I was first introduced to Grand Magus earlier this year. As soon as I heard the opening riff from Like the Oar Strikes the Water, I was hooked, and it was enough to decide whether I should buy this album or not. My expectations were sky high, as I pictured a band blending early Iron Maiden with Dio-era Black Sabbath. Meaning powerful vocals, catchy riffs and steady drumming.

Grand Magus has changed drastically over the years. Starting out as a stoner-band heavy influenced by Black Sabbath, they are now almost a straight up heavy metal act. As I expected, they have a sound that reminds me of the dirty and edgy NWOBHM-sound, only that they of course have a much better production. The songs on this record are mostly mid-paced with simple, catchy and absolutely killer riffs, cool leads, warm vocals, and a steady backbone. You just can't go wrong with this band. The first five songs, excluding the 40 sec instrumental, Hövding, are flourishing with quality. They are packed with sing-along chants and choruses, hooks in every riff and every beat, accompanied by nice melodies. In other words, Iron Will shows few traces of their earlier days. Self Deceiver and Beyond Heaven and Hell is probably the closest you'll get to the early years, and if you expect the band to return to their roots you will be let down by a ton.

Vocalist and guitarist JB carries this on his shoulders. His firece and powerful voice adds another dimension to the music, and he delivers a impressive performance through the whole record. The rhythmic section of the album is handled by Fox and Seb and should definitely not be underestimated. They keep providing steady grooves and their performance is solid as a rock.

Even though I've lost count of how many spins this has gotten, I will never grow tired of it. This is one of those few albums I don't want to end. It's so damn enjoyable and has no weak spots. The only thing I could be able to draw points for is the annoying space-wasting four additional minutes of I am the North. Time will show if this reaches a classic status or not. Easily one of the best records released this year. Easily..