Biography

A riff-producing, bottom-heavy trio based out of Stockholm, Sweden, Grand Magus emerged in the late 1990s with a punitive yet melody-driven blend of hard rock, heavy metal, blues, and doom built from the sonic imprint of bands like Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Manowar, and Rainbow. After issuing a string of well-received yet commercially inert LPs, the band went widescreen in 2008 with the release of Iron Will, which topped numerous critics' year-end lists. Subsequent outings like Hammer of the North (2010), Triumph and Power (2014), and Wolf God (2019) continued to pair seismic stoner rock with anthemic, Norse-fueled power metal. The seeds for Grand Magus were sewn when Janne "J.B." Christoffersson (guitar/vocals), Mats "Fox" Skinner (bass), and Iggy (drums) began playing together as Smack in their native Stockholm circa 1996. By 1999, new drummer Fredrik "Trisse" Liefvendahl had joined up and a couple of praiseworthy three-song demos convinced the band to go pro and adopt a new name. Their choice, Grand Magus, was actually much more fitting with their sonic identity, which consisted of both '70s hard rock and stoner rock influences and drew the attention of Rise Above label boss Lee Dorrian. At the beginning of 2001, they entered the local Das Boot Studios with Dismember drummer Fred Estby acting as producer, emerging a few weeks later with a self-titled debut. The following year saw "J.B." begin fronting fellow Swedish stoner metal enthusiasts Spiritual Beggars, while continuing to make Grand Magus a top priority -- he would stay with the Beggars until 2010, when he was usurped by Greek vocalist Apostolos "Apollo" Papathanasio. Monument (2003) and Wolf's Return (2005) saw Grand Magus moving toward a more traditional heavy metal approach while retaining the groove-laden attack of their debut. Trisse left the fold the following year, making space for new drummer Sebastian "Seb" Sippola, who made his studio debut on 2008's acclaimed Iron Will. Having crystallized their signature "doom blues" sound, the band inked a deal with Roadrunner Records and issued their fifth long-player, the punishing Hammer of the North, in 2010. Sippola departed in 2012 to focus on family life and was replaced by Spiritual Beggars kit man Ludwig "Ludde" Witt. That same year saw the band move to Nuclear Blast and release The Hunt, followed by the majestic Triumph and Power in 2014. 2016's Sword Songs, while still steeped in Norse fantasy metal, adopted a more muscular tone, as did 2019's Wolf God. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi