Markus Johansson (born December 22, 1984) is an American
heavy metal guitarist and vocalist from Chicago. He is currently the lead guitarist for the international touring band THEM. Johansson is also the lead vocalist and guitarist for
Sylencer, Australian thrash metal band 4ARM, as well as a session guitarist for various projects.
Biography
Johansson is a self-taught lead guitarist from Chicago, Illinois, who began playing guitar when he was 13 years old. At the age of 17, he auditioned for
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto (drummer), John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam ...
, to which
Fred Durst
William Frederick Durst (born Frederick Allen Mayne III; August 20, 1970) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has release ...
humorously told him to "go play for
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
, instead."
In 2009, Johansson auditioned with
Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland, formed in 1991. Various lineup changes throughout the years have left John Gallagher as the sole remaining original member, as well as the band's driving force. ...
, but continued on as the lead vocalist and lead guitarist of the band Sylencer.
Recent events
In the summer of 2004, Johansson founded the band
Sylencer and began recording their debut album, "
A Lethal Dose of Truth" in 2006. He recruited drummer
Kevin Talley
Kevin Talley (born May 21, 1979) is an American extreme metal drummer for Sylencer and Feared. He was part of Dying Fetus, Misery Index, Six Feet Under, Nothnegal, Chimaira, Suffocation and Dååth, and toured with Battlecross in 2013.
Hist ...
and guitarist
Larry Tarnowski to round out the lineup for his debut release. The majority of the album was recorded by the end of 2006, Johansson recruited several big names in the heavy metal community which grew to include members of
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards).
Dream Theat ...
,
Anthrax
Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
,
Dethklok
Dethklok is a fictional melodic death metal band featured in the Adult Swim animated television series ''Metalocalypse'', known for its satirical or parodic lyrical themes.
The first official Dethklok album was released on September 25, 2007, ...
, and nearly a dozen others.
A Lethal Dose of Truth was released independently in September 2012 through
Sylencer Records.
In the spring of 2014, Johansson collaborated with guitarist Toby Knapp on the instrumental album Unborn Spirits Immortal. The album was released in June 2014 through Shred Guy records. That same year, Johansson joined Australian metal band, 4ARM as their lead singer/guitarist and recorded their 2015 album,
Survivalist
Survivalism is a social movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists, doomsday preppers or preppers) who proactively prepare for emergencies, such as natural disasters, and other disasters causing disruption to social order (that is, ...
. Currently, Johansson is the lead guitarist for the heavy metal band THEM and recorded on their 2016 album, Fear Them. He joined their spring tour which headlined
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. The band has at times been called one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first ...
.
Johansson did several tours with THEM.
* Harder than Steel (9/30/17)
* Mountains of Madness (10/20/17)
* German Swordbrothers Festival (2/14/18)
* Metalheadz Open Air 2018 (5/11/18)
On May 23, 2018, Johansson joined Repentance and opened for
Trivium
The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
The trivium is implicit in ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the term was not used until the Carolin ...
.
Johansson spent the majority of 2019 and 2020 working on his studio tan and on the debut Repentance album "God For A Day," and THEM's "Return to Hemmersmoor," in addition to several other session projects. He did a short European tour with THEM in spring of 2019.
In fall of 2020, Johansson joined Chicago's legendary 80's Hair Metal tribute, Hairbangers Ball as "Darrell Diamond." During the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic downtime, the group collaborated and released an original single "All Aboard the Bang Train" – a song about the famous Bluebird Nightclub in Bloomington, Indiana. Also, Johnasson, in addition to other former members of Repentance, to form a new project, Divinity Plague.
Equipment
ESP Guitars
is a Japanese guitar manufacturer, primarily focused on the production of electric guitars and basses. They are based in both Tokyo and Los Angeles, with distinct product lines for each market. ESP Company manufactures instruments under sever ...
, ISP Technologies, FU-Tone, BTPA, Rocktron, Fastback Custom, Cleartone Guitar Strings, Protone Pedals, Two Notes Audio Engineering.
Johannson has his own custom pickup, The Cobra Igniter.
Bands
*
Sylencer 2006–present
* 4ARM 2013–present
* THEM 2015–present
* Repentance 2018–2021
* Hairbangers Ball 2020–2022
* Divinity Plague 2021–present
Discography
Sylencer
* ''
A Lethal Dose of Truth'' (2012)
THEM
* "Fear Them" (2016)
* "Sweet Hollow" (2016)
* "Manor of the Seven Gables" (2018)
* "Back in the Garden Where Death Sleeps" (2019)
* "Return to Hemmersmoor" (2020)
* "Fear City" (2022)
Knapp/Johansson
* "Unborn Spirits Immortal" (2014)
* "Electric Gathering" (2015)
4ARM
* "Survivalist" (2015)
* ''Pathway to Oblivion'' (2023)
Repentance
* "God for a Day" (2020)
Evan K
Evangelos Koukoularis (born 27 May 1994), known professionally as Evan K, is a German-Greek guitarist. He is the lead guitarist of the German power metal band Mystic Prophecy, former and lead guitarist of the German dark rock band Enemy Inside ...
*
Blue Lightning (2016), guest vocals on "Everything Is Coming Up Roses"
Hairbangers Ball
* "All Aboard the Bang Train" (single) (2021)
* "Play Dangerous" (single) (2021)
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johansson, Markus
American heavy metal guitarists
American seven-string guitarists
1984 births
Living people
21st-century American guitarists
Guitarists from Chicago