When Empires Burn [Import]

When Empires Burn [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Standard version of the Magnum/Hard Rain vocalist's 2003 solo album on Frontiers Records.

Tracks:

Torment (Intro)
Children of the Circle
Gonna Live Forever
Prophecy
I'll Be Your Fool
Every Beat of My Heart
When Empires Burn
Meaning of Love
This Is the Day
Someday Utopia
My America
Heaven Can Wait [*]
When the Earth Lies Still [*][Demo Version]

Album Description

Standard version of the Magnum/Hard Rain vocalist's 2003 solo album on Frontiers Records.

Album Details

Boasting the Immaculate Songwriting from Paul Hodson, this Album Shows the Heavier Side of Magnum Singer. A Real Threat for all Fans of Rainbow and Dio.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent melodic rock album from the voice of Magnum.......2006-08-29

Released in 2003, When Empires Burn is the first Bob Catley solo album not to be written and produced by Ten mainman Gary Hughes. Instead, Ten's keyboardist Paul Hodson is on board as songwriter and producer.

Fortunately, the album is every bit as good as Catley's previous work. While I tend to prefer Hughes's material, Hodson proves to be a first-rate songwriter in his own right.
The material on When Empires Burn has an epic romantic flair that reminds me quite a bit of Catley's debut album the Tower. Even the basic love songs have a certain aura of power and grandeur that only a unique singer like Bob Catley could provide. When Empires Burn is probably a bit heavier than the average Magnum album, but it also has its softer moments.

Overall, When Empires Burn is an excellent melodic rock album, and is sure to please fans of Magnum, Ten, and melodic rock fans in general. Catley has proven time and again that his albums are always worth checking out.

NOTE: There are a couple of different versions of this album (digipack, Japanese import, etc.) They all have the same track listing and bonus tracks (Heaven Can Wait and When the Earth Lies Still), so my recommendation is to find the one with the lowest price and grab it!

Average customer rating:

Excellent melodic rock album from the voice of Magnum
Bob sings while the Empire Burns
Monster Dungeons and Dragons Metal Album
Bob's Finest Hour

When Empires Burn
Bob Catley
Manufacturer: Frontiers Italy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Middle Earth
Spirit of Man
Perpetual Commotion
Hard Rain
Last Dance

ASIN: B000095IXX
Release Date: 2003-06-02

Tracks:

Torment (Intro)
Children of the Circle
Gonna Live Forever
Prophecy
I'll Be Your Fool
Every Beat of My Heart
When Empires Burn
Meaning of Love
This Is the Day
Someday Utopia
My America
Heaven Can Wait [*]
When the Earth Lies Still [*][Demo Version]

Album Description

Digipak edition, limited to an initial pressing of 10,000 copies, of the Magnum/Hard Rain vocalist's 2003 solo album includes two bonus tracks, 'Heaven Can Wait' & 'When The Earth Lies Still' (Demo Version). Frontiers Records.

Album Details

Boasting the Immaculate Songwriting from Paul Hodson, this Album Shows the Heavier Side of Magnum Singer. A Real Threat for all Fans of Rainbow and Dio.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent melodic rock album from the voice of Magnum.......2006-08-29

Bob sings while the Empire Burns.......2006-06-12

Most people would come to this album from a Magnum background. Which is a shame because (dare I say it) this disc probably has more universal appeal to the average hard rock and metal punter. It really is a revelation.

From the cool intro track to the blasting Children of the Circle this album just rocks, no other way to put it. It just blasts off and it's so much heavier than Magnum and is so much more of a full bodied rock experience. It's also very uplifting - for example the track Gonna Live Forever.

Any old Magnum fans should dust off their denim jacket and get themselves this slice of quality rock, and fans of generic hard rock should also pick it up as it's got the vibe of an album that can be played in just about any company. On the strenth of this Catleys solo career deserved better success than it garnered.

A quick nod to the backing musicians on this too, nice guitar, restrained use of keyboards and the production job is nicely done too. And, in fairness, a downside of this release is that you know he didn't write a note. So huge applause to the band for making this musicical and lyrical concoction for Catley to fire away on.

And unlike some guys his age he still has his voice!

Monster Dungeons and Dragons Metal Album.......2005-07-16

I love this!! Heavy, melodic, beautiful.....Catley wanted to make a heavy metal album...well he nailed it.....Children of the Circle alone is worth it...great production, warm but slick...not at all like the hideous processed productions that plagues all those cheesy symphonic dungeon opera metal cds coming out of Scandanavia...Every Magnum fan should have this.....

Bob's Finest Hour.......2004-11-29

For three solo albums, Bob employed the talents of Gary Hughes and they together crafted three great albums but it was time for something new. So up stepped Paul Hodson, keyboard player in Bob's touring band and formerly of Hard Rain, to write and produce this fourth album, the first to feature Bob's touring band actually recording the tracks.

So what do we get for our money, an absolute collosus of an album. Where as the previous three required you to be in the mood to listen, this new one is instantly accesible and is full of great songs.

So I say, buy it, treasure it and love it.

Average customer rating:

Excellent melodic rock album from the voice of Magnum

When Empires Burn
Bob Catley
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00009V9G6
Release Date: 2003-08-04

Tracks:

Torment (Intro)
Children of the Circle
Gonna Live Forever
Prophecy
I'll Be Your Fool
Every Beat of My Heart
When Empires Burn
Meaning of Love
This Is the Day
Someday Utopia
My America
Heaven Can Wait [*]
When the Earth Lies Still [*][Demo Version]

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring Two Bonus Tracks: "Heaven Can Wait", and "When the Earth Lies Still".

Customer Reviews:

Excellent melodic rock album from the voice of Magnum.......2006-08-29

Average customer rating:

Excellent melodic rock album from the voice of Magnum
Rather good, but not outstanding in any way
OH YES!!

When Empires Burn
Bob Catley
Manufacturer: Frontiers Italy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00009IB2Z
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Torment (Intro)
Children of the Circle
Gonna Live Forever
Prophecy
I'll Be Your Fool
Every Beat of My Heart
When Empires Burn
Meaning of Love
This Is the Day
Someday Utopia
My America
Heaven Can Wait [*]
When the Earth Lies Still [*][Demo Version]

Customer Reviews:

Excellent melodic rock album from the voice of Magnum.......2006-08-29

Rather good, but not outstanding in any way.......2003-09-29

I heard people claim that the release of Bob Catley's "When empires burn" was very comparable to the albums Magnum recorded in their prime - like "On a storyteller's night", "Vigilante" and "Wings of heaven". Well, in a way that might be true because songs like "Children of the circle" and "I'll be your fool" sounds like typical and classic Magnum. But over all, I'm sorry to say that this album doesn't thrill me the way I was hoping for. Yes, there's melody and Catley is indeed a good singer, but it all sounds more or less dated. And I don't really like the production because it's too much keyboard AND guitar at the same time which gives you a feeling that it's (in lack of better words) too much music/instruments - you know, sometimes less is more!

Most of the songs are alright or rather good, but not outstanding in any way. I find myself pressing the button for next song just after a minute or two. Maybe this album is the kind that takes a lot of repeated listening to grow - I don't know and maybe I'll never know since there's plenty of other albums I rather play. But what I know is that "When empires burn" is much better than the latest Magnum album titled "Breath of life". And if you're a dedicated Magnum fan, I don't believe you'll be that disappointed in this effort from Bob Catley.

OH YES!!.......2003-09-23

Gary Hughes had done a superb job of showcasing Bob's unique "Storytelling" style of vocal delivery, but their last effort "Middle Earth" seemed the perfect time to cut ties and bring a new writer on board for his 4th album.

Up stepped Paul Hodson, formerly keyboards player on the short lived group Hard Rain, and he has written 11 (13 if you buy the special edition) incredible songs. The mix is right here too, Gary Hughes was more of an epics man, which I like, but this album also spaces them out with good old-fashioned pop-rock and ballads of the kinds Magnum excelled in and Bob does so well.

Intro "The Torment" sets things in motion with a moody instrumental which reminds me of the kind of intros Helloween used to do in their "Keeper of the Seven Keys" hayday. "Children Of The Circle" roars in and Bob's vocals are given a good workout and the scene is set for an epic feeling album. "Gonna Live Forever" comes in from a side angle, an anthemic pop-rocker with an infectious chorus and up-beat tempo. Then comes my favourite track from the album, the stunning masterpiece that is "The Prophecy", this is the heaviest song by far that Bob has ever sung and on this evidence he should do more of it. Intended single "I'll Be Your Fool" follows, and my only gripe being it was never released as a single as it is extremely radio-friendly but great fun. First of the power ballads, "Every Beat Of My Heart" shows why Bob is one of the great singers, every syllable of his voice full of feeling, giving the song a depth that few other singers in the world can bring to their work. The Title track follows and is very good but at this point in the album we are looking for something spectacular, rather than great. "The Meaning Of Love" is the second ballad and is again a testiment that such a simple song can evoke real emotion out of the great man's voice. Something spectacular comes in a double shot next with the glorious "This Is The Day", a power-rocker epic in the best style of Magnum, "whilst "Someday Utopia" Has Bob singing at a 100mph with a fast, powerful rocker. The "official" album finishes with "My America", in my opinion this is the weakest offering but in it's favour it is still very good and is a great song live. "Heaven Can Wait" is a lovely, simple pop-rocker that would have sat well on the main album. "When The Earth Lies Still" is a demo of a ballad for the next album, I for one am rather hoping that they do not touch this song in anyway as it is all the more powerful for it's simple nature, a real example of "less is more".

In my opinion, this blows away Bob's three previous albums by some margin and indeed the last couple of Magnum albums as well. In mixing epic rockers with pop-rock tunes and powerful, sweeping ballads, Paul has written a belter of an album for Bob and is given the ultimate compliment by being given Bob's finest vocal performance for years.

If their is one bad point in all of this, it is that Paul Hodson has thrown down the gauntlet to Magnum songwriter Tony Clarkin to come up with one heck of an album next time around.

GO ON TONY, TAKE THE GAUNTLET, HOLD IT HIGH AND CRY "GONNA LIVE FOREVER!!!"

When Empires Burn [Limited Edition]
Average customer rating:
When Empires Burn [Limited Edition]
Catley , and Bob
Manufacturer: Frontiers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000LX6DSO