Fifty years into their career and Birmingham hard rockers Magnum are still pumping out the hits on this, their twenty-second full length studio release. Aside from a five-year period during the nineties when the band was put on hiatus, Magnum has been rocking for longer than some of us have been alive, churning out album after quality album like clockwork every two to three years.
Rock Fest Barcelona, the premier metal festival of Spain has announced is full schedule for this years’ event. Taking place from July 15th to 17th, the fest features music legends Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, Slayer, Anthrax and Doro. Joining them are other notable acts such as Amon Amarth, Kreator, Coroner, Michael Schenker, Moonspell, Obituary, Blind Guardian, Thin Lizzy, Barón Rojo, de Boni, ’77, Thundermother and more. One of the best features of the fest is the rotating side by side stages with no overlapping bands. Tickets and passes can be bought at this link:
Rock Fest Barcelona Schedule
Friday 15th July
Open Doors — 11:00 AM
13:00 Nonsense
13:20 Orphaned Land
14:10 Grave Digger
15:15 Moonspell
16:20 Dragonforce
17:30 Coroner
18:35 Tyketto
19:35 Heaven Shall Burn
20:40 Mägo De Oz
21:45 Kreator
22:50 Michael Schenker
23:55 Blind Guardian
01:15 King Diamond
Rock Tent
02:50 Boni
Saturday 16th July
Open Doors — 12:00 PM
13:30 Wild Lies
14:00 The Raven Age
14:35 Battle Beast
15:40 Leize
16:40 Armored Saint
17:45 Unisonic
18:50 Overkill
19:55 Baron Rojo
21:15 Iron Maiden
23:20 Loudness
00:25 Rata Blanca
01:30 Doro
Rock Tent
02:30 77′
Sunday 17th July
Open Doors — 12:00 PM
13:00 Alyanza
13:30 Eclipse
14:25 The Answer
15:15 Candlemass
16:15 Ciclonautas
17:00 Obituary
18:05 Impellitteri
19:10 Anthrax
20:15 Amon Amarth
21:20 Thin Lizzy
22:25 Whitesnake
23:40 Twisted Sister
01:00 Slayer
Rock Tent
02:00 Thundermother
Some elements of life naturally appeal to our various senses; like the aroma of bacon in our nostrils or like a striking sunset in our vision, so Michael Kiske’s warm, velvety optimistic tones are an aural hot chocolate to our ears. It’s hard to hear his voice, whether it be over a racing Metal speedster or a lush acoustic ballad, and not feel some kind of affirming action has taken place. If Kiske and Devin Townsend were to record together, negativity as we know it would be evacuated from this ball of rock.
Kiske/Somerville is a bit of an unusual but oh-so-grin inducing proposition that is rock, Jim, but not as we know it, with its origins almost Simon Cowellesque. Basically Frontier Records have employed Mat Sinner (Sinner, natch, and Primal Fear) to write a bunch of songs for two people who are quite capable of writing their own, and who have been paired up to record together for the second time (Sinner also penning the self-titled debut of 2010).
Since his banishment from Helloween Kiske, the greatest and most distinctive voice in Euro Metal, has nomadically wandered from project to project, including various solo albums, a reoccurring lead cast role in the theatre of Avantasia and (finally) his own heavier project Unisonic. Meanwhile Amanda Somerville has appeared with the glitterati of the Power Metal world in Kamelot, Edguy, Avantasia, and After Forever.
And, perhaps due to the oddity of the nature of its creation, in the main, it works. Most enjoyably, too. While the majority of the music beneath is uptempo Hard Rock (of the tinged by Power and Classic Metal variety), above the surface soar unconstrained, with unrefined joy clearly displayed, the twin voices of our protagonists, usually by means of call and answer; a verse for he, a verse for she, and a chorus where they meet to continue their tales of love.
While the backing music may, like the dodgiest of petrol gauges, swing from average to bloody good, and it all sits very comfortably in the type of garden we are well acquainted with, surprises are, well, nil. City Of Heroes, though, does what too few albums do and, like boobs in the hands, makes us feel good about ourselves.
7.0/10
Kiske / Somerville on Facebook
STEVE TOVEY