Sven Erik Kristiansen
Encyclopedia
Sven Erik Kristiansen is a Norwegian
musician. He is best known as the former vocalist in the black metal
band Mayhem
under the stage name Maniac.
For several years, Kristiansen was a self-admitted alcoholic. His turning point, he says, was one day when he found himself hanging by one arm out of a fourth floor window, with no idea how he got there. After this incident, he claims that he has not had any alcohol whatsoever. He is married to Vivian Slaughter, bassist and vocalist for the Japanese band Gallhammer
.
decided to revive Mayhem in 1995 after the deaths of both Euronymous
and Dead
, he invited Maniac to return as the band's vocalist.
He was known for having extremely intense performances. When he had a particularly good feeling about the audience, he would cut himself
, frequently landing him in intensive care units. However, "...when we realized that the cutting had become a phenomenon people came to watch, I quit doing it." He has also stated that the coverage Mayhem has received is disproportionate.
Maniac was in the band until 2004 when he was forced to leave. He had developed extreme stagefright, and relied heavily on alcohol to get him through performances. In the only press release about the split, he also cited lack of time as being a vital factor.
Damage Inc. in 1986. Second issue came in 1987 after he had joined Mayhem. Both issues includes interviews with Mayhem among other things. He is currently a member of extreme metal
band Skitliv
, participated as a session member for Shining, did vocals for hardcore punk
band Bomberos
and shares an ongoing experimental music
project called Sehnsucht alongside Vivian Slaughter.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
musician. He is best known as the former vocalist in the black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
under the stage name Maniac.
Personal life
Kristiansen has two children, a daughter with a previous relationship and a son with his ex-girlfriend, Hilma. He has said that since he became a father, he has become more conscious of what he exposes himself to and less destructive.For several years, Kristiansen was a self-admitted alcoholic. His turning point, he says, was one day when he found himself hanging by one arm out of a fourth floor window, with no idea how he got there. After this incident, he claims that he has not had any alcohol whatsoever. He is married to Vivian Slaughter, bassist and vocalist for the Japanese band Gallhammer
Gallhammer
Gallhammer is a Japanese extreme metal group that draws on black metal, doom metal, and crust punk. They formed in Tokyo in 2003. All of the members are female, which is rare in their genre. -Biography:...
.
With Mayhem
He joined Mayhem in 1986 after the departure of the band's original vocalist Messiah. He was in the band until 1988, when he was replaced by Kittil. When HellhammerJan Axel Blomberg
Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg is a three time Spellemannprisen award-winning heavy metal drummer. He is most well known for his drumming with the band Mayhem, with which he began his career...
decided to revive Mayhem in 1995 after the deaths of both Euronymous
Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth , who went by the pseudonym Euronymous, was a Norwegian guitarist and co-founder of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem...
and Dead
Dead (musician)
Per Yngve Ohlin , better known by his stage name Dead, was a Swedish black metal vocalist best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Mayhem...
, he invited Maniac to return as the band's vocalist.
He was known for having extremely intense performances. When he had a particularly good feeling about the audience, he would cut himself
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
, frequently landing him in intensive care units. However, "...when we realized that the cutting had become a phenomenon people came to watch, I quit doing it." He has also stated that the coverage Mayhem has received is disproportionate.
Maniac was in the band until 2004 when he was forced to leave. He had developed extreme stagefright, and relied heavily on alcohol to get him through performances. In the only press release about the split, he also cited lack of time as being a vital factor.
Other projects
Just months before he joined Mayhem he released the first issue off his fanzineFanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
Damage Inc. in 1986. Second issue came in 1987 after he had joined Mayhem. Both issues includes interviews with Mayhem among other things. He is currently a member of extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band Skitliv
Skitliv
Skitliv is a Norwegian black-/doom metal band founded in 2005 by former Mayhem vocalist Maniac.Maniac describes the project as "firmly rooted in black metal" but much darker and more brooding than anything he has done before....
, participated as a session member for Shining, did vocals for hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band Bomberos
Bomberos (band)
Bomberos is a hardcore punk band from Norway, playing what they like to call "obscene, disgusting punk", was formed in 2002. Current members consist of Sven-Erik "Maniac" Kristiansen and Bård "Faust" Eithun, both known for their involvement in the black metal bands Mayhem and Emperor...
and shares an ongoing experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
project called Sehnsucht alongside Vivian Slaughter.