Mortiis



Mortiis is a band from Notodden, Norway fronted by Håvard Ellefsen (former member of the Black Metal band Emperor), 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. Between 1993 and 1999 the solo project focused on dark ambient music, until 2001's The Smell of Rain in which it became more Industrial sounding. With the release of The Grudge Mortiis became an official band rather than a solo project, and the music shifted toward Industrial Metal.

Until 2007, Mortiis was never seen without his mask; a troll-like face with a large nose and pointed ears. The mask changed over time as well; by the release of The Grudge it began to look like it had been stitched and stapled in place. Finally after 2007's Some Kind of Heroin, Mortiis removed the mask permanently.

Discography
Era I Era II Era III
 * The Song of a Long Forgotten Ghost (1993)
 * Født til å Herske (1993)
 * Ånden som Gjorde Opprør (1994)
 * Keiser Av En Dimensjon Ukjent (1995)
 * Blood and Thunder (1995)
 * Crypt of the Wizard (1996)
 * The Stargate (1999)
 * The Smell of Rain (2001)
 * The Grudge (2004)
 * Some Kind of Heroin (2007)
 * Perfectly Defect (2010)
 * The Great Deceiver (2012)

Tropes:

 * A God I Am Not: "Monolith", from The Smell of Rain seems to be about this.
 * All Trolls Are Different: According to Ellefsen, "I do not look upon myself as a goblin, or troll, or elf, or medieval. I am merely Mortiis."
 * Concept Album: Pretty much anything from Era I.
 * Cool Mask
 * Era Specific Personality: Ellefsen, and the music itself.
 * Kayfabe Music: The troll gimmick, which has now been dropped for better or for worse.
 * New Sound Album: Practically every album since The Smell of Rain. The changes in his style are divided into "Eras" by fans.
 * Pointy Ears