Power of Metal.dk Review

Grand Magus
Triumph and Power
Rating
Style: Heavy Metal
Release date: 31 January, 2014
Playing time: 42:15
 


The Swedish Viking-heavy-metal trio Grand Magus is back with another harsh and heavy power metal album. I've been a fan of this band ever since 2008 when they released the awesome monster album 'Iron Will'. The first track from Iron Will, 'Like the Oar Strikes the Qater' is still one of the best metal songs I know of and from that day I've been a faithful buyer of their albums. 'Hammer of the North' from 2010 and 'The Hunt' from 2012 are the albums, which have been great successors and with this brand new release called 'Triumph and Power' they demonstrate that they still can forge Viking metal ornaments music wise and are unsaturated by the musical work by Odin's metal anvil.

They have taken their unique brutal metal and refined it to among the most noble and heaviest in the Nordic power metal. JB is one of the better Swedish vocalists in the heavier metal genres, anyway. The Scandinavian answer to Manowar is a quite fair comparison if you haven't heard Grand Magus before. Powerful and bombastic thunder metal within the secure confines of the stormy ocean is what I hear after my twenty spins of 'Triumph and Power'. I have to say that they maybe are heavier than ever. The opening track 'On Hooves of Gold' is a majestic metal song, which forces me to grab my sword and scream: 'As we ride the wind and flies, on hooves of gold we ride'!

How metal is a track called 'Steel vs Steel'? This is the far best song on the album and is the reason why I rise my axe with one hand and marches with a proud chest back and forth. It's only the mead horn at my belt and the horned helmet that's missing.

'Fight' is a darn good metal song with excellent and heavy guitar riffing. I became almost scared when JB starts to sing in the title song, he has so much clout and depth in his voice, which is sounding like Thor himself was singing. If you are a fan of the Viking/power metal this is definitely something you have to listen on. They have the guts to put in some true Viking music in 'Arv' and 'Ymer'. Such cool additions and unique quirks gives plus points.

My overall impression of 'Triumph and Power' is: An iron harsh album with an unbelievably impressive first half. It doesn't reach 'Iron Will' levels, but it's in the same division as 'The Hunt'. Keep up the good work and I wish that I'll see them on a stage this summer...
 
Line-up:
Janne "JB" Christoffersson - lead vocals, guitar
Fox Skinner - bass, backing vocals
Ludwig "Ludde" Witt - drums


Tracklist
01. On Hooves Of Gold
02.
Steel Versus Steel
03.
Fight
04.
Triumph And Power
05.
Dominator
06.
Arv
07.
Holmgång
08.
The Naked And The Dead
09.
Ymer
10.
The Hammer Will Bite
Label: Nuclear Blast GmbH
Distribution: Sony Music (Denmark)
Artwork rating: 68/100
Reviewed by: Patrik Skoglund
Date: 24 January, 2014
Website: www.grandmagus.com