MAGNUM's Escape From the Shadow Garden Out April 1st
By
Larry Petro,
News Monkey
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 @ 5:26 PM
In North America On SPV/Steamhammer
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Not only musicians and freelance artists know this phenomenon: it's impossible to deliver top creative performances at the push of a button. You need peace, leisure, and - most of all - a certain amount of serenity to create truly great works of art. "We used to be under permanent pressure from our record companies," says MAGNUM mastermind Tony Clarkin. "They kept calling us, demanding hit singles and radio numbers. But that sort of thing doesn't work on demand. Now we're with SPV, where it's a totally different situation. They give us the necessary time and trust us to do the right thing. That's probably the reason why I enjoy working with MAGNUM again."
Clarkin's regained joy in his band is omnipresent on the latest MAGNUM offering, Escape From The Shadow Garden. Just like his simple yet logical work ethos: "I simply told myself: you're a passable guitarist, so you should play the guitar. As the band's guitarist and producer, I have all the freedom I need to create exactly what I feel like creating." The result of his latest burst of creativity consists of eleven wonderfully melodic rock songs, which blend all the typical MAGNUM ingredients, sounding in a fascinating way both timeless and classic. "This band has certain unmistakable trademarks," Clarkin explains. "Among them are my feel for melodies and Bob's unique vocal style."
Only a month after the release of its predecessor, On The 13th Day, Clarkin started with the preparations for Escape From The Shadow Garden - as always an exciting phase in his life. "Before you haven't recorded and mixed every single note, you never really know whether you'll be happy with the result. When I heard the final version of the eleven new songs with their different stories and diverse arrangements, I knew it had turned into an impressive and complete album. Together with the great cover artwork designed by Rodney Matthews (ASIA, NAZARETH, ELOY), this is a release, which forges an arch to the early days of MAGNUM's career. And that's wonderful! I was really happy when my friend Jimmy Lea of SLADE came to visit me at the studio again and said: 'You've done it again?' It doesn't matter whether by sheer luck or hard work - life could have gone a totally differently way."
Escape From The Shadow Garden will be release on Steamhammer/SPV on March 19th in Scandinavia, March 21st in Germany, March 24th in Europe and April 1st in the US/Canada.
Escape From The Shadow Garden will be available as a limited digipak edition with bonus DVD, as a double gatefold coloured vinyl LP set incl. bonus track, standard jewel case CD and download.
TRACKLISTING:
Digipak Version
CD
"Live 'Til You Die"
"Unwritten Sacrifice"
"Falling For The Big Plan"
"Crying In The Rain"
"Too Many Clowns"
"Midnight Angel"
"The Art Of Compromise"
"Don't Fall Asleep"
"Wisdom's Had Its Day"
"Burning River"
"The Valley Of Tears"
DVD
Bonus Features
Recorded Over Six Nights In Europe Live Footage
Extras (On tour Footage)
Jewel Case Version
"Live 'Til You Die"
"Unwritten Sacrifice"
"Falling For The Big Plan"
"Crying In The Rain"
"Too Many Clowns"
"Midnight Angel"
"The Art Of Compromise"
"Don't Fall Asleep"
"Wisdom's Had Its Day"
"Burning River"
"The Valley Of Tears"
LP Version
LP 1 Side One
"Live 'Til You Die"
"Unwritten Sacrifice"
"Falling For The Big Plan"
LP 1 Side Two
"Crying In The Rain"
"Too Many Clowns"
"Midnight Angel"
LP 2 Side One
"The Art Of Compromise"
"Don't Fall Asleep"
"Wisdom's Had Its Day"
LP 1 Side Two
"Burning River"
"The Valley Of Tears"
"Dance Of The Black Tattoo" (live) - bonus track
Three weeks after the release of Escape From The Shadow GardenMAGNUM set off on a huge European Tour.
DVD