Customer Reviews

Into the Valley of the Moon King

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is a nice album I have to admit. Yes, it is slightly cheesy but sounds good, I like vocals, melodies, guitars riffs.
For some reason, after playing it 2 times I wanted to play the album again and again which does not happen to me often.
Also, sound good in the car!
I would not compare it with rock classics - it is a different category, but in its category it is pretty strong and nice album.

Clarkin and the guys does it again!

Magnum's "Into the valley of the moonking" is an awesome album.
Of course, Magnum is a classic rock band and if you expect them
to reinvent the wheel, this album won't live up to your expectations.

That being said, if you're looking for Tony clarkin's amazing melodies, Bob Catley's haunting voice, well you won't be disapointed.

After a cool keyboard intro, "Cry to yourself" is a mid tempo song that has a Beatles taste.

"All my bridges are broken" comes next and has a clear 80's vibe.
"Take me to the edge" is a hard driving rock number with a guitar riff that will make you bounce your head back and forth!

Then "The moonking" comes next charged with a powerful bluesy guitar and the whole ambiance of the song comes to a musical climax at the chorus. I have to say that the keyboard line that makes the transition between the bridge and the chorus is just awesome! Clever and gives a powerful feeling to the song!

"No one knows his name" mixes rock with a celtic feel in the chorus. Very good!

"In my mind's eye" Great song with very deep lyrics.

"Time to cross that river" My least favourite song from the album. Not a bad song but just doesn't mesure up to the rest.

"If i ever lose my mind" Al Barrow's rich and powerful bass sound really blend in well to the overdrive guitar and makes a heavy rockin' chorus.

"A face in the crowd" Magnum were allways known to write some poignant ballads.
Well, this one is one of their very best. The accoustic guitar of Clarkin, the beautiful piano lines and keyboard by Mark Stanway gets you right in the heart. Then Bob Catley's voice take the whole song to a stellar level!

"Feels like treason" is another hard rock number and this time, Clarkin totally is the star of the song. Rock Riffs, melodical riffs i mean this song is loaded with Clarkin's genius!

Then we say goodbye to the moonking with "Blood on your barbed wired thorns"
A cool,straight forward rock song with a Beatles "Yeah,yeah,yeah" kind of chorus. Again, Al Barrow's bass really drives the rythmic of the song. A Lynyrd Skynyrd piano hybrid from Stanway gives a "smiley feel" to the song.

These comments are only my personnal impressions. Nonetheless, if you're a Magnum
fan, this album is a must have.

The British band Magnum, was formed in the early 70's, and Into the Valley of the Moonking (2009), sounds much like mainstream British rock from that decade. The retro style music is generally enjoyable, if you are not particularly interested in rocking out, however the band's appeal in 2009, might be mostly limited to their fans.

Magnum does a variety of things, and ready comparisons to other bands may be tricky, as their music sort of tickles the edges of hard rock, but does not stay there long. Guitarist Tony Clarkin is the primary songwriter, and the emphasis seems to be on cohesive songs, rather than showcasing his guitar playing. The band sometimes makes some interesting decisions regarding song structure.

The ambitious Blood on Your Barbed Wire Thorns, starts out like diluted ACDC, then adds honky tonk piano and slide guitar, before an orchestral assisted finish. The Moon King, is notable as the only bluesy number. It's quite nicely done, but it could have benefitted from more inspired guitar work. That seems to be true for many of the songs. The band probably rocks the hardest on Take Me to the Edge, but still manages to back off from delivering a crunching rocker. On the softer side, a couple of tunes are reminiscent of mellow 70's Elton John.

Into the Valley of the Moonking, is an album that some might be surprised to discover was released in 2009. Part of the lyrics for the song All My Bridges, seem kind of appropriate to the situation, "All my bridges are broken, My direction is lost, Yesterday's caught in the past, I'm stuck here I can't get across". Stuck in the past is where Magnum seems to be. These veteran rockers are competent musicians, comfortable in their particular style. This is perfectly fine, but this many not garner them many new fans. While the album has its moments, it doesn't reach out and grab you, and offers little that is new or notable. It's faint praise, but if you know not to expect any breakout guitar solos, the album does seem to improve with repeated listenings.