Grand Magus
Grand Magus at Headbangers Open Air 2014
Grand Magus at Headbangers Open Air 2014
Background information
Also known asSmack (1996–99)
OriginStockholm, Sweden
GenresHeavy metal
Years active1996–present
LabelsRise Above, Roadrunner, Nuclear Blast
Websitegrandmagus.com

Grand Magus are a three-piece heavy metal band from Stockholm, Sweden that draws influence from classic heavy metal bands and elements of doom metal.

Guitarist and singer Janne „JB“ Christoffersson at Rockharz Open Air 2019
Bassist Mats Fox Hedén Skinner at Rockharz Open Air 2019
Drummer Ludwig Witt at Rockharz Open Air 2019

Career

The band was formed in 1996 under the name Smack by former Cardinal Fang vocalist Janne "JB" Christoffersson, bassist Mats "Fox" Skinner,[1] and Iggy on drums. Iggy departed in early 1998 and Fredrik "Trisse" Liefvendahl replaced him after responding to an advert for the vacant drummer position. A change in musical direction was also accompanied by a change of name to Grand Magus. A demo was recorded which received a positive response.[2] This led to an appearance on the Waterdragon Records compilation, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (2000) and a split 7-inch LP with fellow countrymen Spiritual Beggars (who JB would later join on vocals 2002–2010) on Southern Lord Records.

Their debut album Grand Magus was released on 5 November 2001, through Rise Above Records (who would release the band's first four albums). This album continues to contribute to the band's cult status with doom and heavy metal fans. Two more albums would follow: Monument (25 November 2003) and Wolf's Return (14 June 2005). These would show a progression to a more traditional heavy metal sound but still retain the sound of their groove and stoner roots. Early 2006 saw Magus embark on a European tour[3] supporting Cathedral, along with Electric Wizard, accentuating the band's ability to perform live.

In 2006 Trisse left the band with Sebastian "Seb" Sippola being recruited on drums. The band released their fourth album, Iron Will, on 9 June 2008, which garnered critical acclaim from the rock and music press by achieving first place in Metal Hammer Germany‘s Soundcheck. This would be the last album to be released by Rise Above Records.

It was announced in December 2009 that Roadrunner Records was to release Grand Magus' fifth album, Hammer of the North, the following summer.[4] Released in 21 June 2010, Hammer of the North became a breakout for the band, triumphing in the Soundchecks of both German Hard Rock and Metal Hammer magazines. The album peaked at number 42 on the German album chart[5] leading to a support slot on the joint tour of major acts Mötorhead and Doro.[6] The eponymous track was regularly positioned as a conclusion to their live sets, due to its ability to elicit crowd participation. The album also yielded two other staple live songs in "Ravens Guide Our Way" and primary set opener "I, the Jury".

April 2012 saw the amicable departure of Seb from the band in order for him to concentrate more on family life. This in turn led to long-time friend Ludwig "Ludde" Witt of Spiritual Beggars being recruited as drummer. Their sixth album, The Hunt, was released via Nuclear Blast on 25 May 2012.

The band's seventh album came in the form of Triumph and Power, released 31 January 2014, which maintained the momentum of its predecessor. The cover artwork was created by artist Anthony Roberts.

Grand Magus' eighth album, Sword Songs was released on 13 May 2016. The songs were recorded during the midwinter months of 2015–16, produced by Nico Elgstrand. On the lead-up to the release, JB commented: "We put all of our sweat, blood and tears into this new album and I think that you can hear that. For me, Sword Songs is the best Grand Magus album ever! The new songs are faster and more aggressive than on Triumph and Power — and we have also included some more extreme and harder stuff. I’m convinced that there are some future classics on the disc!"[7] A cover version of Deep Purple's "Stormbringer" was included as a bonus track on the limited edition CD version, the first cover released in the band's history.

Their ninth album, Wolf God, was released on 19 April 2019.[8] The band had scheduled a European tour for March/April 2022, but due to COVID, they called off the tour and will instead spend the year recording a new album, to be released in 2023 and supported by a different tour that year.[9]

Members

Current line-up

Past members

  • Fredrik "Trisse" Liefendahl - drums (1998-2006)
  • Sebastian "Seb" Sippola - drums (2006-2012)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
SWE
[10]		 AUT
[11]		 BEL (WA)
[12]		 FIN
[13]		 GER
[14]		 JPN
[15]		 SWI
[16]		 UK
[17]
Grand Magus
  • Released: 5 November 2001
  • Label: Rise Above Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[18]
 ————————
Monument
  • Released: 25 November 2003[19]
  • Label: Rise Above Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[20]
 ————————
Wolf's Return
  • Released: 14 June 2005[21]
  • Label: Rise Above Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[22]
 ————————
Iron Will
  • Released: 9 June 2008[23]
  • Label: Rise Above Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[24]
 —————231——
Hammer of the North
  • Released: 21 June 2010[25]
  • Label: Roadrunner Records
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD, LP, digital download[26]
 —73——42———
The Hunt
  • Released: 25 May 2012[27]
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[28]
 4968——42—76—
Triumph and Power
  • Released: 31 January 2014
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[29]
 —361922621—59129
Sword Songs
  • Released: 13 May 2016
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[30]
 —59102—30—47—
Wolf God
  • Released: 19 April 2019
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[31]
 —59——24—34—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Music videos

Title Year Album
"Kingslayer" 2005 Wolf's Return
"Hammer of the North"[32] 2010 Hammer of the North
"At Midnight They'll Get Wise"[33] 2010 Hammer of the North
"Steel Versus Steel"[34] 2014 Triumph and Power
"Freja's Choice" 2017 Sword Songs
"Untamed" 2019 Wolf God

References

  1. ↑ Grand Magus Archived 13 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine at MusicMight
  2. ↑ "Grand Magus". Grand Magus. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "Cathedral, Electric Wizard, Grand Magus: More European Tour Dates Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 21 December 2005. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Grand Magus Signs With Roadrunner Records - Blabbermouth.net". Roadrunnerrecords.com. 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 16 December 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "GRAND MAGUS - Nuclear Blast". Nuclearblast.de. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Interview with Janne "JB" Christoffersson (Grand Magus) – Silver Tiger Media". Silvertigermedia.com.au. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Grand Magus: 'Sword Songs' Album Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "GRAND MAGUS To Release 'Wolf God' Album In April". Blabbermouth.net. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  9. ↑ "Grand Magus - Cancel Next Year Live Shows, To Work On New Music". Metal Storm. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  10. ↑ Steffen Hung (8 June 2012). "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  11. ↑ Steffen Hung (14 February 2014). "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". ultratop.be. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  13. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Finnish charts portal". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Discographie Grand Magus". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "グランド・メイガスのアルバム売上ランキング | ORICON STYLE". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  16. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE : Chart Date: 15.02.2014" (TXT). Zobbel.de. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  18. ↑
  19. ↑ Eduardo Rivadavia (25 November 2003). "Monument - Grand Magus | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ Alex Henderson (14 June 2005). "Wolf's Return - Grand Magus | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  22. ↑
  23. ↑ Greg Prato (9 June 2008). "Iron Will - Grand Magus | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ Eduardo Rivadavia (21 June 2010). "Hammer of the North - Grand Magus | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  26. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Hammer of the North by Grand Magus". Itunes.apple.com. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  27. ↑ Eduardo Rivadavia (5 June 2012). "The Hunt - Grand Magus | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  28. ↑ "iTunes - Music - The Hunt by Grand Magus". Itunes.apple.com. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  29. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Triumph and Power (Bonus Version) by Grand Magus". Itunes.apple.com. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  30. ↑ "GRAND MAGUS: 'Sword Songs' Album Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  31. ↑ "GRAND MAGUS To Release 'Wolf God' Album In April". Blabbermouth.net. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  32. ↑ "Grand Magus: 'Hammer Of The North' Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  33. ↑ "Grand Magus: 'At Midnight They'll Get Wise' Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  34. ↑ "Grand Magus: 'Steel Versus Steel' Video Released". Nuclear Blast Records. 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
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