Biography
A Norwegian quintet specializing in dense, heavy fusion, this ensemble first appeared under the name Kenneth Kapstad Group, a detail that initially suggested a side project drawn from drummer Kapstad’s primary affiliation with the Trondheim psych-prog-metal outfit Motorpsycho, which he entered in 2007. Formed expressly for the 2010 Trondheim Jazzfest, the group drew several participants from the jazz curriculum at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium, among them Kapstad, keyboardist Erland Slettevoll, and violinist/violist Ola Kvernberg. The latter had already earned the 2011 Spellemannprisen for Jazz Album of the Year with his large-scale modern creative octet recording Liarbird and had drawn favorable attention for his contributions to the 2012 Motorpsycho/Ståle Storløkken release The Death Defying Unicorn. Bassist Trond Frønes, who shares membership with Kapstad in the “caveman metal” band Goat the Head and also performs with Cadillac, El Doom, the Born Electric, and Sunswitch, completed the rhythm section, while guitarist Even Helte Hermansen, an avowed admirer of Ace Frehley and Sonny Sharrock, brought his experience from the Rune Grammofon power jazz trio Bushman’s Revenge.
To counter any perception of the project as a Kapstad vehicle, the musicians adopted the name Grand General before issuing their self-titled debut on Rune Grammofon in February 2013. The prominent role of Kvernberg’s violin within the fusion-oriented charts, alongside electric guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums, prompted comparisons with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and its violinist Jerry Goodman, though the Norwegian band’s sound registers as thicker, weightier, and more aggressive, blending fusion with metal, space rock, and prog elements. Compositional duties were divided between Kvernberg and Frønes, whose metallic sensibility left a distinct imprint on the material.
To counter any perception of the project as a Kapstad vehicle, the musicians adopted the name Grand General before issuing their self-titled debut on Rune Grammofon in February 2013. The prominent role of Kvernberg’s violin within the fusion-oriented charts, alongside electric guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums, prompted comparisons with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and its violinist Jerry Goodman, though the Norwegian band’s sound registers as thicker, weightier, and more aggressive, blending fusion with metal, space rock, and prog elements. Compositional duties were divided between Kvernberg and Frønes, whose metallic sensibility left a distinct imprint on the material.
Albums