Grand Magus Monument
Rise Above RISECD44 2003
By Nathan Pearce
As a fan of all things Rise Above, I was looking forward to hearing this, if only because it was on the same label as the legendary Electric Wizard and recent blackened-doomers Unearthly Trance. However, a great surprise was in store for me upon the first listen. Grand Magus is a band that could satisfy a much wider audience than the two previously mentioned bands, but at the same time, fans of anything on the Rise Above label should have no trouble really digging these guys.
Monument is made up of unbelievably concise songs. Each and every song has memorable riffs, vocals, lyrics, melodies, and pretty much everything else you can think of. While its easy to point out the obvious and call Grand Magus a stoner band, I feel that would be selling them short. 70s rock is obviously another selling point for the band, but again, that is not where these guys are coming from. Hailing from Sweden, and infusing plenty of the cold Northern atmosphere, imagery, and lyric into their music, Grand Magus is clearly a band aimed at the doom-metal audience.
The vocals remind me of Wino mixed with a little David Coverdale, and they are easily some of the best clean vocals in all the metal kingdom. This JB character (vocals and guitars) is an unbelievable talent. The guitar riffs are huge and staggering. The solos are just downright immense. Immense in a soulful way. While JB proves he is a more than proficient guitarist, he also proves he cares more about emotion than technicality. In fact, his guitar licks and solos are so powerful, some people will probably argue he is a blues guitarist at heart. Dont believe the hype, though. JB is an intense and emotional METAL guitarist.
For fans of everything from St. Vitus and Cathedral to Led Zepplin and Deep Purple, Grand Magus will thoroughly delight you. Monument is probably the best doom/stoner/whatever-you-want-to-call-it album of 2003.
9/10
www.grandmagus.com
www.riseabove.com
Rise Above RISECD44 2003
By Nathan Pearce
As a fan of all things Rise Above, I was looking forward to hearing this, if only because it was on the same label as the legendary Electric Wizard and recent blackened-doomers Unearthly Trance. However, a great surprise was in store for me upon the first listen. Grand Magus is a band that could satisfy a much wider audience than the two previously mentioned bands, but at the same time, fans of anything on the Rise Above label should have no trouble really digging these guys.
Monument is made up of unbelievably concise songs. Each and every song has memorable riffs, vocals, lyrics, melodies, and pretty much everything else you can think of. While its easy to point out the obvious and call Grand Magus a stoner band, I feel that would be selling them short. 70s rock is obviously another selling point for the band, but again, that is not where these guys are coming from. Hailing from Sweden, and infusing plenty of the cold Northern atmosphere, imagery, and lyric into their music, Grand Magus is clearly a band aimed at the doom-metal audience.
The vocals remind me of Wino mixed with a little David Coverdale, and they are easily some of the best clean vocals in all the metal kingdom. This JB character (vocals and guitars) is an unbelievable talent. The guitar riffs are huge and staggering. The solos are just downright immense. Immense in a soulful way. While JB proves he is a more than proficient guitarist, he also proves he cares more about emotion than technicality. In fact, his guitar licks and solos are so powerful, some people will probably argue he is a blues guitarist at heart. Dont believe the hype, though. JB is an intense and emotional METAL guitarist.
For fans of everything from St. Vitus and Cathedral to Led Zepplin and Deep Purple, Grand Magus will thoroughly delight you. Monument is probably the best doom/stoner/whatever-you-want-to-call-it album of 2003.
9/10
www.grandmagus.com
www.riseabove.com
