#15 - Top of 2018

Magnum - Lost on the Road to Eternity (Steamhammer)

It  comes as no surprise that Magnum know how to create a hit album adding more songs to their list of all time classics with their 20th (!!!) full-length album. Following their last release "Sacred Blood, "Divine" Lies", the band continues showcasing their musicianship and excitement for what they are doing. Kicking off with the amazingly catchy "Peaches and Cream" and followed up with "Show Me Your Hands", we are re-introduced to Bob Catley's uplifting vocals, great guitar riffs by Tony Clarkin and mellow keyboards by Rick Benton (replacing Mark Stanway who left the band following the release of the previous album) through two songs created for live sing-along situations. "Storm Baby" starts out with a power-ballad vibe but also has some heavier guitar riffs while "Welcome to the Cosmic Cabaret" has a more electric atmosphere and a great guitar fadeout at the end of the song. "Lost on the Road to Eternity" with its surprisingly fitting guest vocals by Tobias Sammet (of Edguy and Avantasia) is definitely among the album's highlights, with Sammet and Catley having previously collaborated in a number of Avantasia albums. If you are looking for a cheesy song with a designated sing-along section that can easily become an instant radio hit you don't have to look further than "Without Love". If you are into a more 80's aesthetic and sound "Tell Me What You've Got to Say" is your song. "Ya Wanna Be Someone" has a 60's-70's feel-good/ Deep Purple vibe,  while closer"Glory to Ashes" is a great melodic elegy with more depth in the sound and orchestration and of course the amazing vocals of Bob Catley! Magnum's secret formula has once again succeeded and the band once again release an album that has everything for everyone, young and old alike!


95/100

Below is the official lyric videos for "Lost on the Road to Eternity" and "Without Love".

#16 - Top of 2018

Subsignal - La Muerta (Gentle Art of Music)

The spiritual successors of Sieges Even, returned  in 2018 with their 5th full-time release, featuring "new" members Markus Maichel and Dirk Brand in Keyboards and Drums, respectively. Dirk did also previously collaborate with the band in their previous record "The Beacons of Somewhere Sometime", but this is the first record he is featured as a full member of the band. Prog rock fans familiar with the latest period of Sieges Even and the previous work of Subsignal, are by now familiar with the way these records work; they are not to be consumed in a singular track manner, but should be rather taken as a holistic experience, with a music motif extant throughout each record expanding in various ways throughout the record and reaching its natural conclusion as the album reaches its end. The success of each individual record, in terms of artistry is always dependent on whether the band is able to successfully convey its main theme and derivatives, but at the same time succeed in differentiate between tracks in such a manner as to not be construed as repetitive.  This exactly is where the present record is superior to its predecessor; it creates an immersive environment for the bands music to grow and their ideas to flourish without forcing its hand.

...And delivers a prog masterpiece worthy to be considered among the best prog records of 2018!

94.9/100

Below is the official single version for titular track "La Muerta"