Abruptum

• Genre: Black Metal

About

Swedish ambient black metal duo Abruptum was the work of two men who went by the names IT and Evil. According to the band, its structureless, wandering sonic interludes of guitar, drums, vocal gargling, howls, screams and hissed incantations were often recorded while the pair inflicted pain on each other and themselves. In the early days of the black metal scene, Abruptum were a favorite of seminal Norwegian figure Euronymous, and two of their earliest albums came out on his Deathlike Silence Productions label in 1993 and 1994. Following Euronymous' murder by Mayhem bandmate Varg Vikernes, Abruptum continued to release infernal collages of putridity despite the departure of IT (Tony Sarkka) in 1996. Sarkka divorced himself from the entire black metal scene, reportedly amid threats of violence to his family. In 2005, following the re-release of much of Abruptum's material, Evil (Morgan Steinmeyer Hakansson) officially dissolved the band.

- Mike McGuirk