Custom Heavy review
Daniel Hodgson
Grand Magus - S/T
Rise Above/The Music Cartel
by Daniel Hodgson
When word first spread that Spice had departed the Spiritual Beggars, I must admit I was fully convinced that no one could fill his shoes.
Then the news broke that Grand Magus frontman JB would be filling the vacated slot. My fears were calmed somewhat. Having only heard the "Twilight Train" song from their split 7" with the Beggars, I knew Janne was a suitable enough replacement.
But then the other day I received the promo for Grand Magusī forthcoming opus and I can say, without reservation, that JB simply blows Spice out of the water in the vocal department. Sure, Spice had a charm all his own and he does have a great set of pipes, but Janne is clearly the better wailer of the two.
Anyway, this is about Grand Magus, not the Beggars, so let"s begin, shall we?
To sum it up in one word - Grand Magus is awesome. Got it? Good. While this year has some highly anticipated releases in the doom/stoner field with Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, High On Fire, Alabama Thunder Pussy and yes, the Spiritual Beggars having records slated for 2002, this album should not be overlooked.
The only thing holding back this power trio at this point is they are still pretty much unknown. But once this album makes it rounds, I expect all that to change. If you like thick, bluesy riffs a groovy backbeat and majestic vocals, then your salvation is here. Sure, that description has been used to describe a hundred bands in this genre, but Grand Magus , although not the most original band on the planet (who the hell is, really?) certainly deliver the goods.
What really sets Magus apart from their peers is definitely the aforementioned vocals of JB. This guy has some serious range happening. To these ears, Janne sounds like Chris Cornellīs vocal DNA spliced with Gene Simmonsī.
Songtitles? Yeah, I read them, but you know what, I donīt even look at them when I throw this CD in the box. This is an ALBUM, folks. Not a CD with three good songs and six fillers.
This is a record you put on and just let go. Fans of all genres of music can certainly find something of worth here. They are heavy enough for the metal crowd, groovy enough for the stoner sect and have enough hooks to appeal to a mainstream audience. Hell, even some classic rock fans would eat this up like 10-cent chicken wings.
So after listening to Grand Magus, I have come to two conclusions: 1) these guys rock very fucking hard and; 2) JB has calmed all my fears about the next Spiritual Beggars.
Read the Custom Heavy interview with Janne from Grand Magus
For more on Grand Magus, go to www.grandmagus.com
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