Post by abraxas on Dec 18, 2009 16:49:02 GMT -5
Mortiis was formerly the bass player and lyrics writer for Emperor. He left them before "In the Nightside Eclipse" because he wasn't into black metal anymore. He got his musical career start there.
From Notodden, Norway fronted by HÃ¥vard Ellefsen, who is also known as the namesake of the band. The name is a misspelling of the word 'mortis', which is the pronunciation used by the band. However, Mortiis started as the solo project of Ellefsen as a means to convey a story. This aspect was lost over time and Mortiis slowly formed into a band.
Mortiis as a band was formed shortly after the release of The Smell of Rain. The current line-up consists of the following:
* Mortiis - lead vocals, programming, mixing
* Levi Gawron - lead guitar, programming, mixing, bass on The Grudge album
* Ogee - guitar
* Joe Letz - drums
Era I
All of the Era I albums were composed entirely on synthesizers, with no vocals, creating a sound that Mortiis described as "dark dungeon music". The last album of this era,The Stargate, went a step further by introducing a wider range of instruments including acoustic guitars, flutes and dark vocals; mainly provided by Sarah Jezebel Deva.
Era II
The Smell of Rain created a divide among fans; the songs this time had an electropop feel to them, and front man Ellefsen took to lead vocals for the first time. It was during this era that Ellefsen decided he needed to seek members to perform in a live setting, which later helped change how Mortiis as a band sounded.
Era III
With Era III came The Grudge, which took an even more drastic turn from previous eras and is said to have made the biggest impression of any of his albums. The Grudge took on a heavy industrial rock emphasis, combining grinding guitars and industrial programming. Some of the long time fans were again not too happy with this turn, but it helped gain Mortiis more new fans. In 2005 the Norwegian government declared The Grudge as a cultural artifact, requiring the album by law to be in libraries across the country.
His look
For nearly the entirety of the bands existence, front man Ellefsen has altered his facial appearance using several alternatives before using a prosthetic mask and ear set. This led to much ridicule and myth, which Mortiis dismissed in disgust. The original mask was supposedly based around that of Blix from the movie Legend. The studio who made Mortiis' mask asked for a character reference for the modeling. The mask was always coupled with ears. During Era I the mask covered his whole face, though by Era III it had an appearance whereby it seemed to be falling off and was stitched in place. The mask was dropped after the release of Some Kind of Heroin. Having stated in an interview that the mask has been shelved "for better or worse".
When talking about the influence for the imagery that his band uses, Ellefsen has commented, "A lot of people do not get that you can do more than just look like you're waiting for a bus. I mean how dull is that? I grew up with Kiss, W.A.S.P. and Alice Cooper."
Love him or hate him, this is Mortiis
From Notodden, Norway fronted by HÃ¥vard Ellefsen, who is also known as the namesake of the band. The name is a misspelling of the word 'mortis', which is the pronunciation used by the band. However, Mortiis started as the solo project of Ellefsen as a means to convey a story. This aspect was lost over time and Mortiis slowly formed into a band.
Mortiis as a band was formed shortly after the release of The Smell of Rain. The current line-up consists of the following:
* Mortiis - lead vocals, programming, mixing
* Levi Gawron - lead guitar, programming, mixing, bass on The Grudge album
* Ogee - guitar
* Joe Letz - drums
Era I
All of the Era I albums were composed entirely on synthesizers, with no vocals, creating a sound that Mortiis described as "dark dungeon music". The last album of this era,The Stargate, went a step further by introducing a wider range of instruments including acoustic guitars, flutes and dark vocals; mainly provided by Sarah Jezebel Deva.
Era II
The Smell of Rain created a divide among fans; the songs this time had an electropop feel to them, and front man Ellefsen took to lead vocals for the first time. It was during this era that Ellefsen decided he needed to seek members to perform in a live setting, which later helped change how Mortiis as a band sounded.
Era III
With Era III came The Grudge, which took an even more drastic turn from previous eras and is said to have made the biggest impression of any of his albums. The Grudge took on a heavy industrial rock emphasis, combining grinding guitars and industrial programming. Some of the long time fans were again not too happy with this turn, but it helped gain Mortiis more new fans. In 2005 the Norwegian government declared The Grudge as a cultural artifact, requiring the album by law to be in libraries across the country.
His look
For nearly the entirety of the bands existence, front man Ellefsen has altered his facial appearance using several alternatives before using a prosthetic mask and ear set. This led to much ridicule and myth, which Mortiis dismissed in disgust. The original mask was supposedly based around that of Blix from the movie Legend. The studio who made Mortiis' mask asked for a character reference for the modeling. The mask was always coupled with ears. During Era I the mask covered his whole face, though by Era III it had an appearance whereby it seemed to be falling off and was stitched in place. The mask was dropped after the release of Some Kind of Heroin. Having stated in an interview that the mask has been shelved "for better or worse".
When talking about the influence for the imagery that his band uses, Ellefsen has commented, "A lot of people do not get that you can do more than just look like you're waiting for a bus. I mean how dull is that? I grew up with Kiss, W.A.S.P. and Alice Cooper."
Love him or hate him, this is Mortiis