madonna, Fitted
the experience has evidently First Fits ORG MUSIC
served to reinvigorate this Fit for purpose.
singular outfit as they now Originally
adjust their gaze on the road assembled
ahead to have a steely and for a largely
determined focus. spontaneous
X: The Godless Void And Other performance at
Stories doesn’t sound like the Wire’s 2017 DRILL Festival in Los
work of a band finding their way Angeles by Wire members
Magnum back; they know exactly where Graham Lewis and Matthew
Sims and Minuteman’s Mike
they’re going. This means
a consolidation of their strengths Watts with drummer Bob Lee,
The Serpent Rings SPV
– muscular guitars that alternate Fitted have taken the next logical
Magnum force. from hardcore styling to more step and made an album.
sensitive delivery – and a greater Typically, each track starts with
sense of melody. All Who a bass groove (not surprising
Wander sets out the album’s stall given that both Lewis and Watts
early, while the anthemic Who are bassists), the drums chase
lthough many fans gravitate vocalist Bob Catley told this writer of Haunts The Haunter delivers in them down and the semi-spoken
towards harder rock partly to Clarkin’s meticulous standards regarding full. Elsewhere, Don’t Look Down vocals weave their way in and
Aavoid trend chasing, which is Magnum’s material, and of their shared is a defining moment on what is out of the atmospherics. It
prevalent in mainstream pop, our beloved desire to maintain the momentum of their one of the strongest albums of sounds like it was recorded in
loud-and-hairy genre isn’t immune to second wave of success. The jackhammer their lengthy career. an empty swimming pool with
such attitudes, at least where record power chords resonating on the anthemic QQQQQQQQQQ the mics and mixer set up at the
Julian Marszalek shallow end and the instruments
companies are concerned. By 1985, You Can’t Run Faster Than Bullets and piled up at the deep end while
Magnum had repeatedly proved their through the cinematic sweep of Crimson The Courteeners the singers walk up and down
ability to create hit albums that brought On The White Sand are a means to ensure
More. Again. Forever. IGNITION between them. It gets murky
together radio-friendly choruses and that the essential hallmarks of Magnum’s Electro-rock charges, with at times but never succumbs to
brawny guitars, and they scored again that sound are presented intact without things some poppier stumbles. metallic or industrial bestiality.
year with the independently released On becoming formulaic. Similarly, the band Nothing has Mostly they have a clear vision
A Storyteller’s Night. Nonetheless, in the succeed in weaving subtle twists into the evinced indie and seem almost eager to draw
press release for The Serpent Rings, guitarist song structures without taking outlandish rock’s you in with pop/punk hooks.
and songsmith Tony Clarkin reveals that risks, keeping things fresh without capitulation to QQQQQQQQQQ
after signing to Polydor that same year, straying too far. The Archway Of Tears builds pop more than Hugh Fielder
“the label wanted us to sound as pop- gradually with harmonious layers of The Courteeners’ gradual inching
oriented as possible. I used to hate that, keyboards and guitars to deliver away from their electric guitars Apocalyptica
despite the success.” a 10-storey chorus, retaining the orchestral like they’re ticking credibility Cell-0 SILVER LINING MUSIC
Freed from such constraints in recent flourishes of previous album Lost On The time bombs. Having built Back to their best baroque
years, Magnum have shown that cranking Road To Eternity, and strings also enliven a weighty fan base as a surrogate and roll.
Oasis in the 00s, they rightly Infamous for
up the guitars need not be an impediment opening rocker Where Are You Eden?
to cracking the charts, and have enjoyed Clarkin’s skill in crafting enduring recognised that Kasabian were their inspired
the future of lagered rock, but reworking of
a steady commercial renaissance in the melodies is in plentiful evidence; Not
have tended to slip into cheesier portions of the
last decade that, with 2018’s Lost On The Forgiven and Madman Or Messiah featuring pop territory as they scrambled classic metal
Road To Eternity reaching No.15 in the UK especially keen hooklines, belted with grit
to stay electro-relevant. catalogue and for breathing
chart, gave them their highest placing by Catley. As ever, the lyrics alternate This sixth album redresses new life into Metallica’s better
since Goodnight LA in 1990. between fantasy (the title track) and stark the balance a little. The songs, Apocalyptica have staked
Although on The Serpent Rings Clarkin’s reality (Man). Free of any filler, The Serpent stormtrooping Heart Attack, the their own, peculiarly unique,
guitar packs an even heftier wallop this Rings looks set to continue Magnum’s gnarled electro-rock of Take it On plot in music’s knotty landscape.
time out, the ramped up amps aren’t hard-won late-career revival. The Chin and a takedown of Frustratingly, they’ve often been
masking a drop in quality. On the release QQQQQQQQQQ social media called The Joy Of overlooked as the most refined
of 2014’s Escape From The Shadow Garden, Rich Davenport Missing Out reflect the future- of cover bands or as the outfit
rock fire of Kasabian, Muse, the you hire to add a veneer of
90 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM
