Magnum - The Monster Roars Review

Magnum are a band to respect. Here’s another album that brings no surprises to its hardcore fans. Besides the coolest name ever “The Monster Roars” is no surprise to the fans that already know the band. Though Magnum are band that I met not so long ago they are one of the bands that we’ve reviewed the biggest number of albums. To be more precise four albums: 2017’s “Lost on the Road to Eternity,” 2018’s live album “Live at the Symphony Hall,” 2020’s “The Serpent Rings,” and 2021 “Dance of the Black Tatoo.” Well, I’ve met the band a few years before starting to write here and I have to say that from that on I’m a fan of the band. In addition to that, this long list of albums showed me a band that knows exactly what to do with their consistent music writing. When I say consistent I mean that Magnum have changed almost nothing since their first album I heard. This “The Monster Roars” follows the same path. For My dear fan who doesn’t know the band’s information Magnum perform a kind of mix of Progressive Metal with 1970’s Hard Rock and Metal. Most of the time it’s possible to label the band as Progressive Rock, but Magnum offer much more with an epic grip that follows the band whatever they go. It’s a constant in the band’s music the use of pianos, keyboards and sometimes as here the use of saxophones as in “No Steppin’ Stones” where the metal suit gives the song the grand and thick effect the band desires. That’s where Magnum get very near the 1970s mood.

As all the albums reviewed here it’s very difficult to point out a general mood. “The Monster Roars” has the same sonic variety as its predecessors. There are moments that it’s really possible to label the band as NWOBHM, as some journalists did in the past, as in “That Freedom Word,” however that would be a huge mistake because Magnum like to be stuck on labels. “Your Blood Is Violence,” for instance, has the guitars tasting as if they were from the radiofonic guitars of the 1980s. Heavy enough for some, not enough heavy to metalheads but a song that is pleasant for both. Magnum are one of the bands that their iconography and imagery put the band heavier than it really is. I mean, as some other bands from the same epoch, Magnum’s album covers, pics, and others make the fan wonder that the band is much heavier than it actually is. Not a flaw at all, but a warn to unadvised fan that chooses albums by their covers – I used to do it as well. In fact, the fan who does that won’t be disappointed with the music. On the hand, thanks to the band’s quality, this fan will be really pleased. “The Monster Roars” is loyal to this band’s tradition.

Magnum “The Monster Roars” was released on January 14th via Steamhammer / SPV Records.

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