Rise Above
2008
1. Like The Oar Strikes The Water
2. Fear Is The Key
3. Hang (Interlude)
4. Iron Will
5. Silver Into Steel
6. The Shadow Knows
7. Self Deceiver
8. Beyond Good And Evil
9. I Am The North
Grand Magus are one of those bands where it seems like they took a few albums to find their sound. Previous to this new one, they have had 3 albums which didn't sound a whole lot like each other. While the first sounded like stoner rock, the second was mostly very down tempo doom, and the third came out fast and hard with a more traditional metal approach. Personally, I like this band with more fire under their ass and their third, Wolf's Return, really caught my attention with heavy metal anthems like Kingslayer.
With that said the band seems to take a bit of a step back here to a bit more groove and doom. While still heavier this album doesn't really smoke the way Wolf's Return does. This album never really gets to that ultra-slow doom sound nor is it fuzzy stoner rock but it tries to incorporate some of that into their heavier sound with mixed results. I don't find anything on this album to be bad but I don't hear a lot of standouts either. When it comes right down to it the songwriting just doesn't do it as much for me as the last and that's a letdown. The only two tracks that really jump out at me are the first and last. Like The Oar Strikes The Water kinda reminds me of what could be a song by Down and I dig it. Good way to open an album with the flow and heaviness of this track and it has a well sung chorus with a lot of power. I Am The North is also a good one with a sort of epic feel to it and doesn't get boring in it's 9 minute stay.
Basically, the verdict is this is a pretty good album but not as good as the last. I still think this band has a lot of potential and if there were more tracks like the two mentioned it would have a higher rating. I just smell some filler on this one as some of the tracks trudge along without much to them than frequently repeated one liner choruses.
Highlights: Like The Oar Strikes The Water, I Am The North
Rating - 3.0/5
2. Fear Is The Key
3. Hang (Interlude)
4. Iron Will
5. Silver Into Steel
6. The Shadow Knows
7. Self Deceiver
8. Beyond Good And Evil
9. I Am The North
Grand Magus are one of those bands where it seems like they took a few albums to find their sound. Previous to this new one, they have had 3 albums which didn't sound a whole lot like each other. While the first sounded like stoner rock, the second was mostly very down tempo doom, and the third came out fast and hard with a more traditional metal approach. Personally, I like this band with more fire under their ass and their third, Wolf's Return, really caught my attention with heavy metal anthems like Kingslayer.
With that said the band seems to take a bit of a step back here to a bit more groove and doom. While still heavier this album doesn't really smoke the way Wolf's Return does. This album never really gets to that ultra-slow doom sound nor is it fuzzy stoner rock but it tries to incorporate some of that into their heavier sound with mixed results. I don't find anything on this album to be bad but I don't hear a lot of standouts either. When it comes right down to it the songwriting just doesn't do it as much for me as the last and that's a letdown. The only two tracks that really jump out at me are the first and last. Like The Oar Strikes The Water kinda reminds me of what could be a song by Down and I dig it. Good way to open an album with the flow and heaviness of this track and it has a well sung chorus with a lot of power. I Am The North is also a good one with a sort of epic feel to it and doesn't get boring in it's 9 minute stay.
Basically, the verdict is this is a pretty good album but not as good as the last. I still think this band has a lot of potential and if there were more tracks like the two mentioned it would have a higher rating. I just smell some filler on this one as some of the tracks trudge along without much to them than frequently repeated one liner choruses.
Highlights: Like The Oar Strikes The Water, I Am The North
Rating - 3.0/5
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