Grand Magus – ‘Wolf God’
Album Review By AdamMcCann
Nuclear Blast Records/Heavy Metal
It is always a good sign when every few years, Grand Magus summon their bannermen with the band ready to ride forth and release ‘Wolf God’, their latest album of Norse tales, swords and blizzards.
Now, although the bands previous album ‘Sword Songs’ contained some excellent songs, it failed to match the glory of the bands previous works and often felt as if the band were recycling already well-worn ground. The three-year rest seems to have done Grand Magus the world of good, ‘Wolf God’ is the sound of a band re-envigored and whilst it is not immediately likeable, it does have all the hallmarks of a typical Grand Magus album. Yes, there are points of this album where it sounds like the band are going through the motions such as ‘Dawn Of Fire’ and ‘A Hall Clad In Gold’, whilst ‘Gold And Glory’ the albums opening introduction seems to last far too long. But typically, Grand Magus manage to pull some magic out of the hat, tracks like ‘Spear Thrower’ ‘He Sent Them All To Hel’ and the Motörhead inspired drumming of the title track show that the band are still more than capable of writing excellent fist-pounding songs that are both memorable and exceptionally enjoyable.
After a few listens, ‘Wolf God’ takes on a life of its own, of course there is well-worn ground here, but who cares? This album is catchy, fun and powerful without becoming stale and stagnant becoming another fine addition to an already strong Grand Magus repertoire.
Rating : 78/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
