Sven Erik Kristiansen (born 4 February 1969) is a Norwegian musician, best known as the former vocalist in the

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, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...

band Mayhem under the stage name Maniac. ''

Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive i ...

'' called Kristiansen "an incarnation of authenticity."

Career

Kristiansen joined Mayhem in 1986 after the departure of the band's original vocalist Messiah, and left in 1987. He was then replaced by Kittil, who was later replaced by

Dead Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sho ...

, who committed suicide in April 1991. When

Hellhammer Hellhammer was a Swiss extreme metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are ...

decided to revive Mayhem in 1994 after the deaths of both

Euronymous Øystein Aarseth (22 March 1968 – 10 August 1993), better known by his stage name Euronymous, was a Norwegian musician and a founder of and central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was a co-founder and guitarist of the No ...

and

, and the imprisonment of Count Grishnakh, he invited Kristiansen to return as the band's vocalist. Kristiansen left Mayhem in 2004 through mutual consent due to his drinking problem and lack of time off. In 2016, Kristiansen briefly rejoined Mayhem onstage during a performance at the

Inferno Festival Inferno Metal Festival is an annual extreme metal festival that takes place every year during Easter in Oslo, Norway. The festival was founded by Borknagar guitarist Jens F. Ryland in cooperation with Radar Booking in 2001 and takes place at R ...

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

Artistry

According to ''

'', Kristiansen's vocal stylings alternate between what can be described as " inhuman vocalizations," and simply

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

patterns. According to the site, his showmanship as a black metal

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

is characterized by "

intellectualism Intellectualism is the mental perspective that emphasizes the use, development, and exercise of the intellect, and is identified with the life of the mind of the intellectual. (Definition) In the field of philosophy, the term ''intellectualism'' in ...

and the ability to musically convey the nuances of

insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...

." Kristiansen was known for giving extremely intense live performances, often cutting himself onstage and frequently landing in

intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensive care medicine. An inten ...

s. However, in a later interview he stated when the band realized that the cutting had become a phenomenon people came to watch, he quit doing it.

Personal life

Kristiansen has three children: a daughter with his wife, Eri Isaka (Vivian Slaughter of Gallhammer), a son with his ex-girlfriend, Hilma Nikolaisen, and a daughter from a previous relationship. He has stated that since he became a father, he has become more conscious of what he exposes himself to and is less destructive. For several years, Kristiansen was a self-admitted

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

. According to him, the turning point for becoming sober was finding himself hanging by one arm out of a fourth floor window with no recollection of how he got there.

Discography

With Mayhem

Studio albums * '' Grand Declaration of War'' (2000) * ''

Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...

'' (2004) Studio EPs * '' Deathcrush'' (1987) * '' Wolf's Lair Abyss'' (1997) Live albums * ''Mediolanum Capta Est'' (1999) * ''Live In Marseille'' (2001) Compilation albums * '' European Legions'' (2001)

With Skitliv

Studio albums *''Skandinavisk misantropi'' (2009) Studio EPs *''Amfetamin (MCD)'' (2008)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kristiansen, Sven Erik 1969 births Living people Mayhem (band) members Norwegian black metal musicians Norwegian rock singers Norwegian heavy metal singers Black metal singers Norwegian punk rock singers Norwegian male singers 21st-century Norwegian multi-instrumentalists Place of birth missing (living people)