Fast forward a few albums, a future metal scholar should easily be able to say that the second half of the band's output (assuming they decide to retire after this one) was not nearly as innovative or interesting as the first half. With _For Lies I Sire_, it seems the band have nothing more to say that they have not said in abundance in their past.

Depressing just for the sake of depressing the fans sounds a wee bit fake. Nevertheless, _For Lies I Sire_ sees the return of the violin. Luckily, it is being put to some good use, especially on the strongly morose "Santuario di Sangue", one of the better songs of the album -- together with the surprisingly harsh "A Chapter in Loathing", which features a lot of death grunts, which are also sprinkled in the rest of the album. The rest of the album is OK, but the riffing is uninspired and Aaron's vocals, once truly excellent in their moroseness, sound a bit blunt this time, especially the grunting.

This is not a bad album, really. Just redundant. And I would have given it a better mark, if I was not certain that a year from now I will remember none of the songs in here, something that is absolutely not true at all for the band's first five albums. And that is really the sum of it. If this review sounds uninspired, then I guess it succeeds in adequately portraying the sentiments _For Lies I Sire_ creates.