The Serpent Rings

The Serpent Rings is the 21st studio album from the rock group Magnum. The album was released on 17 January 2020. The album was the first Magnum album to feature Dennis Ward on bass, after long-time bassist Al Barrow left the band in June 2019.^[4]

The Serpent Rings
Studio album by Magnum
Released	17 January 2020
Genre	Rock
Length	59:36
Label	Steamhammer Records/SPV
Producer	Tony Clarkin
Magnum chronology
Live at the Symphony Hall (2019) The Serpent Rings (2020) Dance of the Black Tattoo (2021)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
laut.de	[2]
Metal Hammer	[3]

The cover was painted by Rodney Matthews. As usual, it features several references to previous album covers, including "the Storyteller" from On a Storyteller's Night.^[5]

The Serpent Rings peaked at 5 in the German charts, the highest position the band has achieved there to date. It also charted at 7 in Switzerland, the same position reached by Wings of Heaven in 1988. The album ranked 36 in the United Kingdom, a step back compared to the previous album, Lost on the Road to Eternity, and close to the positions reached by the three albums preceding said release. The album also charted at 47 in Austria, being the third Magnum album to chart there.

The band planned a European tour after the release, but were forced to reschedule several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, The Serpent Rings got no tour of its own; by the time the band embarked on their March 2022 tour, their next studio album, The Monster Roars, had already been released.^[6]

Track listing

The Serpent Rings track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Where Are You Eden?"	5:37
2.	"You Can't Run Faster Than Bullets"	5:40
3.	"Madman or Messiah"	5:18
4.	"The Archway of Tears"	6:21
5.	"Not Forgiven"	5:48
6.	"The Serpent Rings"	6:47
7.	"House of Kings"	4:46
8.	"The Great Unknown"	5:27
9.	"Man"	5:31
10.	"The Last One on Earth"	5:35
11.	"Crimson on the White Sand"	4:53

All tracks are written by Tony Clarkin

Personnel

• Tony Clarkin – guitar
• Bob Catley – vocals
• Dennis Ward – bass guitar
• Rick Benton – keyboards
• Lee Morris – drums

Charts

Sales chart performance for The Serpent Rings

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7]	47
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[8]	148
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9]	5
Scottish Albums (OCC)[10]	10
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[11]	56
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[12]	29
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13]	7
UK Albums (OCC)[14]	36
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[15]	4
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[16]	1

See also

• List of 2020 albums

References

1. Jurek, Thom. "Magnum On a Storyteller's Night review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
2. "The Serpent Rings". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 21 January 2020.
3. "Magnum's The Serpent Rings: continuing the second wave of success". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
4. Magnum - The Serpent Rings, Steamhammer. Accessed 23 November 2019.
5. TRINITY, REDBUBBLE, MAGNUM'S THE SERPENT RINGS, Rodney Matthews Studios, 20 October 2019. Accessed 23 November 2019.
6. Magnum Reveals New Album "The Monster Roars" Details, Metal Underground, 22 Oct 2021. Retrieved 23 Oct 2021.
7. "Austriancharts.at – Magnum – The Serpent Rings" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
8. "Ultratop.be – Magnum – The Serpent Rings" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Magnum – The Serpent Rings" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
10. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
11. "Spanishcharts.com – Magnum – The Serpent Rings". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
12. "Swedishcharts.com – Magnum – The Serpent Rings". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
13. "Swisscharts.com – Magnum – The Serpent Rings". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
15. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
16. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.