Magnum can, quite rightly, lay claim to being one of an elite group of elder statesmen of rock. With a history going back to the early seventies they have, at times, produced albums of such quality as to be legitimately called classic. It' strange then that this reviewer was never really a fan until after the band split and Bob Catley released his first solo album. Since the band reformed however the two resulting studio albums have left me distinctly unmoved,  coming across as a modern take on the Magnum sound and that doesn't quite work. But now with this, the third album of the 'comeback' the band have attempted to recapture former glories and return to their roots.

With that in mind the album kicks off with 'When We Were Younger', perhaps a surprising choice given that it is a seven minute epic, starting from virtual silence and then building throughout its length. With lyrics anyone of a more mature stature can relate to and some great guitar interplay, it works, and is supremely memorable. Following this, 'Eyes Wide Open' starts off with an instantly memorable guitar riff before doing a complete 180 and turning into an acoustically driven song. Again though, as with most songs on the album it works a treat.

Elsewhere on the CD you have a mix of ballads and rockers. 'Like Brothers' incorporates 70's style keyboards swirls and 'Out Of The Shadows' is driven by a typical colossal Tony Clarkin riff. 'Dragons Are Real' is the choice of single and it’s easy to see why on first listen. You’ll swear you've heard it before somewhere but on repeated plays it  sounds more and more individual.

Of the ballads ' Inside Your Head' should see lighters in the air when it comes to be played live and for some reason the band choose to close the album out in a rather subdued mode with another two slower numbers, namely 'Desperate Times' and 'You'll Never Sleep', although the later does manage to incorporate some clever tempo and style changes to keep the listener hooked.

To sum up whilst this was never an album I intended to review, other members of staff are infinitely better qualified, the samples I heard intrigued me enough to grab hold of the promo and it doesn't disappoint. Magnum have certainly delivered a stronger record than either of their previous two released and, as strange as it seems, it almost sounds as if Clarkin's writing on this CD was inspired by the Gary Hughes penned Bob Catley solo albums, that were in turn inspired themselves by classic Magnum. What come around goes around however and so I think it is proper to say that Magnum, in terms of sound, songwriting and the artwork for the CD, have definitely returned to their roots in some style.

Dougie