Ahh, yes. Swedish trad-doomers GRAND MAGUS are the epitome of all that is good in metal: heavy, talented, catchy, and featuring ample sweet-ass riffs and vocal lines. Straightforward and traditionally minded without the irony of so many modern trad-metal-worshippers, what’s not to like? Guitarist/vocalist JB Christoffersson had a chat with Ave Noctum recently and discussed the band’s newest opus, The Hunt.
AN: So now that The Hunt has been out for a little while, what has the response been?
JB Christoffersson: It’s been really good, most reviews have been even better than what we’ve been getting in past, which is quite amazing.
AN: What changed for the band between Hammer of the North and The Hunt? How did this affect the way you wrote songs, or did it?
JB: Quite a lot of things. New drummer, new label. Two years older, haha. I don’t know how this affected the end result, but all our albums have been reactions to the preceding album and for THE HUNT we wanted to have a greater variation in the songs. We really set out to be a bit more adventurous and also to write more “open” sounding stuff. Open in this respect is a song like “Starlight Slaughter,” whereas a more “closed” type of song would be “Storm King.”
AN: The tracks seem to be a bit more traditional this time around, and pretty groovy. Was that something you set out to do when writing, or was it just a natural progression?
JB: Both I would say. The writing was going in a certain direction and like I just explained (or tried to) it had to do with a desire to branch out a bit. We’ve always been very honest with our music and all our albums have been reflections of where we are as people at that time. I’m sure the next album will be different again, you know?
AN: There’s an overall classic rock vibe present on the album, which is very cool. What (or who) was the influence behind that?
JB: I don’t know. It’s just instinct. I feel that THE HUNT is totally a heavy metal album, but it’s not as streamlined as most of the stuff you hear today. It’s got some weirdness, it’s got some variation but most importantly, I think it has got emotion and a soul. It’s not by-the-numbers. Is Judas Priest classic rock? Accept? Dio? We try to do something that will have staying power, to make great songs. We don’t worry too much about anything else really.
AN: “Son of the Last Breath” is obviously a bit different from the rest of The Hunt’s tracks, and features some gorgeous instrumentation and truly somber vocals. Can you tell how that song came to life?
JB: It was a long process for sure. The seed didn’t turn up until very late in the writing, almost just before we started recording. It’s basically a combination of the heavy riff that also turns up in IRON HAND and the melody that I sing in the beginning. We worked on this a bit like you would do a painting, smearing on stuff, changing colors, erasing, smudging, detailing etc. Also Nico Elgstrand the producer co-wrote the track and had a lot of input on the whole arrangement, etc. We wanted something really epic on THE HUNT and this was the goal for SOTLB.
AN: How are things going with your new drummer, Ludwig Witt?
JB: Ludwig fit in seamlessly like I knew he would. He’s obviously a great drummer and one of the few who can actully play this kind of music right. We’ve already done eight festivals together and I think we kick ass together. He’s also a great guy and has the perfect experience and personality for the band. I’ve known the guy for over ten years, so I knew it’d be awesome to have in the band, you know?
AN: Do you see Grand Magus returning to a more doomy frame of mind in the future, or which direction would you like to see the band head in?
JB: There’s no telling really. All I know is that we will continue to write the best songs we can. To make the ultimate heavy metal. Maybe the next album will be a real slugfest…. we will see. We let the ravens guide our way.
AN: Please tell us what you’re working on this summer. Looks like you are keeping busy with metal festivals all over Europe. What else?
JB: Yeah, the summer is always dedicated to the festivals. We still have some left to do. Then we’ll most likely tour in the fall. And we’re going to Canada for the first time ever in September and we’re also going to Greece. Touring plans are being finalized as I’m writing this, so keep your eyes peeled.
Heavy metal is the LAW.
Jodi Michael
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