Magnus Karlsson (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Magnus Karlsson is a Swedish heavy metal
guitarist
, multi-instrumentalist
and producer
. He is currently one of the guitarists of the band Primal Fear
.
, Dio
, Judas Priest
and Black Sabbath
. His influences as a guitarist were Steve Morse
, Steve Vai
and Allan Holdsworth
. He has played in various metal and fusion bands early on and developed a style which mixes metal and folk music.
His first critically acclaimed musical project was with the band Last Tribe
, which has released three full-length albums.
In 2004, Magnus started to work as a session musician in a project put together by Frontiers Records
, which had the intention to have two acclaimed heavy metal vocalists singing together as a duet. The project ended up featuring Magnus's two favorite singers nowadays, powerhouse vocalists Russell Allen
(Symphony X
) and Jørn Lande
(Masterplan) and it was simply called Allen/Lande. The project already has three albums with all music and lyrics written by Magnus Karlsson, featuring a variety of hard rock and heavy metal songs with a progressive metal touch.
In the same year he also started to write music for a project with singer Tony Harnell
(TNT
), drummer John Macaluso
(Ark, Yngwie Malmsteen) and bassist Fabrizio Grossi
(Steve Vai) that would later on become the band Starbreaker.
In 2008, he worked with Magnum
vocalist Bob Catley
on his solo album Immortal writing all the songs himself .
Recently, Magnus joined German
metal band Primal Fear
making a big contribution to the band's songwriting. He also teamed up with the band's bassist and leader Mat Sinner
to work in a number of projects released by Frontiers Records
, such as Kiske/Somerville
(another singer-duet project, featuring ex-Helloween
singer Michael Kiske
and American singer and vocal coach Amanda Somerville
) and the first solo album by Primal Fear frontman Ralf Scheepers
.
Last Tribe
Starbreaker
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He is currently one of the guitarists of the band Primal Fear
Primal Fear (band)
Primal Fear is a German power metal and speed metal band formed in 1997 by Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner . Sinner & Scheepers formed the band after Ralf was not hired as Rob Halford's replacement in Judas Priest...
.
Biography
Magnus attempted school to study classical guitar when he was 10 years old, later on he was very much into "The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" of bands such as Iron MaidenIron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
. His influences as a guitarist were Steve Morse
Steve Morse
Steven J. "Steve" Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his work in the hard rock band Deep Purple since 1994. He began his career to form the unique styled instrumental rock band Dixie Dregs in the 1970. Morse's musical inspiration comes from country, funk, jazz fusion, and...
, Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
and Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
. He has played in various metal and fusion bands early on and developed a style which mixes metal and folk music.
His first critically acclaimed musical project was with the band Last Tribe
Last Tribe (Swedish band)
Last Tribe was a Swedish heavy metal/power metal band started by guitarist Magnus Karlsson.Karlsson was born south of Sweden in 1973. He started playing guitar at age 10 and quickly joined many bands. In 1996, he started an education at Malmö College Of Music and was awarded a master degree in...
, which has released three full-length albums.
In 2004, Magnus started to work as a session musician in a project put together by Frontiers Records
Frontiers Records
Frontiers Records is an Italian record label, predominantly producing melodic rock. It was formed in 1996 by Serafino Perugino and is based in Naples, Italy.-History:...
, which had the intention to have two acclaimed heavy metal vocalists singing together as a duet. The project ended up featuring Magnus's two favorite singers nowadays, powerhouse vocalists Russell Allen
Russell Allen
Russell Allen is the singer of the American progressive metal band Symphony X.-Biography:Before working with a rock band, he was a jouster at a Medieval Times Dinner Theater. He was introduced to the band Symphony X by former singer Rod Tyler...
(Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
) and Jørn Lande
Jørn Lande
Jørn Lande is a Norwegian hard rock and heavy metal singer who has sold over 2 million records worldwide. He is probably best known for being the lead singer of the power metal band Masterplan.-Biography:...
(Masterplan) and it was simply called Allen/Lande. The project already has three albums with all music and lyrics written by Magnus Karlsson, featuring a variety of hard rock and heavy metal songs with a progressive metal touch.
In the same year he also started to write music for a project with singer Tony Harnell
Tony Harnell
Antony "Tony" Harnell is an American hard rock singer, best known for his work with the Norwegian hard rock band TNT....
(TNT
TNT (band)
TNT is a Norwegian hard rock/glam metal band from Trondheim, formed in 1982. The band has released twelve studio albums, three EPs and two live albums while going through numerous line-up changes since its formation...
), drummer John Macaluso
John Macaluso
John Macaluso is an American drummer born in 1968, who has played for Ark, TNT, Yngwie J. Malmsteen among others. Born in Commack, New York, John started playing drums at age 11. Now having recorded on 32 records and playing on multiple world tours, John continues to write and record music,...
(Ark, Yngwie Malmsteen) and bassist Fabrizio Grossi
Fabrizio Grossi
Fabrizio Grossi, is an Italian-American Grammy nominated producer/mixer and label consultant.Musically broken in the New York City scene of the early 90’s, he started his career as US representative, developer and A&R associate for several European and Latin American record and entertainment...
(Steve Vai) that would later on become the band Starbreaker.
In 2008, he worked with Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
vocalist Bob Catley
Bob Catley
For the Australian politician, see Bob Catley Robert Adrian 'Bob' Catley is a British musician, perhaps best known as the lead singer of the rock band Magnum. He is also an accomplished solo artist.- Early years :...
on his solo album Immortal writing all the songs himself .
Recently, Magnus joined German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
metal band Primal Fear
Primal Fear (band)
Primal Fear is a German power metal and speed metal band formed in 1997 by Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner . Sinner & Scheepers formed the band after Ralf was not hired as Rob Halford's replacement in Judas Priest...
making a big contribution to the band's songwriting. He also teamed up with the band's bassist and leader Mat Sinner
Mat Sinner
Mat Sinner is a bassist, vocalist and record producer from Stuttgart in Germany.His main bands have been Sinner since 1982 and Primal Fear since 1997, which he formed with Ralf Scheepers. He has been involved in numerous other projects throughout his musical career...
to work in a number of projects released by Frontiers Records
Frontiers Records
Frontiers Records is an Italian record label, predominantly producing melodic rock. It was formed in 1996 by Serafino Perugino and is based in Naples, Italy.-History:...
, such as Kiske/Somerville
Kiske/Somerville
Kiske/Somerville is a melodic rock/heavy metal duet project, put together in late 2009 by Serafino Perugino ....
(another singer-duet project, featuring ex-Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
singer Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist...
and American singer and vocal coach Amanda Somerville
Amanda Somerville
Amanda Somerville is an American singer-songwriter and vocal coach.- Personal life :Somerville was born in Flushing, Michigan, and attended Flushing Senior High School and the University of Michigan in Flint, Michigan...
) and the first solo album by Primal Fear frontman Ralf Scheepers
Ralf Scheepers
Ralf Scheepers is the current vocalist for German power metal outfit Primal Fear. He has a relatively high-pitched tenor-esque singing voice and sometimes uses a shriek reminiscent of Judas Priest's Rob Halford, although it is his baritone lows which give him a near 4 octave range in the modal...
.
Last TribeLast Tribe (Swedish band)Last Tribe was a Swedish heavy metal/power metal band started by guitarist Magnus Karlsson.Karlsson was born south of Sweden in 1973. He started playing guitar at age 10 and quickly joined many bands. In 1996, he started an education at Malmö College Of Music and was awarded a master degree in...
- The Ritual (2001)
- Witch Dance (2002)
- The Uncrowned (2003)
StarbreakerStarbreakerStarbreaker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Justice League of America #96 , and was created by Mike Friedrich and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
- Starbreaker (2005)
- Love's Dying WishLove's Dying WishLove's Dying Wish is the second full-length studio album by Tony Harnell led heavy metal band Starbreaker, released on August 1, 2008. It is the follow-up to their self-titled debut album from 2005....
(2008)
Allen/Lande
- The Battle (2005)
- The RevengeThe Revenge (album)The Revenge is the second album by Allen/Lande, the collaboration between Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen and Masterplan vocalist Jørn Lande, with arrangement and songwriting by Starbreaker guitarist Magnus Karlsson...
(2007) - The ShowdownThe Showdown (album)The Showdown is the third collaboration album between Masterplan vocalist Jorn Lande and Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen once again featuring Starbreaker guitarist Magnus Karlsson handling production, arrangement and songwriting...
(2010)
Sources
- http://www.s-rock.info/dontmiss/LTE.htm
- http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=34547
- http://espyrock.com/news/magnus-karlsson-records-guitar-for-ralf-scheepers-solo-album