Kot smo januarja poročali, je v 78. letu starosti umrl Tony Clarkin, kitarist, ustanovitelj britanskih veteranov Magnum. Že takrat se je šušljalo, da to pomeni tudi konec za zasedbo, ki je to zdaj tudi uradno potrdila. Izjava vokalista Boba Catleyja:

»Hello, everybody. Bob here. All right. I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but I really can't carry on with Tony not here anymore. Please forgive me, and I hope you can understand how I feel. I've been thinking about it a lot lately.
Since we lost Tone, we lost our guiding light, the magnum force behind the band, our songwriter, our producer, our guitar player. He was everything to the band. He was everything to me. For the last 50 years, we never went anywhere without each other. On tour, in the studio, I was at his side constantly, working on stuff with him. I had a wonderful life with Tony. But now it's all too much for me, people. I can't carry on without Tony.
I may pop up in some other shape or form in the near future – you never know – but I can't keep going on like this. It's far too sad; it's all too sad.
So, I hope you understand. You've been fantastic – the best audience ever. You kept this band going year after year, album after album, and we thank you for that.
So, be good. Keep Tony's music in your heart always. I know I will. I will always carry MAGNUM inside me. And I will always have Tony Clarkin beside me wherever I go.
I love you. You've been brilliant. But it's time for me to bow out now. It's my last curtain call, okay? I'll see you sometime. Be good. Cheers. Bye-bye.«

Nuclear Blast bo 29. januarja izdal sedmi album projekta Avantasia, ki bo nosil naslov Ghostlights. Na njem bo dvanajst skladb, pri katerih so sodelovali: Dee Snider, Geoff Tate, Marco Hietala, Sharon Den Adel, Michael Kiske, Ronnie Atkins, Bob Catley, Jorn Lande, Bruce Kulick, Robert Mason,Herbie Langhans, Oliver Hartmann in Sascha Paeth.

Tracklista:
Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose
Let The Storm Descend Upon You
The Haunting
Seduction Of Decay
Ghostlights
Draconian Love
Master Of The Pendulum
Isle Of Evermore
Babylon Vampyres
Lucifer
Unchain The Light
A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies

 

Vokalisti Jørn Lande (Jorn, Allen / Lande, ex-Ark, ex-Masterplan), Geoff Tate (Operation Mindcrime, ex-Queensrÿche), Bob Catley (Magnum), Michael Kiske (Unisonic, ex-Helloween) in Dee Snider (na fotografiji -Twisted Sister) bodo sodelovali na Ghostlights, novem albumu projekta Avantasia, ki bo izšel v začetku prihodnjega leta.

3. aprila izideta dva nova albuma projekta Avantasia, The Wicked Symphony in Angel Of Babylon. Tobias Sammet (Edguy) je ob sebi zbral sledeče glasbenike: Klaus Meine (Scorpions), Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteen, Iced Earth), Eric Singer (Kiss, Alice Cooper), Michael Kiske (Helloween), Jorn Lande (Masterplan, Ark, Millenium), Bob Catley (Magnum), Sascha Paeth, Felix Bohnke (Edguy), Alex Holzwarth (Rhapsody, Sieges Even), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Jens Johansson (Stratovarius, Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen), André Matos (Angra, Shaaman, Viper), Bruce Kulick (Kiss, Grand Funk Railroad). /A.J./

Bob Catley, vokalist skupine Magnum, bo 19. septembra pri založbi Frontiers Records izdal nov solo album z naslovm Immortal. Izseke štirih skladb lahko slišite tukaj.

16. novembra izideta dva Avantasia EPja Lost in Space Part 1 in Lost in Space Part 2. Na obeh bo po šest skladb, ista pa bo le naslovna. Track listi sta:
Lost in Space Part 1:
Lost In Space, Lay All Your Love On Me, Another Angel Down (feat. Jorn Lande), The Story Ain't Over (feat. Bob Catley & Amanda Somerville), Return To Avantasia, Ride The Sky (feat. Eric Singer on vocals), Lost In Space (video clip), Lost In Space (making of the video clip).
Lost in Space Part 2:
Lost In Space, Promised Land (feat. Jorn Lande and Michael Kiske), Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, Scary Eyes, In My Defense, Lost In Space (alive at Gate studio, feat. Amanda Somerville), The Road To Avantasia (studio report with interview), Slideshow.
Album The Scarecrow pa izide januarja prihodnje leto pri Nuclear Blast z naslednjimi skladbami: Twisted Mind, The Scarecrow, Shelter From The Rain, Carry Me Over, What Kind Of Love, Another Angel Down, The Toy Master, Devil In The Belfry, Cry Just A Little, I Don't Believe In Your Love, Lost In Space.
/M.P./

Kitarist Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions) in Alice Cooper bosta gostovala na tretjem albumu projekta Avantasia, z naslovom Lost in Space Part 1 and Part 2, izšel pa naj bi sredi oktobra. Poleg njiju bodo sodelovali še Sascha Paeth, Henjo Richter, Eric Singer (KISS, Alice Cooper), Miro, Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), Jorn Lande (ex- Masterplan), Bob Catley in Amanda Somerville. Avantasia bo naslednje leto nastopila tudi na Wacken Open Air, ki bo od 31.7. do 2.8.2008. /A.J./

Magnum frontman Bob Catley bo 27. januarja pri Frontiers Records izdal nov solo album Spirit Of Man. Na njem bodo naslednje skladbe: Heart Of Stone, Moment Or Truth, In The Name Of The Cause, Blinded By A Lie, Last Snows Of Winter, Spirit Of Man, The Fire Within Me, Judgement Day, Lost To The Night, Beautiful Mind, Walk On Water, End Of The Story. /M.P./

Glasbeniki, ki poleg Tobiasa Sammeta (Edguy) sodelujejo na Avantasia – The Metal Opera Part II, so podobni kot na prvem delu: Michael Kiske (ex- Helloween), Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray), André Matos (Shaman), Henjo Richter (Gamma Ray), Markus Großkopf (Helloween), Alex Holzwarth (Rhapsody), David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation), Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius), Bob Catley (Magnum) in Eric Singer (Kiss). /M.P./

Tobias Sammet je pričel s produkcijo druge plošče njegovega projekta Avantasia. Plošča naj bi izšla avgusta, Tobbias veliko še ne želi govoriti o plošči, povedal je le, da je v zgodbo dodal nekaj novih stvari, kot na primer nov lik, ki ga poje Bob Catley (Magnum), Timo Tolkki bo odigral nekaj kitar, Eric Singer pa bo bobnal pri enem komadu. /M.P./

Magnum bodo svojo 25.obletnico proslavili z novim albumom Breath Of Life, ki bo izšel spomladi naslednje leto. Sledila bo obsežna evropska turneja. V band sta se vrnila Bob Catley in Tony Clarkin. /M.P./

Bob Catley se pripravlja na Magnum reunion in turnejo, kasneje pa se bo zopet posvetil solo karieri. /M.P./

Gary Hughes je za Boba Catleya, bivšega pevca Magnum, napisal konceptualni album, ki temelji na Tolkienovem Lord Of The Rings. Glasbeno naj bi bil album podoben zgodnjem Magnum zvoku, z nekaj progresivnimi in simfoničnimi elementi.