Live4Metal 2004
James
Grand Magus - Monument (Rise Above Records) Review by James
Having just unleashed their second full-length album, it seems the mighty Grand Magus are crushing up the Swedish frozen metal mountain like a demented snow beast. To be perfectly honest, when I first laid ears on Monument it didn’t hit me like a ton of bricks. Rather, after a couple of spins on the discman it crept up on me like a big fat Aussie bush weed spliff. So much so that I found myself headbanging and screaming out ‘Fire!… Magic!’ at the train station, much to the discomfort of the other commuters!
After being snapped up by Lee Dorians’ Rise Above label a couple of years back, Grand Magus have been out on the road with stable mates Orange Goblin and Electric Wizard taking them all over Europe and most of the US. Some of you will know vocalist/guitarist
JB as the frontman for Michael Amott’s groovadelic Spiritual Beggars. Monument however really brings his talents to the fore. Stamping his metal authority with a charismatic vocal style which displays elements of Glen Danzig, Chris Cornell and even the wizard himself Ronnie James Dio, furthermore his mighty guitar work sounds like the bastard son of Tony Iommi combined with shades of Mercyful Fate. Add to this gutsy drumming, a few Holy Diver-ish intros, a heavy, heavy bass fuzz and you have a Monumental album indeed. Whether it’s the goat dance around the maypole groove of Summer Solstice, the bone crushing heaviness of Baptised In Fire or the magnificent blizzard of doom Chooser Of The Slain where you can almost feel the icy frost on JB’s breath, Grand Magus have really pulled out all the aces. All in all Monument is a big fat meaty platter of epic doom metal that is sure to stand the test of time and pave the way for many bands in the future. Can’t wait to check these boys out live.
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