• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

October 2024

• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive (Tommy Denander): Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

July 2024

• Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
• Spektra: Hypnotized
• (Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
• Mr. Big: Ten
• Dark Mile: Dark Mile

June 2024

• Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
• Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
• Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
• Atlantic: Another World
• Xeneris: Eternal Rising
• New Horizon: Conquerors
• Issa: Another World

May 2024

• Rhapsody Of Fire: Challenge The Wind
• Cloven Hoof: Heathen Cross
• Perseus: Into The Silence
• Yes: Talk (1994/2024) Reissue
• Marty Friedman: Drama
• Demon: Invincible
• The Treatment: Wake Up The Neighbourhood
• The Tangent: To Follow Polaris
• Riot V: Mean Streets
• Anette Olzon: Rapture
• FM: Old Habits Die Hard

[ More Music Reviews ]

Grand Magus: Wolf God

Traditional Heavy Metal

5.0/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter YouTube
Nuclear Blast Records
Released: 19.04.2019
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 10.04.2019

Up the irons! Hail heavy metal! The Swedish masters of traditional heavy metal, Grand Magus, return with their latest and ninth album, Wolf God. The power trio invites you to strap on your leather kutte, metal studded sleeves, and bullet belts for another of album of their epic heavy metal.

Grand Magus

Needless to say, I'm a fan of Grand Magus and anything classic and traditional heavy metal. Grand Magus delivers the latter with uncompromising clarity and thrills. Strong riffs and wicked soaring leads are undergirded by a thick bass groove and booming epic drums. Some bands need five members and a bank of keyboards to sound bombastic, but not Grand Magus. With their steady heavy rhythm and groove mixed with power metal pacing here and there, they are the bomb in bombastic. Even so, Grand Magus is, in the best sense, predictable in their process: big drums, heavy bass, strong riffs ride along until JB Christoffersson rips into another sensational guitar solo. You'll find this formula consistent within the mighty songs Wolf God, Brother Of The Storm, Dawn Of Fire, and the steady groove of He Sent Them To Hel. To mix things up, with Glory To The Brave you'll find the song led by rather gentle drums and subtle bass line before ripping into heavy riffs and more steady thundering metal. Alternatively, Grand Magus develops gallop and groove with the fast and short Spear Thrower. All said, Wolf God once more finds Grand Magus in fine form, delivering bang your head, keep it true, epic and entertaining heavy metal. Easily recommended.

The Steve Bonino Project: Stargazer 2

Melodic Progressive Rock

4.5/5.0

The multi-talented and multi-instrumentalist Steve Bonino returns to continue his sci-fi space opera with Stargazer 2. If you recall from the first album, having made a ... [ Read More ]

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Wolf God once more finds Grand Magus in fine form, delivering bang your head, keep it true, epic and entertaining heavy metal. Easily recommended.

Alphabetical Index

By far, Sweden's Eclipse is one of my favorite bands. Always consistent and always entertaining, Eclipse has been delivering their 21st century version of melodic metal rock since songwriter, producer ... [ Read More ]