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GRAND MAGUS “Sunraven”
GRAND MAGUS “Sunraven”
By Dr. Abner Mality
I remember about 20 years back when GRAND MAGUS was highly tipped by many to become one of metal’s biggest bands. It’s been a long time since I’ve even heard their name mentioned, as they had a series of forgettable releases. I was quite amazed to learn they were still on Nuclear Blast Records and not one of the horde of bands who migrated to Napalm.
I don’t know if MAGUS will ever attain the heights many had predicted, but “Sunraven” gives me a lot of hope that they can make a difference. This is the smoothest listen from them in many years...a record that is supremely listenable if you like bold traditional metal. It comes in at a very compact 35 minutes, which is a big plus...”Sunraven” races by like a comet in the night. The songs are punchy and memorable, very much in classic NWOBHM tradition, but with a strong Nordic flavor.
The star of the show as always is vocalist/guitarist J.B. Christofferson, who has been an outstanding singer no matter the quality of songs. He has such a rich, warm baritone, it’s like having melted butter poured in your ears but a lot less messy. His quality is immediately apparent on “Skybound”, a great catchy opener. Heaviness remains at a constant level here...sometimes it has a doomy aspect, as on “The Wheel Of Pain” and the excellent closer “The End Belongs To You”, at other times it is more up-tempo,like on the snappy “Hour of the Wolf” and “Grendel”. No song is long enough to let boredom creep in, which is something that doomed prior MAGUS output. With “Winter Storms”, the band has conjured a genuine masterpiece...the rich singing and hook-stuffed vocal lines just sink in deep and don’t let go.
I don’t know if GRAND MAGUS can still sit atop the metal summit, but there’s no doubt this is their most enjoyable record in a long, long time.
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