Even the most pleasant of surroundings can in time exhaust their virtue. The colours fade under the dust, the bread turns stale and the champagne goes flat; the opulence that once was and which might have been retained has been taken away by the discourteousness of the present. Unfortunately that is where we find MAGNUM with their latest album "Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies", sitting at a bland banquet separated by wilted centrepieces, whilst trying their best to maintain some entertaining banter.

Allow me to begin by saying that despite the premise of the somewhat disparaging introduction "Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies" is actually a solid record. It is finely produced, precisely executed and musically apt. Having said that, an album can have all the regal appearance of a king and still be disliked by the masses. And the reason for that is this - it is simply just another good record.

"Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies" has appeal but lacks the intrigue; it has motion but lacks the drive; it cares but at the same time it is not committed. Starting with the title track (the album opener) the record seems to settle into an even yet uninspired tempo and blows just enough wind into the sales to see it through to port.

I must admit that when it comes to songwriting, this album is indeed sterling, and the strong balladry of songs like "Crazy Old Mothers" and "Afraid of the Night" do provide it with sturdy pillars of powerful progressive rock. "Gypsy Queen" and "Quiet Rhapsody" too give the album some momentum, however it still ends up winding down a course that we have already been on far too many times before. The instrumentation is quite respectable - particularly the drumming of Harry James - however, the vocal performance of Bob Catley remains prosaic and impassive throughout most of the album. Also, the production, whilst clean and crisp, is a bit too sterile and congested, resulting in an inauthentic and confined sound.

MAGNUM is a band that has been around for many years and an appropriate degree of respect should be paid to its longevity. And "Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies" does indeed make a great effort of reflecting upon the legacy of such bands as Nazareth and Scorpions, however, those recollections, though nostalgic and of good repute, remain foggy and mundane, clouding the potential of the record to make any viable memories of its own.Overall: 5