From the opening moments of Where Are You Eden?, the album's first song, it is clear that The Serpent Rings is one of the most pompous and luscious Magnum albums for some time. The orchestrations and keyboard arrangements throughout, courtesy of Benton, really recall the band's heyday and is a big part of the reason why the album is such a winner. That is not to say that the style here is vastly different to anything we have heard before, because it is not, but there is a certain punch and energy here that has not always been present in all of Magnum's recent opuses. The album just sounds like Magnum re-energised, and Where Are You Eden? really personifies this with a chunky Clarkin riff (augmented by some great pomp keyboards) to drive everything forward and a spirited Catley vocal performance. Catley's voice is certainly showing its age now, but he still does a great job throughout the album and in fact benefits from the somewhat punchier style the band have gone for here. He can still deliver a strong melody however, and the song's chorus shows him at his best as he delivers the dramatic lyrics with relish as Benton's orchestrations and keyboards swirl around him. It is the first of many powerful moments on the album, and the song is one of the best modern day Magnum opening numbers. You Can't Run Faster Than Bullets is less grand-sounding, instead opting for a heavier overall sound that is built around Clarkin's riffing. He has never been one of the flashiest or most interesting guitarists, but Magnum is built on his songwriting and he has made his style work for the band. The riff here is one of his more strident offerings, with a simple driving rhythm that Ward's bass doubles perfectly before a sparse, pseudo-industrial verse kicks in with a programmed beat, simple guitar grooves, and a gritty vocal delivery from Catley. While much of the album is grand-sounding, this is a track that relies on heavier vibes. The choruses are a bit grander, with some old-fashioned rock organ joining the fray to add depth - but on the whole this is a bit of an angular track. Magnum have done this sort of thing before, but this is possibly the strongest example of the style. Madman or Messiah opens with some pulsing keyboards to accompany Catley's vocals, but a crunching rhythm soon joins in, bulking the piece out. This soft/heavy opening is actually representative of the whole song, which is quite dynamic with plenty of light and shade to keep things interesting. While not exactly heavy, parts of the track are quite weighty with Clarkin's guitar really toughening things up, but there are also atmospheric moments that see layers of twinkling keyboards coming to the fore in a very modern progressive rock way. The whole thing is tied together with a lovely chorus that is classic Magnum, with lots of big vocal harmonies throughout and melodies that will instantly stick in the brain. Up next is The Archway of Tears, which is definitely my favourite song on the album and one of the best modern Magnum tracks overall. It is another fairly dynamic piece, with much of the song relying on Benton's rolling piano melodies - but when the band really kick in the energy and atmosphere really takes off. It is something of a big ballad, but with all the energy and grandeur that is to be expected from the band - especially during the epic chorus with all of its symphonic flourishes. I am not sure why the song stands out in quite the way that it does, as it is quite typical of the band's modern sound - but there is something about the way Catley sings the track that really pours with emotion. He still knows how to craft a hook, the chorus here is easily my favourite on the album. It also helps that Clarkin's solo is tasteful and melodic, and really adds to the overall song. He is not the greatest of soloists, but there are a couple of standout moments in that regard on this album and The Archway of Tears contains one of them.
Not Forgiven was the album's lead single, so was released online a couple of months prior to the album's release. It is a good song in the context of the album, but I am not sure it was a good choice to launch the album with it. Magnum, especially over the past decade or so, have written the odd plodding track that never really gets going and this is one of them. It is better than the average Magnum plodder however, as the chorus is pretty memorable and is helped by the overall grandness that permeates this album. I think it also helps that the band have Morris behind the drum kit now rather than Harry James, who is potentially one of the most boring 'big name' rock drummers out there. His playing is so wooden, and I think he contributed to making some of Magnum's previous mid-paced plodding tracks so dull. Even though Morris is not playing any faster, there is a certain punch and zip about his playing that just helps to elevate any track - with the occasional interesting fill thrown into even the most basic song. It is a song that has grown on me, and the chorus is definitely a strong moment - with some more gritty Catley vocals. The album's title track opens slowly with some wind and rain effects that a twinkling piano (and eventual guitar) melody slowly cuts through as some dramatic strings swirl around. Despite the song's grand entrance, parts of it are actually quite stripped back - only for the drama to resurface again elsewhere. The verses are somewhat quiet, with a slow drum beat and piano backing providing a great base for Catley's vocal melodies, but the song slowly builds towards a bigger chorus that makes great use of the orchestrations that are present throughout much of the album. It never really gets much heavier, although Clarkin's guitar rhythms do bulk things out, but the song just sounds much mightier the closer it gets to the chorus. It also contains the other excellent guitar solo moment of the album, with a soaring emotional Clarkin moment that showcases some of his most tasteful playing. House of Kings instantly gets back into heavier waters with a choppy opening guitar riff and a weightier drum beat. After a few different-sounding pieces, House of Kings takes the listener back to the album's opening handful of numbers with a real injection of energy thanks to Morris' playing and some really excellent keyboard playing throughout. Benton's keyboard and orchestral arrangements are all over the song, and he also arranged the brass section used here which only goes further to enhance the pomp. This also gives the chorus something of a heavy jazz vibe, with more than a little hint of Steely Dan to be found mixed in with the traditional Magnum sound. It works really well however, with a jazzy piano-led instrumental section being probably the highlight of the song as a whole. The Great Unknown is another slower keyboard-led piece that opens with Benton's playing slowly gaining volume, before Catley soon joins with his moody, distant-sounding vocal lines. In many ways, the song is very similar to The Archway of Tears, but without the spark that made the previous song such a winner. This is a still a very enjoyable piece however, but is more similar to songs of Magnum album's past. There is still a fair amount of grandness to be found, but it is not quite as pompous and overblown as some of the tracks here. That being said, Benton still excels himself again with some excellent piano work - and Catley really turns it up to eleven during the dramatic but slightly leaden chorus.
Man also opens slowly, with some rising strings and whimsical piano lines, before Clarkin's guitar rhythms add some crunch and the song starts to take shape. The verses have something of a strange feeling, with the stabs of guitar (which are backed up by all the other instruments) striking a bit of an interesting rhythm behind Catley's more-typical vocal delivery. Spacey keyboards fill in the gaps, which again is a bit different from the average Magnum track. There are moments, such as the grand chorus, which sound more like the band's typical sound - but on the whole the song sounds like something of an experiment, and on the whole it seems to work. No-one is expecting Magnum to reinvent the wheel twenty one albums into their career, but it is nice to see the veteran band trying something slightly different every so often. It seems that the new blood that has come into the band over the past few years has really given Clarkin a bit of a shot in the arm in that regard, and it is good to see the band taking the odd risk here and there to spice things up. The Last One On Earth opens as a bit of mid-paced plodder with a strident but simple beat, but that soon drops out to be replaced by some piano and guitar melodies that form the basis of the verses. It provides a solid backing for Catley's vocals, and when some interesting percussion joins in after a few bars the song comes alive in something of a folky way. It works well in my opinion, especially as the song moves into a chorus that is very typical of modern Magnum's sound. There are plenty more big vocal melodies for the listener to enjoy, with the chorus being another really strong moment in an album that features lots of really melodic and memorable choruses. The album's closing number, Crimson on the White Sand, is another slower-paced track in the The Archway of Tears vein - but again not quite as good as that excellent song. It opens with rolling classically-inspired piano lines from Benton that Catley begins to croon over, and it is this that essentially makes up the verses. There is very little embellishment from the band here, which is great as it allows Catley's emotional voice to shine and the piano work of Benton to get plenty of time in the spotlight. During the choruses however the band join in, and they make these moments sound huge and epic. There really is not a truly poor chorus on this album, with each one carrying lots of great melodies - thanks to Catley's continual enthusiasm for this role as the band's frontman. It is a particularly grand moment however, befitting of an album closer, that contains lots of excellent orchestral work and booming piano melodies that cut through the beefy guitars, bass, and drums to great effect. It is a song that works well as a closing number, with some potent Clarkin guitar leads to see things out, and it seems to bring the album's overall sound together nicely to bring the latest Magnum opus to a close. Overall, The Serpent Rings is another strong and enjoyable album from Magnum that is up there with some of the band's best work since their reunion. The grandness that has sometimes been substituted for gruff heaviness in recent times is back in a big way here, and the current Magnum line-up seems to be firing on all cylinders already - which is great to see.
The album was released on 17th January 2020 via Steamhammer/SPV GmbH. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Not Forgiven.
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