Released on: 12th January 2024
Fifty-one years strong, British rockers Magnum have whipped up a new storm with the release of their twenty-third album. Here Comes the Rain. And, it is a mesmerising collection of power ballads. With pop-y existentialism defined by the groups’ signature production.
Magnum, better known in black metal circles for being the composers of Dimmu Borgirs’ cheeky arrangement of Sacred Hour a.k.a Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen from Stormblåst. So, they have some famous fans.
Without delving too deep into the lyrical content, Magnum find hope amid desolation and the music reflects this like solar energy from Luna, our moon. You might even say that combined with the heavier blues-like riffs the overall feeling is quite– inspirational. Ba-dum-tiss, ba-dum-tiss, ba-dum-tiss, yes. The rhythm parts are voluptuous too. Alluding to some good old funk through some of the more energetic songs. At its core, it is Dad Rock, it is heavy music with a stoic presence. Here Comes the Rain is a mature rock album. And, while the band may have found most of their fame during the eighties– that one sacred hour– they have carried that sound through to the next millennium, successfully.
Long story short, a great album that has its roots firmly in the hedonistic dark ages of the past millennium. It carries a fire that in the current age has been suffocated to embers, lookin’ at you DSBM, and reignites it like an old fart and a Zippo. You know what they say about familiar jokes? Sometimes the old ones are the best. And, Here Comes the Rain is evidence to the fact.
7/10
