SKITLIV

At the forefront of Black Metal from its very beginnings, former MAYHEM vocalist Maniac is one of the extreme metal genre's most recognizable figures, whose controversial live performances have made him a figurehead in the world’s media. Having left Mayhem, where he was restricted to writing lyrics and performing vocals, Maniac went on to form SKITLIV in 2004, as a means of expressing his views on humanity and its inevitable destruction.

The legendary front man has never been someone who cares about public opinion, or about staying within the rigid confines that define Black Metal; and whilst essentially still firmly rooted in the genre, SKITLIV’s music has matured and evolved into something much darker, and more brooding, than anything Maniac has produced before. With a line-up that includes Icelandic guitarist Ingvar, former Shining drummer Wedebrand, and, most surprisingly of all, sculptor and former Mayhem stage designer Spacebrain on bass; the addition of Shining's creator Niklas Kvarforth on guitar has enabled Maniac to use his voice and lyrics to their best effect, within the slower, more sombre sound that these two controversial and unpredictable musicians are able to produce together. You might not understand it. But you definitely can’t ignore it.