ALBUM REVIEW: Sunraven – Grand Magus
After five years away, GRAND MAGUS are back with a barnstorming follow-up to 2019’s Wolf God.
The Swedish veterans might be 25 years deep in the game, but they remain determined to stretch themselves. Based on the ancient tale of Beowulf, the trio’s latest offering Sunraven finds the band diving into a fully-fledged concept album for the first time. But crucially, this is a concept album with a difference.
The idea of a heavy metal band developing a concept album based on myths and legends conjures up a certain image. And it’s not particularly flattering. Think, nine-minute songs, bizarre soundscapes that only make sense if you’re high on acid and cringeworthy lyrics. However, GRAND MAGUS aren’t your average metal band. In contrast to the above, the album is laser-sharp, and the songwriting is concise and focused. This means that not only does the album fly by, but its concepts and narratives are easy to follow.
Not that Sunraven is dumbed down in any way shape or form. Make no mistake, this is a high-quality record.
The album bursts into life with the lead single Skybound. The track tells the story of death and ascension to Valhalla, based on the journey eventually taken by Beowulf. As with the rest of the album, frontman Janne ‘JB’ Christoffersson said he used the myth as a launching point for his own ideas and inventions. The track itself is heavy metal to a tee. The main guitar riff hits straight between the eyes and a mega chorus does most of the heavy lifting, while a towering guitar solo rounds things off.
The Wheel Of Pain is part march, part rallying cry. There are even hints of blues in there, but the stomping beat hits with enough authority to give the song back its heavy metal edge. JB’s vocals are punchy and direct, delivered with an almost menacing sneer. Title track Sunraven is more of the same in terms of quality, but represents an increase in pace. The rhythm section gallops forward like a horse taking its rider into battle, and the solo is a stone-cold stunner.
Despite its title, Winter Storms is packed full of toe-tapping swagger. Again, the chorus is a monster, but the band as a whole is just so incredibly solid. Each member is at the top of their game and it shows. For many bands at this stage in their careers, they’re almost going through the motions. You can feel the slog of the lengthy studio sessions, and the grind of life on the road through the recordings. But GRAND MAGUS are clearly made of different stuff because they sound full of energy and zest.
The Black Lake might just be the best song on the entire album. Everything’s slowed down and through the first verse stripped right back. JB’s vocals are haunting and deliberate, only giving way to a crunching riff at the one-minute mark. If Black Sabbath had crawled out of a Swedish forest instead of industrial Birmingham, this is what they would have sounded like. The ebb and flow continues on Hour Of The Wolf which is much faster and sounds exactly like a song with that title should sound complete with gritty snarl from JB.
The ferocious rhythms continue on Grendel as the band chronicles the beast of the same name. It’s here that the band’s clear and concise songwriting comes to the fore, as the trio avoids falling into the trap of needlessly overdramatic imagery. The story is there, but you don’t need a thesaurus and five Wikipedia tabs to break down what’s going on. The Heorot is an incredibly interesting track for completely different reasons. While the title refers to the mead hall at the centre of Beowulf, the verses are structured like a heavy metal nursery rhyme punctuated by a stunning guitar solo.
Closing salvo The End Belongs To You is a fitting if melancholic ending. It’s yet another strong track, even if it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the album’s best moments.
Sunraven is an exercise in simplicity and that’s why it works. GRAND MAGUS have skillfully navigated all of the the usual concept album pitfalls to produce a project that not only holds a clear narrative but has nine songs able to stand on their own. It can’t be emphasised enough how the length of the album is also a key to its success. Any longer and the simplicity and back-to-basics approach becomes repetitive, but as it is, the album feels full of energy. This is Beowulf, but not quite as you remember it.
Rating: 9/10
Sunraven is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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