SPV Steamhammer [Release date 10.01.25]

Twelve months on from Tony Clarkin’s passing, and marking 50 years since he formed the band with Bob Catley, Magnum’s latest (and maybe last) live hurrah allows us more grieving time.

The band had put its collective gigging life on hold during the two years preceding their March/April 2022 dates (with the last two cancelled due to illness), Covid preventing the promotion of ‘The Serpent Rings’. But, back in action, Clarkin and his cohort assembled for a handful of dates in December 2022 including the Xmas finale in Wolverhampton.

The irony of all this is that the band were firing on all cylinders, evidently buoyed up by their lack of activity during the pandemic. With two albums “backing up” it is inevitable that they were given short shrift in the setlist. ‘Where Are You Eden?’ and ‘The Archway of Tears’ recalled ‘The Serpent Rings’ whilst ‘The Monster Roars’ yielded the title song and ‘The Day After The Night Before’.

The rest of the setlist is pretty much “business as usual” with the core classics present and correct such as ‘Les Morts Dansant’, ‘Vigilante’ and ‘On A Storyteller’s Night’.

It is good to hear a rousing version of ‘Lost On The Road To Eternity’ and ‘The Flood’ which had worked its way back in to proceedings and shining a light to the underrated ‘Sleepwalking’ album.

This double album is really a keepsake, a bookend on a wonderful era of the band’s history (i.e. post 2000) as fully outlined in our special feature in December 2023.

Collectors should be aware that a live double CD was released as a bonus with the special limited box set edition of ‘Here Comes The Rain’ although this latest release comes with a 24 page booklet.

The DVD version of the gig was a bonus disc with the band’s last studio album released a few days following Clarkin’s death. He was never one to give away much emotion at a gig, letting the songs do that, but he does seem somewhat pensive for the duration. His health evidently deteriorated in 2023 and a European tour for March/April 2024 had already been cancelled before his death.

Whilst this might not be the best ever Magnum live album it now achieves historic proportions. It merely reiterates what the faithful have known since earliest times. Magnum are a wonderful band and on this showing Messrs Benton, Morris and Ward do full justice to the legacy.

Following the illness announcement, when I interviewed Bob Catley and Lee Morris in December 2023 they didn’t think Tony would adapt to my suggested lower-key idea of acoustic gigs. For him it seems it was full-on or none. ‘Live At KK’s Steel Mill’ is final testimony to that.

Let’s hope the tribute gigs in January lead to both a re-evaluation and maybe even a revival. It would be a great shame if these songs were not heard live again and as long as the genial Bob Catley has the spirit to guide them. ****

Review by David Randall

MAGNUM live 2025:
21.01. UK-London – O2 Kentish Town Forum
22.01. UK-Manchester – Academy 1
24.01. UK-Glasgow – The Garage
25.01. UK-Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill
26.01. UK-Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill

Gig review (London, 2025)

Feature (The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness, December 2023)
Album review (Here Comes The Rain, January 2024)

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 24 March 2025

HARRI LARKIN Too Close To The Sun (Robot Distro)
SANDNESS Not Your Dog (Rockshots Records)
DOCTOR BLACK Drag Me Down (indie)
COHEED AND CAMBRIA Goodbye Sunshine (Virgin Music Group)
LEONI JANE KENNEDY Closer (indie)
SMALL TOWN POLITICS Red Lights (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 24 March 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

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