MAGNUM II

Continuing exactly where 'Kingdom of Madness' left off, Magnum's second album, titled "Magnum II" (how original...), sticks to its tried-and-tested formula of 70's keyboard-based hard rock with progressive elements thrown in for good measure.

Magnum have never really been more than a small blip on my musical radar, although I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed their debut record. As it is, 'Magnum II' lacks the same energy and sense of fun that its predecessor has. There's some good songs on offer here, but there's also a few rather naff ones. And when you add in the cheesy lyrics and over-the-top vocal performances, as a whole there just isn't really anything of any major substance to inspire me to come back.

Brief highlights include 'Reborn', 'The Battle' and 'Great Adventure', though oddly enough, one of the more memorable songs is a bonus "acoustic" version of the song 'Foolish Heart', which is a jazzed up ballroom-style take on one of the albums more generic tracks. It features a brass section, a saxophone solo and an incredibly up-tempo rhythm that actually gets you quite pumped up. Why, oh why was this a bonus track?!

Overall, this isn't a terrible album, and Magnum have been able to at least grow on me a little, but this just doesn't have anything all that interesting going on. Listen to 'Kingdom of Madness' instead.