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 March 25th 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
1. Live 'Til You Die
2. Unwritten Sacrifice
3. Falling For The Big Plan
4. Crying In The Rain
5. Too Many Clowns
6. Midnight Angel
7. The Art Of Compromise
8. Don't Fall Asleep
9. Wisdom's Had Its Day
10. Burning River
11. The Valley Of Tears
DVD
Bonus Features
Recorded Over Six Nights In Europe Live Footage
(Black Skies - Freedom Day - All My Bridges - On A Storyteller's Night)
Extras (On tour Footage)
(Too Many Clowns - Dance Of The Black Tattoo)
Jewel case Version
1. Live 'Til You Die
2. Unwritten Sacrifice
3. Falling For The Big Plan
4. Crying In The Rain
5. Too Many Clowns
6. Midnight Angel
7. The Art Of Compromise
8. Don't Fall Asleep
9. Wisdom's Had Its Day
10. Burning River
11. The Valley Of Tears
LP Version
LP 1 Side One
1. Live 'Til You Die
2. Unwritten Sacrifice
3. Falling For The Big Plan
LP 1 Side Two
1. Crying In The Rain
2. Too Many Clowns
3. Midnight Angel
LP 2 Side One
1. The Art Of Compromise
2. Don't Fall Asleep
3. Wisdom's Had Its Day
LP 1 Side Two
10. Burning River
11. The Valley Of Tears
12. Dance Of The Black Tattoo (live) ' bonus track
The cover is once again created by famous fantasy artist Rodney Matthews (Asia, Nazareth, Eloy).
Three weeks after the release of 'Escape From The Shadow Garden" MAGNUM set off on a huge European Tour.
MAGNUM live 2014
07.04. FI-Helsinki - Tavastia
09.04. DK-Copenhagen - Amager Bio
10.04. SE-Gothenburg - Sticky Fingers
11.04. SE-Borlange - Liljan
12.04. SE-Sandviken - Backstage Rockclub
19.04. GB-Southampton - The Brook
20.04. GB-Buckley - Tivoli
22.04. GB-Oxford - O2
23.04. GB-Bristol - O2
24.04. GB-Norwich - Waterfront
25.04. GB-Leamington Spa - Assembly Halls
26.04. GB-Manchester - The Ritz
28.04. GB-Nottingham - Rock City
29.04. GB-Glasgow - Garage
30.04. GB-Newcastle - O2
02.05. GB-Holmfirth - Picturedome
03.05. GB-Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall
04.05. GB-London - Islington Town Hall
06.05. NL-Uden - De Pul
07.05. B-Vosselaar - Biebob
MAGNUM live 2014 (Double Headline Tour with SAGA)
08.05. D-Dortmund - FZW
09.05. D-Cologne- E-Werk
10.05. D-Emden - Nordseehalle
12.05. D-Hamburg - Docks
13.05. D-Berlin - Huxley`s Neue Welt
15.05. D-Saarbrücken - Garage
16.05. D-Filderstadt - FILharmonie
17.05. D-Offenbach - Capitol
19.05. D-Regensburg - Airport Obertrautling
20.05. D-Nürnberg - Rockfabrik
22.05. D-Munich - Circus Krone
23.05. CH-Pratteln - Z7
24.05. D-Ravensburg - Club-Oberschwabenhalle
MAGNUM live 2014 (Festival)
04.-07.06. SE-Sölvesborg - Sweden Rock Festival
