originally written by Kyle Harcott
“Hao! Dai ye! We won again! This is good, but what is best in life?”
“The open steppe, fleet horse, falcons at your wrist, and the wind in your hair.”
“Wrong! Conan! What is best in life?”
“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.”
“That is good! That is good.”
Much like AC/DC or Ramones, Grand Magus do one thing really fucking well. They wield classic, proven metal themes of clash’n’clang steel, battle & bloodshed – and wrap ’em tight inside the thundering canter of traditional heavy metal. What sets them apart is how they’ve always done it in a way that rings true, that manages to never come off with the whiff of cheese that so many of their contemporaries are guilty of rolling in. Maybe part of it is the no-bullshit guise of denim and leather the music comes packaged in, but more than just that – there’s simply always been a level of grit in their songs. Call it a Lemmy aesthetic, if you will – there’s a certain verity, a dignity that gave the music, and Grand Magus, tons more credibility. Nothing ever seems forced, like it does with so many other bands flirting a classic heavy metal sound.
The new album, Triumph And Power, gets off to a great start with “On Hooves of Gold” – all hammering gallop and pomp, drenched in the glorious melodies of JB Christoffersson’s voice. “Steel Versus Steel” has the kind of infectious chorus-hook that wouldn’t be out of place on a Slough Feg record. (Goddamn, can somebody please get these two to tour North America together?) In fact, the entire front half of the record is pretty rock-solid. But it’s the back half where Triumph And Power falls short. Exactly how is hard to pin down, but something’s not quite there. Oh sure, the songs here are still steeped in the same grandiose, battle-ready Poledourian bombast, but it’s a weaker brew – they’re missing the heft of Side One.
Another point of interest or contention, depending on your point of view: the level of polish on Triumph And Power is higher than on previous records. It’s given a sharp, crystal-clear production that favors the cannonade of Ludwig Witt’s drums, puts them up in the mix, well on par with those signature Grand Magus vocal harmonies. Clarity aside, I can’t help but feel there was an edge, a vitality in previous albums that just isn’t shining through here. It’s still kinda there on side one, but by side two, the whole affair comes off slightly overcooked. This is full-length number seven, from a band with fifteen years of doing this style of battle metal under their belt. Maybe they’re not always going knock it out of the park.
Nevertheless, it’s Grand Magus, so I would never dismiss Triumph And Power outright, but even those songs that grabbed me, didn’t rivet me like The Hunt did, from first listen.
Maybe Grand Magus need a reminder of what really is best in life.
