GRAND MAGUS

(SWEDEN)

WOLF GOD

(2019)
LABEL:

NUCLEAR BLAST

GENRE:

HEAVY METAL

TAGS:
80's, Old School
"Filled with pieces of bravery and roaring with a unifying power, "Wolf God" ensures Grand Magus his place at the Valhalla!"
CHILDERIC THOR (14.06.2019)  
4/5
(0) opinions (0) comment(s)
After a start hesitating between the stoner (his first album) and the doom ("Monument"), Grand Magus has established its identity both sonically (heavy granitic metal) and conceptually (Scandinavian mythology is its fuel). Recognizable between a thousand, the incandescent voice of JB Christofferson, a kind of Viking David Coverdale, signs this warm personality that is declined from one offering to another, every two years on average and that we have therefore learned to know well.

To the point of no longer being surprised when the time comes to discover a new record from the Swedes, especially since they never really disappoint. However, between a starter with inappropriate cinematic accents ('Gold And Glory') and a menu that seems to purr more than just roar, "Wolf God" suggests that we can now be satisfied with a proven recipe forged by a band that no longer has anything to prove - which, given the trio's renowned know-how, could be enough to make us happy. 

Having tried to privilege spontaneity by recording the tracks of this ninth opus in a single take in live conditions, the band gives the impression of not having forced its talent, like the eponymous track certainly devilishly effective but which struggles to take off, embarrassed by the screams of a ridiculous wolf. But, in addition to the fact that JB's fire organ always remains charged with a galvanizing seed, the successive listening reveals a very rich marrow. 

Between majestic vocal harmonies ('Dawn Of Fire','Untamed') and solos fed on the breasts of great hard rock ('A Hall Clad In Gold','He Sent Them All To Hell'), "Wolf God" is filled with moments of bravery roaring from a unifying power. True to its signature, Grand Magus finds the perfect balance between heavy rhythmic ('Brother Of The Storm') and sustained tempo ('Spear Thrower' fast), between Nordic flights and riffs from British steel mills, not to mention those choruses that cling to the memory like a mould on a rock and make you want to gallop in the mountains, a horn filled with mead by hand. 

Led by a greedy bass and grounded by Ludiwg Witt's heavy drum (who is having a field day on the entire album),'Glory To The Brave' is both the most epic track of the batch and the one that best sums up the essence of "Wolf God", a slow and exhilarating epic with the look of a Viking anthem created for live performances. By riding it, we can see how right the Swedes were to try to capture more than ever the instinctive strength of their heavy metal. 

From this approach results a melodic and sharp puck whose raw formwork character does not prevent it to have a form of beauty. Grand Magus has definitely earned its place at Valhalla. 
- Official website

TRACK LISTING:
01. Gold And Glory
02. Wolf God
03. A Hall Clad In Gold
04. Brother Of The Storm
05. Dawn Of Fire
06. Spear Thrower
07. To Live And Die In Solitude
08. Glory To The Brave
09. He Sent Them All To Hel
10. Untamed

LINEUP:
Fox: Basse
Janne "JB" Christoffersson: Chant / Guitares
Ludwig: Batterie
   
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