In a recording career that spans nearly 25 years, with a new opus arriving every couple of years, seems like eternity since we heard anything from the Swedish trio fronted by guitarist/vocalist JB Christoffersson. Actually, there was a pre-pandemic North American tour, in '19, for the Wolf God album, but the longevity of said disc was blunted by the global shutdown. So now JB, Fox (bass) and drummer Ludde are back, with nine new sonic weapons in their arsenal.
Some call it stoner, others doom. The truth? Both are (partially) correct, but Grand Magus offer so much more. The album revolves around the classic Beowulf tale and his adversary Grendel, re-imagined through JB's lyrical lens (the title character re-christened Sunraven herein).
The music chugs along, at varying speeds, from trudge to full-out sprint, but always with that requisite, thundering heaviness. "Skybound" opener bounces and bristles with life, despite the subject matter (relating a flight to the after-life). A "welcome back" calling card moment. More metered and mid-tempo "The Wheel Of Pain" follows. First single/titular tune, "Sunraven" sticks to a similar pace, punishingly, yet melodically, working its way into your head. A recurrent guitar break, courtesy of Christoffersson, does the heavy work. Classic doom, mixed with traditional metal, such is the construct of "Winter Storms".
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