Kingdom of Madness

About Kingdom of Madness

Kingdom of Madness is the debut studio album by the English rock band Magnum. It was recorded in 1976, and was released in 1978 by Jet Records. Kingdom of Madness was awarded a 4 star review in Sounds, with writer Geoff Barton suggesting the band were capable of making a strong claim for a slice of the market occupied by the likes of Styx, Kansas and Yes. The album was described as "flute-laced progressive rock sound similar to that of Jethro Tull. The songwriting ranges from imaginative, mythical tales on "In the Beginning" and the title song, to deeply philosophical tracks like "Universe" and "All That Is Real". " The album was also noted for its imaginative lyrics, with influence from Hawkwind member, Blue Öyster Cult lyricist and science fiction author Michael Moorcock, the songs "Lord of Chaos" and "Stormbringer" directly referencing Moorcock's Elric series. Prior to the release, Magnum had toured the UK extensively with the likes of Judas Priest and had built upon a solid fanbase. Many of the songs had been played in Magnum's live set since 1976, and were suitably "road tested". Many fans were familiar with the material before the album was released, this helped the album debut at a respectable No. 58 in the UK charts. Because of the delayed release the tracks "Master of Disguise", "Without Your Love", "Find the Time" and "Everybody Needs" originally intended for the album, were dropped for more up-to-date songs, such as opening track "In the Beginning". These tracks were later included on Sanctuary Records 2005 2CD Remastered and Expanded edition of the album. Two singles were released to promote the album, "Kingdom of Madness" in July 1978 and "Invasion" in September 1978, although Magnum's debut single for CBS, "Sweets for My Sweet" released in February 1975 was not included on the album. The 2005 expanded version of the album was reissued on 22 September 2006 in Japan with Mini LP/Paper Sleeve packaging through Arcangelo. The album was also included in a limited edition Japanese Box Set, comprising all six of Sanctuary Records Expanded and Remastered releases with Mini LP/Paper Sleeve packaging. The set included an outer box featuring Magnum's Chase the Dragon artwork more »