Carl Johan Grimmark

Last updated
Carl Johann Grimmark
Carl Johann Grimmark.jpg
Grimmark in 2009
Background information
BornOctober 14, 1977
Origin Huskvarna
Gothenburg, Sweden
Genres Heavy metal
Progressive metal
Power metal
Neo-classical metal
Christian metal
Instrument(s) Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Years active1993–present
Website Official Website
Official Myspace

Carl Johan Grimmark (born October 14, 1977) is a Swedish guitarist. He has appeared with several influential Christian metal bands including Narnia, Saviour Machine, and Rob Rock. He joined the band Beautiful Sin in 2006. He has also played with Jerusalem on several occasions including Sweden rock in 2015. He's been a special guest guitarist on fellow Narnia bandmate Christian Liljegren's side projects Divinefire and Audiovision. He recorded his debut solo album titled Grimmark, where he also handles the lead vocals. Grimmark's style of playing, especially on Narnia's earlier work, is often compared to the neo-classical metal stylings of Yngwie Malmsteen , or under a more broad genre, neo-classicism.

Contents

Grimmark is the main composer in Narnia, and on their album The Great Fall he wrote most of the lyrics. On their other albums the lyrics have been written by their vocalist Christian Liljegren. Grimmark is also given credits as a producer on several of Narnia's albums.

Grimmark has become a highly acclaimed guitarist in the Christian hard rock music genre as more people are exposed to his solid technical abilities, which can be exemplified by the fact that he is credited for playing every instrument on Narnia's debut album, Awakening, and his unique approach of incorporating a neo-classical sound into his music.

Discography

German Pascual

Fullforce

Narnia

Saviour Machine

Various

Sanctifica

Rob Rock

Locomotive Breath

System Breakdown

Divinefire

Audiovision

Flagship

Planet Alliance

Deep Effect

Grimmark

Solo effort by guitar phenom Carl Johan Grimmark, best known for his work with melodic metal band Narnia. Grimmark handles vocals himself on this outing.

Empire 21

Members:

Ricard Hulteke: Vocals

CJ Grimmark: Guitars & Key's

Andreas Ålöv: Bass

John Svensson: Keyboard

Tobias Enbert: Drums

Genre: Melodic Rock/Metal

Origin: Jönköping, Huskvarna, Gothenburg & Borås, Sweden

http://www.empire21.se/

Martin Simson's Destroyer of Death

American melodic metal project founded by Martin Simson featuring Jørn Lande, Rob Rock, CJ Grimmark, Anders Köllerfors and Anders Johansson.

https://www.facebook.com/DestroyerOfDeath?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yngwie Malmsteen</span> Swedish guitarist (born 1963)

Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning over 40 years. In August 2009, Time magazine named Malmsteen No. 9 on its list of the 10 best electric guitar players of all time.

<i>Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad</i> 1989 live album by Yngwie Malmsteen

Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad is the first live album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, recorded over several dates in February 1989 in Leningrad, Soviet Union, and released on 12 October 1989 through Polydor Records. The album reached #31 on the Swedish albums chart and #128 on the Billboard 200. A VHS video of the concert was released on 11 July 1991 through PolyGram, and a DVD edition was reissued in Japan on 12 December 2006 through Universal Music.

<i>Rising Force</i> 1984 studio album by Yngwie Malmsteen

Rising Force is the first studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released in late 1984 through Polydor Records. This was originally planned as an instrumental side-project of his then-current band Alcatrazz, but due to singer Jeff Scott Soto's appearance on the album, Malmsteen opted to release it as a solo album. It reached No. 14 on the Swedish albums chart and No. 60 on the US Billboard 200, and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1986 Grammy Awards. The album is regarded as a landmark release in the shred and neoclassical metal genres.

Neoclassical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is heavily influenced by classical music and usually features very technical playing, consisting of elements borrowed from both classical and speed metal music. Yngwie Malmsteen became one of the most notable musicians in the subgenre, and contributed greatly to the development of the style in the 1980s. Other notable players in the genre are Randy Rhoads, Luca Turilli, Michael Romeo, Jason Becker, Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore, Alexi Laiho, Jani Liimatainen, Kiko Loureiro, Uli Jon Roth, Stéphan Forté, Wolf Hoffmann, Timo Tolkki, Syu and Marty Friedman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jens Johansson</span> Swedish keyboardist

Jens Ola Johansson is a Swedish keyboardist and pianist. Jens got famous in the early 80's when he and his brother Anders (drums) joined Yngwie Malmsteen's "Rising Force". Jens is the son of the Swedish Jazz pianist Jan Johansson. Jens has also worked with the guitar player Allan Holdsworth.

<i>Magnum Opus</i> (Yngwie Malmsteen album) 1995 studio album by Yngwie Malmsteen

Magnum Opus is the eighth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 17 October 1995. The album reached No. 11 and 17 on the Finnish and Swedish albums chart respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mats Levén</span> Swedish singer

Mats Levén is a Swedish singer. Some of his most notable collaborations have been with guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, symphonic metallers Therion and doom metallers Candlemass. In 2011, due to family issues on the part of Firewind's lead singer Apollo, Levén was called in to substitute for the rest of their European tour. He also started touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 2016. In 2019, he released his first solo album under the name Skyblood. In 2022, he became a member of Vandenberg which is led by the well known guitarist, Adrian Vandenberg.

<i>The Seventh Sign</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Yngwie Malmsteen

The Seventh Sign is the seventh studio album by Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 9 May 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcel Jacob</span> Swedish bassist (1964–2009)

Marcel Karl Jacob was a Swedish musician, best known as the founder, chief songwriter, and bassist of the hard rock band Talisman. For a brief period, he also played in the band Europe and with Yngwie Malmsteen. Jacob was also a skilled lead guitarist, occasionally playing guitar solos on albums where he felt the guitarist did not perform to his standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anders Johansson (drummer)</span> Swedish drummer (born 1962)

Anders Johansson is a Swedish musician, best known as the former drummer of HammerFall and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. He currently plays in the power metal band Tungsten. He is the son of jazz pianist Jan Johansson, and brother of Stratovarius and Rainbow keyboardist Jens Johansson.

Divinefire is a Christian metal group founded in the spring of 2004 by Finnish guitarist Jani Stefanovic, and Swedish singer Christian Liljegren. Liljegren is the current frontman of the band Narnia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Rock</span> American heavy metal singer

RobertRock is an American heavy metal singer who is best known as the longtime frontman of Impellitteri, a position he has held from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2000, and now from 2008 to the present day. Rock has also released five albums as a solo artist, and performed with a number of other notable artists, including M.A.R.S., Joshua, Tobias Sammet, Axel Rudi Pell and Warrior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Liljegren</span> Swedish singer

Per Christian Liljegren is a Swedish musician.

Audiovision was a Swedish metal band that produced two albums, the second in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Boals</span> American singer

Mark Robert Boals is an American heavy metal singer and occasional bassist, best known for his vocals with Yngwie Malmsteen. He is currently a member of the band Foundry.

<i>The Covenant Progress</i> 2003 studio album by Crimson Moonlight

The Covenant Progress is the first full-length album by the Swedish group Crimson Moonlight. The album was released in 2003 on Rivel Records. In 2010, HM Magazine ranked it #52 on the Top 100 Christian metal albums of all time list with Beck stating that it is "Well-produced symphonic black metal that rivals the best any other band in this subgenre can offer."

Sanctifica was a Swedish unblack metal band, formed in 1996, and disbanded in 2003. After releasing their EP, In the Bleak Midwinter, in 1997, they were considered to be one of the leading modern Christian black metal bands in the early 2000s with their album Spirit of Purity. Signed to Swedish Rivel Records and Finnish Little Rose Productions, the band played progressive death metal on their second and last album Negative B. They did a tour through Scandinavia to support that album, performing at some of the best known rock clubs in big cities. Hubertus Liljegren went to join Crimson Moonlight, while the rest formed a rock group called As a Reminder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Brooks (guitarist)</span>

Chris Brooks is an Australian author, rock, metal and fusion guitarist most noted for his debut instrumental album The Master Plan and his subsequent work with members of Yngwie Malmsteen, Black Sabbath, Lana Lane, and fellow Australians LORD.

Fullforce is a Swedish power metal band that formed in late 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narnia (band)</span> Christian power metal band from Sweden

Narnia is a Swedish metal band founded by guitarist Carl Johan Grimmark and singer Christian Liljegren. The band formed in Sweden in 1996, disbanded in 2010, and reformed in 2014. Their music references The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.

References

See also