Biography
-
Years Active
1996 – present (29 years)
-
Founded In
Stockholm, Stockholm municipality, Stockholms län, Sweden
-
Members
- Fox (1999 – present)
- Janne "JB" Christoffersson (1999 – present)
- Ludwig Witt (2012 – present)
Grand Magus is a progressive doom metal band from Stockholm, Sweden, known for incorporating elements of classic heavy metal and doom metal into their music.
The group was originally formed in 1996 under the name Smack by vocalist Janne "JB" Christoffersson, bassist Mats "Fox" Skinner, and drummer Iggy. In early 1998, Iggy left the band and was replaced by Fredrik "Trisse" Liefvendahl, who responded to an advertisement for a drummer. The band subsequently changed its name to Grand Magus and shifted its musical direction. A demo recording attracted attention and led to an appearance on the Waterdragon Records compilation "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" in 2000, as well as a split 7-inch LP with Spiritual Beggars on Southern Lord Records. JB would later serve as the vocalist for Spiritual Beggars from 2002 to 2010.
Grand Magus released their self-titled debut album, "Grand Magus," on 5 November 2001 through Rise Above Records. The label also released their next three albums: "Monument" on 25 November 2003 and "Wolf's Return" on 14 June 2005. These early releases reflected a transition from groove and stoner influences toward a more traditional heavy metal sound. In early 2006, the band supported Cathedral and Electric Wizard on a European tour.
In 2006, drummer Trisse departed and was replaced by Sebastian "Seb" Sippola. The band’s fourth album, "Iron Will," was released on 9 June 2008 and received favourable reviews in the rock and metal press, including top placement in Metal Hammer Germany’s Soundcheck. This was the last album released under Rise Above Records.
In December 2009, it was announced that Roadrunner Records would release the band’s fifth album, "Hammer of the North," which came out on 21 June 2010. The album was positively received, placing highly in German metal publications and reaching number 42 on the German album chart. This led to a support slot on a tour featuring Motörhead and Doro. Tracks such as "Hammer of the North," "Ravens Guide Our Way," and "I, the Jury" became regular parts of the band’s live performances.
Seb left the band in April 2012 to focus on family, and Ludwig "Ludde" Witt of Spiritual Beggars joined as drummer. The sixth album, "The Hunt," was released via Nuclear Blast on 25 May 2012.
"Triumph and Power," the band's seventh album, was released on 31 January 2014, with cover artwork by Anthony Roberts. This was followed by their eighth album, "Sword Songs," on 13 May 2016. The album, produced by Nico Elgstrand, included faster and more aggressive tracks compared to previous releases, as well as a cover of Deep Purple's "Stormbringer," which was included as a bonus on the limited edition CD.
The ninth album, "Wolf God," was released on 19 April 2019. A European tour originally scheduled for March and April 2022 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band instead focused on recording a new album, with plans to release it and tour in 2023.
On 25 July 2024, Grand Magus announced their tenth studio album, set for release on 18 October 2024. The announcement was accompanied by the release of the first single, "Skybound."
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
