Niklas Olsson (born 7 December 1983), better known as Niklas Kvarforth, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. He is the founder, composer, and vocalist of the
black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw ( lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an em ...
band
Shining.
Background
As a multi-instrumentalist musician, Kvarforth started Shining when he was only 12 years old, in 1996.
The band released their first EP, ''
Submit to Selfdestruction
''Submit to Selfdestruction'' is a 1998 EP record by Swedish black metal band Shining, the band's first release. It is a black 7 inch pressing limited to 300 handnumbered copies. Kvarforth was 14 years old when ''Submit to Selfdestruction' ...
'', two years later, on which he played guitars and bass. It was not until the band released their first album, ''
Within Deep Dark Chambers'', that Kvarforth became the band's vocalist.
Controversies
Kvarforth is known in the scene for his extreme and sometimes violent behaviour during live performances, including fighting members of other bands, and handing out razor blades to audience members in 2007. Kvarforth has also been accused of assaulting and threatening audience members in 2017.
Kvarforth has also performed auto-mutilations onstage and seems to encourage the practice. He often states in interviews that he hates "everything that grows". It is unclear if his statements made to journalists are in earnest or simply to mock them. Many fans believe he generally holds journalists and reporters in contempt, and purposely mocks them. Kvarforth himself has neither affirmed nor denied this publicly, but consistently expresses his hatred of other people, himself, various countries, and life itself.
Discography
Kvarforth performing in 2011
With Shining
* ''
Within Deep Dark Chambers'' (2000)
* ''
Livets ändhållplats'' (2001)
* ''III:
Angst, självdestruktivitetens emissarie'' (2002)
* ''IV:
The Eerie Cold'' (2005)
* ''V:
Halmstad
Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of the Nissan river, in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County. The ci ...
'' (2007)
* ''VI:
Klagopsalmer
''Klagopsalmer'' (roughly, ''Hymns of Lament'') is the sixth album by Shining. It was released on 30 June 2009, by Osmose Productions.BlabbermoutSHINING: New Album Title Changed; Artwork, Track Listing Revealed; retrieved 20 July 2008.
Track 4 i ...
''(2009)
* ''VII:
Född förlorare'' (2011)
* ''
Redefining Darkness
Redefining Darkness is the eighth studio album by the Swedish black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, ...
'' (2012)
* ''IX: Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends'' (2015)
* '' X: Varg Utan Flock'' (2018)
With Skitliv
* ''Amfetamin (MCD)'' (2008)
* ''Skandinavisk Misantropi'' (2009)
With Diabolicum
* ''Hail Terror'' (2005)
With Den Saakaldte
* ''
Øl, mørke og depresjon'' (2008)
* ''All Hail Pessimism'' (2009)
With Funeral Dirge
* ''The Silence Ebony'' (1999)
With Bethlehem
* ''A Sacrificial Offering to the Kingdom of Heaven in a Cracked Dog's Ear'' (2009)
* ''Stönkfitzchen'' (2010)
With Manes
* ''Solve et Coagula'' (2009)
With The Sarcophagus
* ''Towards the Eternal Chaos'' (2009)
With Anaal Nathrakh
* ''Desideratum'' (2014)
With The Vision Bleak
* ''
Set Sail to Mystery
''Set Sail to Mystery'' is the fourth studio album by German gothic metal band The Vision Bleak, released on 2 April 2010 through Prophecy Productions. A digipak edition containing seven bonus tracks was also released. It counted with a guest ...
'' (2010)
With Behemoth
* ''A Forest'' (2020)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kvarforth, Niklas
Living people
Swedish heavy metal singers
1983 births
Swedish expatriates in Norway
Swedish expatriates in Finland
Singers from Halmstad
Songwriters from Halmstad
21st-century Swedish singers