Grand Magus, formed in 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden, are led by Janne Christof… Read Full Bio ↴Grand Magus, formed in 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden, are led by Janne Christofferson (better known as JB), who also fronted the mighty Spiritual Beggars. While the Beggars are more in the traditional Deep Purple/Mountain camp of early rock/metal, Grand Magus originally opted for a bluesy, stoner-laced doom vibe, heavy on the early Black Sabbath riffing and tempos, with JB's gruff, forceful vocals blending perfectly with the music. Later albums have leaned more towards the straight up heavy metal of the early 1980s, with frequent up-tempo riffs interspersed with their trademark half-time riffs. JB was nominated 6th best international vocalist in the annual Burrn! Reader’s poll of Japan in 2004.

Bass and backing vocals are done by Mats "Fox" Skinner, a founding member of Grand Magus, who is also bassist in Bajen Death Cult.

Ex-Firewind/Spiritual Beggars drummer Ludwig "Ludde" Witt joined the band in early 2012 to record Magus' sixth studio offering, The Hunt.

Sebastian "Seb" Sippola was the drummer for Grand Magus from April 2006 and left in early 2012, he was also the drummer in Plankton, ex-Fortune, ex-Four Sticks, ex-Southfork, ex-Glenn Hughes.

Fredrik 'Trisse' Liefvendahl played drums from 1996 to 2006.

The band have released six albums to date: a self-titled effort in 2001 (re-released in 2005 as an expanded version with three bonus tracks), Monument (2003), Wolf's Return (2005), Iron Will, released Monday 9th June 2008. In December 2009 Magus signed to Roadrunner Records, with their fifth studio album Hammer of the North being released in June 2010.

On 11th May 2010 the opening track to 'Hammer...', I, The Jury, was released for free on Roadrunner's German website, making the album one of the year's most anticipated metal releases. A month later, the band released a video for the title track.

Their sixth album, The Hunt was released on 25th May 2012 on the Nuclear Blast label.

Ulvaskall
Grand Magus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I′ve been losing - All my life
Been misused - Endless trife
Raging fury - Lonely soul
Foreboding warning - Never whole

I'm cursed and I′m damned forever
Destined to walk this land
I'm cursed and I'm damned forever

Battle is my only friend

Blood stained morning - Darkened skies
Still that longing - No more lies
Raging fury - Lonely soul
Foreboding warning - Never whole

I′m cursed and I′m damned forever
Destined to walk this land
I'm cursed and I′m damned forever
Battle is my only friend

I'm cursed and I′m damned forever
Destined to walk this land
I'm cursed and I′m damned forever
Battle is my only friend

Neither wolf nor man
Neither wolf nor man

I'm cursed and I'm damned forever
Destined to walk this land
I′m cursed and I′m damned forever
Battle is my only friend

I'm cursed and I′m damned forever
Destined to walk this land
I'm cursed and I′m damned forever
Battle is my only friend

Neither wolf nor man

Neither wolf nor man
Neither wolf nor man

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Grand Magus's song "Ulvaskall" depict a sense of struggle and loneliness, with the singer feeling torn between their human nature and their inner beast. The repeated phrase "I'm cursed and I'm damned forever" conveys a feeling of helplessness and a sense of being trapped in a never-ending cycle of strife. The mention of "raging fury" and "blood stained morning" suggests a life filled with conflict and violence.

The theme of isolation is reinforced with the mention of a "lonely soul" and an ongoing longing for something more. The line "foreboding warning - never whole" indicates that despite the warnings and intuitive signals the singer receives, they can never fully find a sense of completion or fulfillment.

The repeated line "neither wolf nor man" adds an interesting layer to the song. It could be interpreted as the singer feeling caught between their primal instincts and their human consciousness, unable to fully embrace either side. This internal conflict likely contributes to the feeling of being cursed and damned, as the inability to fully identify with one's own nature creates a constant battle within.

Overall, "Ulvaskall" explores themes of struggle, identity, and the internal conflict one experiences when torn between different aspects of their being.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been losing - All my life
Throughout my entire existence, I have experienced continuous failures and setbacks.

Been misused - Endless trife
I have been exploited and subjected to countless hardships and struggles.

Raging fury - Lonely soul
My intense anger and fury are fueled by the profound loneliness within my being.

Foreboding warning - Never whole
A sense of impending doom always haunts me, and I am never able to feel complete or whole.

I'm cursed and I'm damned forever
I bear an eternal curse and damnation, condemned to endure suffering indefinitely.

Destined to walk this land
It is my fate to wander this world, never finding solace or a true sense of belonging.

Battle is my only friend
Conflict and warfare have become the sole companionship that I can rely on.

Blood stained morning - Darkened skies
The early hours of the day are marred by violence and death, while the skies remain shrouded in darkness.

Still that longing - No more lies
Yet, despite the darkness and despair, a deep longing persists within me, accompanied by a desire for truth and honesty.

Neither wolf nor man
I exist in a state where I am neither fully a beast nor human, caught in between two identities.

I'm cursed and I'm damned forever
I am afflicted by a perpetual curse and eternal damnation without respite.

Neither wolf nor man
My essence defies categorization, neither belonging to the inherent nature of a wolf nor the complexities of a human.

Writer(s): Jan Christofferson, Fredrik Liefvendahl, Mats Fox Gustaf Heden Skinner

Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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01Ulvaskall (Vargr)5:45

PT5M45S

Grand Magus

02Summer Solstice3:58

03Brotherhood of Sleep5:40

04Baptised in Fire8:11

05Chooser of the Slain (Valfader)5:19

06Food of the Gods4:21

07He Who Seeks... Shall Find10:29

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@DDAngel1

3y↑1

I've been losing - All my life
Been misused - Endless trife
Raging fury - Lonely soul
Foreboding warning - Never whole

I'm cursed and I'm damned forever
Destined to walk this land
I'm cursed and I'm damned forever
Battle is my only friend

Blood stained morning - Darkened skies
Still that longing - No more lies
Raging fury - Lonely soul
Foreboding warning - Never whole

I'm cursed and I'm damned forever
Destined to walk this land
I'm cursed and I'm damned forever
Battle is my only friend
Neither wolf nor man
🎤🎸🎶🎵

All comments from YouTube:

@aaronsg71

14y↑3

Just pure fuckin heaviness awesome band

@Staggroff

12y↑4

Ulvaskall is two words ulv and skall, with ulv meaning varg which is wolf in english. Skall is bark, as in dogs barking (Could also be interpreted as howl i think). Vargr is often anglicised as warg which in nordic mythology is a wolf which often refers to Fenrir and his sons Sköll and Hati.