Magnum – "Here Comes the Rain"

Not the swansong he deserved, but perhaps the one he wanted

I honestly didn't have high expectations for a new Magnum album, not even with their 2-year-old near-masterpiece "The Monster Roars" still somewhat fresh in my memory. Hell, because of that one. All I was hoping for was a chance to get to see them live again. And all the more so, with the recent tragic passing of Magnum guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed.

Up front: This is one of those cases where I have to clarify that the album in question is by no means downright bad. However, when I normally have to do that, it's because I'm dealing with an album that isn't very good, either. And that's not the case with Magnum's 23rd, and probably final, studio album. But I also know for a fact that Clarkin could do better than this.

While the mixing and instrumentation here are both impeccable, with especially lead singer Bob Catley sounding regal and expressive as always, none of the ideas here are original by very many measures. The compositions often rely on cadences played chord-by-chord with zero riffing or fills, some of which are too standardized to go unnoticed. At some point during "After the Silence", for example, I realized that the verse is just that four-chord progression from too many hits to count.

On the contrary, something that Clarkin does to near perfection on "Here Comes the Rain" are atmospheres and modulations, both of which are best heard on the album's most solid standouts. The supreme one is the riveting interchange between Mixolydian hope and gigantic, heartfelt longing in Minor of "I Wanna Live". The modulation from chorus to verse in first, hard-rocking single "Blue Tango" is reminiscent of new Maiden classic "Nomad", and its apparently classic blues-cadence chorus cheats the listener by dropping to a Minor parallel. Immense power ballad waltz "Some Kind of Treachery" will get stuck in your head, and you'll be enjoying every second.

Tony Clarkin's final album isn't representative of his skills as a composer by far. However, it does showcase an impressive high lower bar of quality – something that 9 out of 10 other songwriters could learn from.

The solo chase between guitar and saxophone in second single "The Seventh Darkness" is also interesting. However, the wind instrument feature here is reminiscent of "No Stepping Stones" from the album's predecessor. And, to reiterate, that's exactly the proverbial thing here. There are no bad songs on "Here Comes the Rain", because, as I wrote in my eulogy for Clarkin, he never wrote one of those. But with especially that same album in mind, Magnum aren't reinventing anything or taking any chances on this one.

It might have to do with the fact that Clarkin's ultimately fatal disease was underway for the entirety of 2023, detracting from his creative energy and focus. You might say it's a shame, because his final album, then, isn't representative of his skills as a composer by far. However, it does showcase an impressive high lower bar of quality – something that 9 out of 10 other songwriters could learn from.

And yes, with Clarkin gone, and with the incredibly bleak horizon for classic hard rock music in the future, here comes the rain, indeed.

Rating: 4 out of 6

Genre: Hard rock / AOR
Label: Steamhammer/SPV
Release date: 12/1/2024
Producer: Tony Clarkin