When
Magnum released 2018's
Lost on the Road to Eternity, keyboardist
Rick Benton replaced
Mark Stanway, who'd quit (for the third time) in the middle of a tour. The album's razor-edged, riff-laden hard rock sound contrasted with the plodding bombast and balladry of 2016's
Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies that, frankly, sounded tired. Longtime drummer
Harry James left in 2017 and was replaced by
Lee Morris. The resulting tour was wonderfully documented on 2018's surprising
On the Road to Eternity live outing. Finally, in June of 2019,
Al Barrow, the band's bassist since 2001, stopped touring with the group. American
Dennis Ward claimed the spot just before
Magnum entered the studio to record
The Serpent Rings. Founding members guitarist
Tony Clarkin and singer
Bob Catley are the only remnants from the 20th century. As evidenced on their 21st studio album, the personnel changes stoked the fire in the bellies of these two mainstays.