Grand Magus - Sword Songs album review

If you know of Grand Magus already then they'll need no introduction, but I got into Grand Magus completely by accident. Before getting into the review, let me quickly tell you how I came across this distinctive band.

Stumbling Across Grand Magus

I was waiting for my friends to meet me at midday on the Sunday at Download Festival 2016, when one texted me saying they were running very late due to thronging traffic and that I should head off and see a band instead of waiting for them at the entrance. I headed over to the stage nearest me - the Zippo stage - and waited for the scheduled band to appear, whilst also trying not to slip over in the multiple inches of traditional Download mud. 

 

 

Janne 'JB' Christofferson

I didn't even know the name of the band yet. I didn't have a program and couldn't even decipher the text sprawled in ancient font on a banner at the rear of the stage. Lead singer and sole electric guitarist, Janne 'JB' Christofferson, emerged with his Flying-V Gibson, introduced himself and his two comrades as Swedish band, Grand Magus, and started playing. The only way I could describe what resonated from the stack of Marshall amplifiers was a mash-up of Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Dio and Judas Priest; fantastically dense, riff driven Heavy Metal, but well constructed and not overbearingly fast or even thrash - the latter of which I cannot stand by the way. Much like the first time someone elucidated the genre of Nightwish to me - symphonic Metal - the light bulb when off when 'JB' announced Grand Magus as 'Viking Rock' midway through their set - an apt description and a genre I'd certainly never heard of before.

After doing some research on the band and listening to their whole back catalogue in the six weeks since, I felt confident enough to review their latest album, Sword Songs, released a month before Download, that they performed a few tracks from when I was there.

Sword Songs

Stories of Norse Gods and mythology, battles and the forging of swords - what's not to like?! Grand Magus have made a 15 year career of narrating the prodigious tales of their homeland through the medium of Heavy Metal. You may have thought that after eight albums this gimmick would have become a little laborious, perhaps even repetitive, but - much like Iron Maiden and Motorhead - why change a winning formula?

Although never changing their core style, Grand Magus have altered the delivery by a few degrees on each album. Iron Will from 2008 arguably displayed the grandest of Grand Magus; a supreme demonstration of power Metal, while Hammer Of The North, 2010, exhibited Grand Magus piling on the doom; akin to Black Sabbath in many aspects. Sword Songs takes yet another tangent - offering a more measured approach and diverse structure to the point of considering it a concept album - but without losing sight of what they've made before.

As far as the concept goes, there's the battle cry - Varangian - the preparation for war - Forged in Iron, Crowned in Steel - the declaration of war - Master of the Land - and the Norse honour of dying on the battle field - Last One to Fall. That said, not all nine tracks (11 on the deluxe edition) follow the same trend; Everyday There's a Battle to Fight is quite simply an empowering song about overcoming everyday struggles.

It's exciting storytelling combined with well composed Heavy Metal; it's well worth checking out!

Rating - 8.5/10

Rival Sons - Hollow Bones album review

Rival Sons have been channelling legend ever since their first label release, Pressure and Time, in 2011. The comparisons came thick and fast, but you could never deny their own incredible craftsmanship. Whilst drawing on the influence of luminaries among the likes of Led Zeppelin, Rival Sons have fanned the ashes, reignited the spirit of the Mothership and branded their evolution of Zeppelin onto modern consciousness.

Rival Sons have accelerated their astonishing ascent with their latest album; Hollow Bones. Much like their own echoes to Zeppelin, Rival Sons have echoed their own work on this release - the most obvious being the split title track which wafts recollections of Manifest Destiny from Head Down.

There are many themes to be dissected during the 37 minutes of run time - death, sex, religion - and Rival Sons don't just flirt with them, they dance, casting fuzzy, gruff magic with every step. Never have I ever encountered such a rough sound portrayed quite so smoothly. Dave Cobb is the producer on this record; no wonder it's nigh on faultless.

With musical maturity must also come boundless confidence in the sound you are producing. Fade Out is a perfect example of this. Quiet and soulful, this wonder soon transforms into the most bombastic of classic rock - a solid marker of Rival Sons musical journey.

I would be amiss doing this review and not mentioning Black Coffee, a cover of Humble Pie from 1973. Like the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton etc from the early 60s, Rival Sons are besotted with black music and it's influence on their own style. Black Coffee is bold and in your face, yet controlled in its attack. A mid track shift leaves behind lyrics and leaves the floor to the rhythm section and Scott Holiday to blow the studio doors of its hinges, before Jay Buchanan comes back in with a primal wail. Rival Sons have never been a band to include covers on their records - maybe it's intentional - but on this evidence they certainly would stain themselves doing so.

Once again echoing Zeppelin, Hollow Bones pt.2 evokes In My Time Of Dying with massive riffs and a deluge of slide guitar. I said earlier there are themes including religion and no more is that apparent than here, with Buchanan hollering such proclamations as, "Hallelujah", "Hare Krishna", and "In my Creators name"; a full frontal embrace of all aspects of theology.

The album cover itself is as much a wonder to behold as the music itself. A wolf seemingly trudging around an apocalyptic wasteland of psychedelic coral, perhaps conjuring the theme of death, and whether it is or not, it's a welcome throw back to a time when deciphering album covers was as much of the record buying experience as the listening.

Rating - 9/10

Volbeat - Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie album review

Let's start this review on a positive footing shall we? There are some awesome tracks on Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie, some properly infectious, groovy Metal. Unfortunately, for as many fist pumping songs as there are on this disc there are the same amount of wilted, below par offerings.

The problem is clear with Volbeat's sixth studio album; it suffers from a soggy middle. The top is adorned with lusciously sweet, creamy icing, the bottom is moist, but the middle is gooey and inedible.

Buying a new release off what you hear from radio plays of a band's singles is risky, but that's the joy of listening to an entire album; the not-knowing what you're going to set your ears on next. This does, however, leave the listener open to be desperately unsatisfied when what they're listening to doesn't live up to the expectations the singles offered.

This is exactly how I felt listening to STD&LB. Track one, The Devil's Bleeding Crown (one of said singles) opens the album with a bang - a fast, heavy bang - and really whets the appetite for what's to come. Through tracks two to four I have no complains; solid Hard Rock with the beautifully written - and performed partly in Volbeat's native Danish - For Evigt the standout of the first half.

Now, rather depressingly, the quality takes a bit of a nose dive. It's not even particularly clear to me what goes so wrong, but somehow Volbeat end up sounding something akin to Nickelback and it's not pleasant. For my own sanity - and also because I have no desire to describe the flaccidity of the middle four tracks - I'm going to move onto the last, and in my humble opinion, best third of the album.

Goodbye Forever, despite sounding rather apocalyptic, is up tempo and has a little power ballad flavour to it. Volbeat employ a backing choir for the last third of the track and it really adds weight to the deep meaning of the song - a very pleasant, divergent track to anything else on here.

The title track is up next. It's punchy, bolshie, fast and add to that any other synonym you can think of to describe Heavy Metal. It's got a feel similar to that of Metallica and even the guitar sound is "Wah-ed" to rival Kirk Hammett's majestic axe work. It's just a beast, pure and simple.

In Volbeat's Wiki entry, it describes their repertoire as: "Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and Psychobilly", the third of which I was highly confused by. My confusion was thusly ended however when I heard Battleship Chains, a cover of Terry Anderson's song made famous by The Georgia Satellites in 1986. It's got almost every sub-genre of rock infused into it; rhythm and blues, country and punk to name just three! It may not be a diamond on STD&LB, but it's shiny nonetheless.

Overall, STD&LB delivers fun Hard Rock. It's a huge shame the middle of the album doesn't deliver the same intensity, but in no way does it detract from the iconic Volbeat sound.

Rating - 7/10

10 Things Wrong With Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice

I was very rambling in my original review of the film, simply because there are so many things to cover that explain just how putrid the latest DC comics blockbuster is. So here, and more coherently, are 10 things wrong with Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

10. The Ending Feels Out Of Place

After the final fight with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman against Doomsday in which Superman is 'killed' (more on that later), the film ends with the funeral of Superman. That's a bold step and is fine in the story, but when you've spent nigh-on 20 minutes with the final battle, a slow paced sequence feels anti-climactic and out of place. That's not even covering the coming back to life angle with the dirt rising from the coffin - on Easter weekend of all weekends!  Not only is the funeral of Superman squeezed into this short final scene, but also Batman and Wonder Woman discuss the set up of the Justice League in probably the most poorly built story direction in history! (Once again, more on that later). Just have Superman die and that's it, instead of shoe horning in a scene that allows you to explain the point of the next film.

9. Doomsday Only Shows Up For A Bit At The End

Lex Luther's whole mantra in the movie is he hates the idea of God. He therefore wants to eliminate Superman, but when the title characters end up siding together against this newly created foe in Doomsday from the corpse of Zod, it feels a bit "oh right, there's a bit scary thing, let's go kill it", rather than there actually being any build up to what should be a massive confrontation.

8. Lois Lane's 50/50 Appearance

Lois Lane is fine in the first half of the film. In her role as a journalist at the Daily Planet, she uncovers potential corruption - although it's never thoroughly explored - and in the grand scheme of the film actually has a function. That function, however, is lost in the second half as she purely serves as a vehicle for the object (the Kryptonite spear) which she inadvertently keeps dropping and finding again and in the end needs Superman to save both her and the spear. It's the typical sexist 'damsel in distress' plot convention and it completely tatters any credibility she had in the first place.

7. Superman Screen Time And Role

You would have thought, after Man Of Steel, Zack Snyder would want to build on the character of Superman? But no. Henry Cavill has almost literally nothing to do throughout the film - except disappear for a bit, get blown up but stay alive, and finally die in his attempt to kill Doomsday. It was a bold step to kill off Superman, but seems in part to have been done to replace the actor. It's no real fault of Cavill, but in the last two films Superman has been a massive charisma vacuum, left only to scowl and look a bit moody.

6. Lex Luther/Jesse Eisenberg

There are two versions of Lex Luther; the maniacal doctor and the imposing businessman. Jesse Eisenberg tried blending both and it comes off annoyingly badly. He keeps making weird squeaking noises and snivelling; it's really mad, but not in a method acting way. Also, Eisenberg is quite a bit younger and shorter than Ben Affleck and Cavill, so in scenes like the party, he comes off like an annoying prepubescent teenager trying to play cool with the sports guys in the playground.

5. The End Fight With Doomsday Is Anti-climactic

Back to this again! After two hours of build up, Zack Snyder presents us with a long, messy fight sequence. In any other film - where the plot isn't given away in the trailer - we may well have been happy to be surprised with the appearance of Doomsday as Luther's tool of destruction, but in this it feels like a incoherent attempt to unite all the main characters. And once it's finished feels like 'meh, ok', and hasn't in any way built on the story. It was literally just a fight.

4. Batman Is Never Bruce Wayne

Ben Affleck presents Batman as an older, grizzly, almost morally corrupt character. Far removed from Christian Bale's 'Dark Knight'. However there're never any scenes where Ben Affleck isn't Batman. Even in the scenes where he appears as Bruce Wayne - at the party and in the Bat Cave with Alfred, for example - he's dealing with matters relating to Batman. This is in stark contrast to Superman who features more often as Clark Kent. Yes, even as Kent he is constantly focused on Batman, but it's in the context of Kent as a journalist trying to get a story. Although it does still baffle me why the glasses disguise hasn't been updated for this modern audience?! It seems ludicrous that in the Internet age, the general public wouldn't see pictures of the Superman and Clark Kent and think, 'oh wait hang on, these two look really similar!'

3. The Batman v Superman fight

This film is billed as the clashing of the two most iconic superheroes in DC comics, but when the fight happens, it's all because Luther has captured Superman's mother and orders him to kill Batman if he wants to see her again... It's not out of personal vengeance, it's because some wacko told him to?! The fight lasts about five minutes and the only thing of note in it is that Batman uses grenades containing Kryptonite gas to weaken Superman. And of course the ending is pathetic! Beaten to defeat and with Batman's foot on his throat, Superman keeps mouthing a name - Martha. 'Coincidently', Batman and Superman's mothers both share the same first name and, out of what can only be called misplaced empathy, this is enough to make Batman stop the assault that entire movie is based on. This is a fight that neither of the two superheroes want to be in, and therefore it's really lack lustre and confusing how they got there in the first place.

2. Setting Up The Justice League Is Messy And Rushed

We all knew that this film was going to be the prequel to the highly anticipated 'Justice League'. What we didn't know was how incredibly poor the set up was going to be! In a film that's two hours and 30 minutes long, you would have assumed the studio would have been able to fit this major plot point in somewhere in amongst the massive clusterf**k that are the fights and the plot. All we're shown are video files in an email that detail the four meta-humans; Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Aqua Man. So we have the knowledge that there are more meta-humans out there, but the way they set up finding them is just drivel. At Superman's funeral, Batman and Wonder Woman openly discuss these other meta-humans before Batman asks, "Can you help me find them and fight?" REALLY?! That's it?! Wow, talk about one film being set up by one minute of dialogue! So messy.

1. The Storyline

And now the big one; the storyline! It's incoherent beyond belief, makes no sense in places, and completely devalues the importance and motivations of the characters. It's all well and good having mindless action, but when your entire movie revolves around the plot and nothing really happens of importance in two and a half hours, there's a massive issue. Also, there's no depth - everything is on the surface with no deeper meaning or consequence, and by the end it results in nothing actually happening that would be considered note worthy. For a film that is that long however, it doesn't drag. It's one paced so everything flies by at one million mph, which is why it's so confusing and difficult to decipher. Zack Snyder throws event after event after event in your face so quickly you become numb to what is happening because it's all rushed.

So there's my list. I gave it 2/5 in my original review and I'm happily sticking with that. The action is framed well and some of the shots are fantastic, but the one dimensional nature of the storyline massively lets the whole thing down.

Joe Bonamassa - Blues of Desperation album review

Joe Bonamassa returns in 2016 to treat us to yet another Blues Rock extravaganza on his 12th studio album; 'Blues of Desperation'. An intended follow-up to 2014's all original 'Different Shades of Blue', 'Blues of Desperation' is, to quote the man himself: "The prevailing sail in a sea of Blues and Rock". 

JB said in the run up to the release that his latest album would have a harder edge, although still keeping it's feet firmly in the blues. He certainly delivers on the promise, with the first track 'This Train' and 'Mountain Climbing' opening with monstrous, stomping riffs and ending as only JB knows how, with intricate, euphoric solos.

There's also a softer side. 'Drive' is a smooth, chilled out track with an old American wilderness feel; perfect for driving through the middle of nowhere with the roof down.

Our first experience of classic blues on the album comes on track four. 'No Good Place For The Lonely' - the longest track of the 61 minute LP at 8:39 - is as perfect a blues track as you're likely to hear, and will no doubt become a Bonamassa classic to accompany fellow epic, 'Sloe Gin'. As every great blues track should, it starts slow and deliberate, before diving head first into a sultry, perfectly phrased guitar solo, overflowing with feel. With this example alone, JB is cementing himself as one of the great guitar players of all time.

JB has never been afraid of changing up the musical styles within his albums before and this time is no different. I was surprised to find a jazz infused track full of sassy saxophone and piano, 'Livin Easy', which provides a divergent flavour to an already tasty album. As it glides along effortlessly, like a warm knife through butter, you can't help but get into the feel of the song.

The title track is classic Bonamassa but with a middle-eastern essence; echoed vocals, Sitar, slide guitar and lots of soaring, screeching Theremin. It's probably the most complex track on the album but JB keeps everything neat and never allows the sounds to discombobulate.

Finally, we get root Blues, Bonamassa style. 'What I've Known for a Very Long Time', accompanied by saxophones, trumpets, piano and organ, starts off as slow as can be while gathering pace with every verse. It teases too, reaching a peak before slowing right down again.

Bonamassa evokes so much emotion from the combination of his playing and lyrics that it's very difficult to not get lost in every track. This is his longest album since 2011's 'Dust Bowl', but even after an hour I still wanted to play it through again and again.

'Blues of Desperation' is a very complete sounding album. Nothing sounds out of place and showcases a bit of everything JB can do; from slow chilled out acoustic with harmonies to blistering hard rock on one of his exquisitely expensive Les Pauls.

Verdict 9/10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice spoiler free review - A steaming pile of incoherant rubbish

I'm struggling with where to start. I guess, firstly, the pros; Ben Affleck is great as a vengeful Batman, and the low key one on one combat scenes with Affleck and armed guards are well executed. It's clear Affleck took getting the look for this character right very seriously!

However, everything else is cons. The storyline is convoluted, incoherent and messily arranged; Henry Cavill isn't given anything meaningful to do and is just left to look moody and scowl occasionally; it takes 90 minutes to set up a seemingly endless fight that has no substance; and finally, Jesse Eisenberg is awful as the maniacal Lex Luther.

Let me break that all down a bit for you.

The film begins the other side of the end of Man Of Steel with Superman fighting Zod and destroying most of Metropolis, with Bruce Wayne watching broodily on. Zach Snyder, who also did Man Of Steel, has real trouble balancing the storyline with fight scenes and in the end we get both but without any meaningful link. We're never entirely sure why Batman and Superman start fighting, and then when it ends on the mention of Superman's mother, Martha, it's all a bit anti-climactic; like, is that it? The reason for why Lex Luther brings back Zod as Doomsday is never explained, and appears to have been put in just to fill the last 30 minutes and give all three superheroes something to come together for.

There are far, far too many elements being juggled for the ending to make any sense. They spend so long on the final fight with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman against Doomsday, that they forget they need to somehow set up the film coming after this one. To set up the film, while at a funeral, Bruce Wayne and Wonder Women discuss setting up a squad to fight with all the meta-humans Bruce found and showed her from Lex Luther's hard drive. It's so messy. As if they finished the final cut and thought, "Oh crap, we forgot to set up the next one!" so just put one quick scene in an the end to save themselves; it hasn't worked.

Add to that the seriously annoying presence of Eisenberg's Lex Luther. He's going for crazy psychopath, but instead comes across as over the top and trying too hard to make the character his own. It's his weird Mark Zuckerburg turned up to 11. 

And then there's the question why Lois Lane is even in the film. She starts off as a credible journalist and doing lots of investigative work - great - but by the end is just the girl who keeps finding and dropping the object that's pivotal to the ending. In addition to that, Wonder Woman, with her lasso of truth, is the only superhero that can keep Doomsday in one place in the final fight; a dirty metaphor perhaps?!

Verdict - 2/5
Not much else to say except very disappointing. I wouldn't say don't see it, but it's not worth getting excited about.

Inglorious album launch gig review

It'll go down in history as one of those "I was there" moments. At the Islington Assembly Hall, on 21 February 2016, a new chapter began in the history book of rock and they named it; Inglorious.


L to R; Will Taylor, Colin Parkinson, Phil Beaver (back), Nathan James and Andreas Eriksson
Photo credit: Dan Haygreen

I'm really struggling to find words to describe the experience of seeing Inglorious because it was so phenomenal, but if you can imagine Deep Purple in their pomp them you will get some kind of idea. Heavy, driving riffs and solos, controlled aggression from the rhythm section, and incredible vocal range make Inglorious an absolute joy to behold, both live and on their debut record.

Their musicianship and seamless chemistry is quite staggering to watch. Andreas Eriksson and Will Taylor share lead and rhythm duties song by song, and are equally comfortable doing a joint solo; blowing many minds in the process. Colin Parkinson (bass) and Phil Beaver (drums) take on the enviable task of driving the Inglorious train forward, in a partnership that is reminiscent of John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Between them they even took on a tight drum and bass instrumental while the rest of the band took a few minutes break. As immensely talented as those guys are, Nathan James' voice steals the show. I'm not exaggerating to say his vocals are an amalgamation of Ian Gillan, David Coverdale and Dio - simply fantastic.

Inglorious rocketed through their set with as much, if not more, power than is presented on their album. Opening with the incredible Until I Die, running through a mash up set of the album's tracks, and throwing in Toto, Rainbow and Deep Purple covers for good measure, Inglorious just got better and better as the night went on.

The biggest surprise for me was Holy Water; as close to an Eagles/Deep Purple song as you're likely to hear. Nathan James described it as only taking 40 minutes to write and rather an 'after thought', for want of a better phrase, to finish the album. It was surprising purely because of how good and different it was in relation to the other 10 tracks on the album, and also probably the best song on the night for audience participation on the chorus.

I was also pleased, but not surprised, at how nice and personable all the members were after the show. I had a decent chat with each of them, except Nathan who was rather rushed away by security, and they all signed my CD and ticket.