
Photo: derivative work: Elizabeth Bathory (talk) Blasphemer_and_Maniac_(Mayhem).jpg: Eggybird / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Sven Erik Kristiansen, far better known as Maniac, fascinates me precisely because his stage persona eclipses his name. As a former vocalist of Mayhem, he stood at the dark heart of Norwegian black metal, a genre that demands total authenticity rather than performance. Loudwire calling him an incarnation of authenticity feels exactly right to me, because that scene exposes anyone who is merely playing a role. The biographical data is sparse, but artists like this are not measured by tidy facts. He channeled something raw out of the frozen north, and I think genuineness is the word that fits him best.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sven Erik Kristiansen
- Name (Japanese)
- スヴェン・エリック・クリスチャンセン
- Reading
- すゔぇん・えりっく・くりすちゃんせん
- Born
- February 4, 1969 (age 57)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Norway
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Sven Erik Kristiansen born?
Born February 4, 1969 (age 57).
Where is Sven Erik Kristiansen from?
Sven Erik Kristiansen is from Norway.
What does Sven Erik Kristiansen do?
Sven Erik Kristiansen works as singer.
Singer — see all → · More people from Norway →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.