Abruptum

Swedish black metal and dark ambient solo side-project band Abruptum is run by Evil (Real Name: Patrik Niclas Morgan Håkansson; drums/guitars/piano) of Marduk, but he had joined in 1991; the band was actually formed in 1989 by IT (Real Name: Tony Särkkä; vocals/guitars/bass/drums/violin) with All (Real Name: Jim Håkan Jonaton Berger; vocals), and Ext (bass) joining later. The other members being members during 1989-1991 (All), 1990 for one year (Ext) and Evil in 1991. It would leave in 1996 and die in 2017, leaving Evil as the sole member of the act.

IT had planned to create the band back in 1987, but it was not until 1990 that he found the right members to do it. The same year, they recorded their first two demos. After the release of the first demo, they fired their bass player, Ext. After the release of the 7-inch EP Evil (1991; later re-released by 'Psychoslaughter'), All began to drink heavily and was forced to leave the band. IT then found a new member in Evil around the same time IT reunited with All to form the side project, Vondur.

Abruptum then signed to Euronymous's 'Deathlike Silence Productions', on which they released albums in the form of Obscuritatem Advoco Amplectère Me (1993) and In Umbra Malitiae Ambulabo, in Aeternum in Triumpho Tenebraum (1994). The compilation Evil Genius (1995) followed.

After Euronymous's murder, Abruptum contributed the opening track to the compilation album Nordic Metal: A Tribute to Euronymous. Controversy surrounded Abruptum's close relationship with Euronymous, with Varg Vikernes (of Burzum) specifically referencing Abruptum when recalling his version of the events and motives leading to the death of Euronymous for which he was later convicted. Vikernes, claiming that he killed Euronymous in self-defense, recalled in a 2006 interview:

"(Euronymous) wanted to kill me for several reasons. I dumped his label, and by doing that left him with a label with only bands that sold extremely bad (Abruptum, and some other trash)".

It has been wrongly rumored IT then left the band and the black metal scene altogether in 1996, following numerous threats made to him and to his family. According to IT himself and his sister/manager, that was not at all the reason for his departure from the scene, as he had simply been wanting to leave for some time until he ultimately did. With IT's departure, Evil kept Abruptum going and released material on his own record label, 'Blooddawn Productions' in the form of Vi Sonus Veris Nigrae Malitiaes (1996) and De Profundis Mors Vas Cousumet EP (2000), Casus Luciferi (2004), Maledictum EP (2008), Potestates Apocalypsis (2011) and Apostoli Infernum EP (2019) crediting Evil (under his legal name) as the sole member. Between 2005 and 2008, however, Abruptum had been discontinued.

Before his death on 8th February 2017 at age 44, IT had joined an industrial band called 8th Sin, and was briefly involved with the band (Total) War along with All. All worked with IT again in Ophthalamia, but they too eventually disbanded. Evil continued his work with Marduk and Death Wolf (formerly known as Devil's Whorehouse). Satyricon & Munch (2022) followed.