| Niklas Kvarforth | |
| Birth Name: | Niklas Olsson |
| Alias: | Kvarforth, Wraith, Ghoul |
| Birth Date: | 7 December 1983 |
| Birth Place: | Halmstad, Sweden |
| Genre: | Black metal, depressive suicidal black metal |
| Instrument: | Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard |
| Occupation: | Singer, musician, songwriter |
| Years Active: | 1996–present |
| Associated Acts: | Shining, Skitliv, Anaal Nathrakh, Diabolicum, Den Saakaldte, Funeral Dirge, Bethlehem, The Vision Bleak, Benighted, Taake, Behemoth, Me and That Man |
Niklas Olsson (born 7 December 1983), better known as Niklas Kvarforth, is a Swedish musician. He is the founder, composer and vocalist of the black metal band Shining.[1]
As a multi-instrumentalist musician, Kvarforth started Shining when he was only 12 years old, in 1996.[2] The band released their first EP, Submit to Selfdestruction, two years later, on which he played guitars and bass. It was not until the band released their first album, Within Deep Dark Chambers, that Kvarforth became the band's vocalist.
Kvarforth is known in the scene for his extreme and sometimes violent behaviour during live performances, including fighting members of other bands, and handing out razor blades to audience members in 2007.[3] [4] Kvarforth has also been accused of assaulting and threatening audience members in 2017.[5]
Kvarforth has also performed auto-mutilations onstage and seems to encourage the practice. He often states in interviews that he hates "everything that grows". It is unclear if his statements made to journalists are in earnest or simply to mock them. Many fans believe he generally holds journalists and reporters in contempt, and purposely mocks them.[6] Kvarforth himself has neither affirmed nor denied this publicly, but consistently expresses his hatred of other people, himself, various countries, and life itself.[7]
thumb|Kvarforth performing in 2011
| Year | Title | Band | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Submit to Selfdestruction [EP] | Shining | |
| 1999 | The Silence Ebony | Funeral Dirge | |
| 2000 | Within Deep Dark Chambers | Shining | |
| 2001 | Livets Ändhållplats[8] | Shining | |
| 2002 | III: Angst, Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie | Shining | |
| 2005 | Hail Terror | Diabolicum | |
| 2005 | IV: The Eerie Cold[9] | Shining | |
| 2007 | V: Halmstad[10] | Shining | |
| 2008 | Amfetamin | Skitliv | |
| 2008 | Øl, mørke og depresjon | Den Saakaldte | |
| 2009 | Towards the Eternal Chaos | The Sarcophagus | |
| 2009 | All Hail Pessimism | Den Saakaldte | |
| 2009 | VI: Klagopsalmer [11] | Shining | |
| 2009 | A Sacrificial Offering to the Kingdom of Heaven in a Cracked Dog's Ear | Bethlehem | |
| 2009 | Solve et Coagula | Manes | |
| 2009 | Skandinavisk Misantropi | Skitliv | |
| 2010 | Set Sail to Mystery | The Vision Bleak | |
| 2010 | Stönkfitzchen | Bethlehem | |
| 2011 | VII: Född Förlorare[12] | Shining | |
| 2012 | Redefining Darkness[13] | Shining | |
| 2014 | Desideratum | Anaal Nathrakh | |
| 2015 | IX: Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends[14] | Shining | |
| 2016 | Aeons In Sodom | Urgehal | |
| 2018 | X: Varg Utan Flock[15] | Shining | |
| 2020 | A Forest | Behemoth | |
| 2023 | Shining | Shining |