Grand Magus: Wolf God (Nuclear Blast) [Matt]
Janne 'JB' Christoffersson (guitar, vocals), Mats 'Fox' Hedén Skinner (bass) and Ludwig Witt (drums) return with their ninth(!) album of 'proper' heavy metal. Coming just two years after the excellent Sword Songs, the bare bones of Wolf God were jammed out in the studio shortly after it's predecessor was released and it retains the doomier vibe of their early records that returned on Sword Songs, but with that more grandiose style they have been developing. This makes Wolf God a natural successor to what Grand Magus have been doing lately and is filled once again with some fist raising heavy metal anthems. First though Gold And Glory brings a stirring string introduction to proceedings, it's all a bit Game Of Thrones, with a cinematic string led piece, that leads into the title track which is a drum driven swaggering metal anthem featuring powerful drumbeat and big power chords, JB's vocals are still some of the best out there and here croons repetitive, sing along choruses, something that has become a Grand Magus trademark.
Since Hammer Of The North they have been making their sound more arena friendly and this record is chock full of anthems that can be sung back by a drunken Bloodstock horde. A Hall Clad In Gold rampages as this ode to Valhalla gets nice and meaty in the middle with JB unleashing a climactic solo, as Brother Of The Storm crushes with a hefty doom riff, though the most monumental track on the record is the theatrical Dawn Of Fire and it's followed by the rampaging Spear Thrower which actually starts a run of faster tracks rather than the mid-paced fist pumpers at the beginning of the record, these are headbangers for sure, but He Sent Them All To Hell is a massive track that will echo around many afield for a while yet. Let the Wolf God howl, Grand Magus are back with more odes to victory, with Manowar hanging up their loincloths these Swedes are the rightful heir's to that Iron Throne. 9/10
New Years Day: Unbreakable (Century Media Records) [Matt]
Ash Costello and her band of merry men (though they don't look that merry mind you) return with their latest release and like with tour mates In This Moment and Halestorm it's a record built on the foundations of female empowerment and as Mrs H would say fucking the patriarchy (just listen to Shut Up). How they go about this is with groovy, industrially tinged modern metal which puts Costello's expressive sneering vocal at the forefront, with Rob Zombie, Combichrist and In This Moment the obvious musical comparisons, the opener Come For Me rallies against anyone who would try to speak ill of the band, a true fight song, and leads to a foul mouthed last quarter as the synths pound and the chorus has the stuttered vocal effect.
The record deals with a lot of real life issues, mainly cutting off what they call a lot of the 'poisonous' people that were there on the first record, bringing a more positive outlook to this one. Here though she's honest as she can be, no hiding fight against detractors and looking ahead to a better future. There's a mixture of pounding anthemic pop-tinged numbers like Skeletons (which first appeared on their previous EP) and the title track. Then they also have heavy rockers like Done With You and slower gothic ballads such as Poltergeist but much of it is the former the heaviness balanced with huge choruses and lots of strings beneath the surface. They've tried to make the poppiest metal album they can and succeeded, Unbreakable is a bright new dawn for New Years Day! 8/10
Dead River Kings: Hymns Of Hope And Despair (Nil By Mouth Recordings) [Paul H]
This is heavy. Heavy in the way a herd of elephants trampling a poacher to a pulp would be heavy. A bottom end rumble this deep is usually only heard after I’ve had a curry at the Mahal on Albany Road. Pipe Of Gold rivals that with a grumble so deep there must be submariners with severe anxiety as a result. Yes, this is Hymns Of Hope and Despair, the debut EP from Dead River Kings, who formed in 2017 on Teeside, a now decaying former industrial heartland of the UK. It’s fair to say that the five band members moved towards the sludgy downtuned approach, huge Sabbath riffs, the spirit and power of Motörhead’s early leanings. It’s big, it’s ballsy and it is infectious. A real 24-minute slab of down and dirty filth, Dead River Kings have unleashed a genie who clutches a flying V and wears a denim cut. Try getting this bastard back in the bottle. It ain’t going to happen. 7/10
Devil's Gun: Sing For The Chaos (Black Lodge) [Paul H]
Picture the scene. Udo Dirkschneider in his prime. He’s just about to take the stage to front Accept, one of the most reliable bands Germany has ever produced, when he’s jumped by a bunch of gremlins who pump him full of helium before getting the hell out of dodge. Relieved, Udo heads to the stage and charges on full pelt, grasping the microphone ready to deliver his famous growling vocals. As he throws back his head to roll out the first line to a crunching metal anthem, something isn’t quite right but he’s a trooper, so he vocalises in time with the music. And what comes out sounds like Mickey Mouse had gargled razor blades.
Except this isn’t 1985, it’s 2019 and this isn’t Accept, it’s Devil's Gun from Växjö in the Southern Woods of Sweden. Well, you could put me in a dress and call me Nancy, because this might as well be Accept. Apart from the ear-splitting glass shattering high pitched eunuch vocals of Joakim Hermansson, which make Udo and Mark Torino sound like Bryn Terfel with a chest infection, Devil’s Gun are Accept in all but personnel. Solid, rock steady and perfectly enjoyable, disappointingly all I wanted to do is make the vocal pain stop. In some respects, it is quite astonishing that a human male can hit such heights. In other respects, it’s unfortunate. I wish the band well, but vocally this is a load of old tosh. 4/10
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