• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Magnum: Sacred Blood Divine Lies

Melodic Hard Rock

4.0/5.0

Website Facebook
SPV/Steamhammer
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 17.02.2016

There's much to be said for longevity, even more to be said for working at the occupation you love for more than 40 years. Magnum's birth was in 1972, as a cover band, but for four decades, excepting a brief split, vocalist Bob Catley and guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin, with band in tow, having been making music. That's some legacy.

Magnum

So Magnum arrives with their nineteenth album in so many years, Sacred Blood Divine Lies. And in doing so, it's the same Magnum you know and love. These old dogs aren't about to experiment with new tricks. Nope. They stick to what they know and love: melodic hard rock in an AOR wrapper, maybe a touch of the symphonic or prog here and there. Actually, there's some hard rockin' songs here with the title track, Crazy Old Mothers, Princess In Rags, and the sharp guitar start of Afraid of the Night. Yet, that last tune is a fine example of how Magnum easily weaves synth orchestration into many of their arrangements. Another is A Forgotten Conversation where it leads the song, before giving way sharp riffs and a heavier groove. Also, following this motif, is Twelve Men Wise And Just, an excellent example of the right mixture of melody, groove, and pacing wrapped in symphonic embellishment. Yet, for all these things, with the motivational anthem Your Dreams Won't Die, Magnum reveals their magic when all these elements are wrapped up in AOR accessibility. In other words, Magnum can write songs that are simply hook laden and darn catchy. Musical ear candy as it were. So what then are we to conclude? Once more with Sacred Blood Divine Lies, Magnum is simply being Magnum, purveyors lively and entertaining AOR melodic hard rock. Recommended.

Magnum - Crazy Old Mothers

Share This Review with Your Friends

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Once more with Sacred Blood Divine Lies, Magnum is simply being Magnum, purveyors lively and entertaining AOR melodic hard rock. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]