Jon Nödtveidt
Encyclopedia
Jon Andreas Nödtveidt was a lead guitarist and vocalist of the Swedish
black metal
band Dissection
, which he founded in 1989.
Nödtveidt also performed in several other projects, including The Black (as Rietas), De Infernali, Nifelheim
, Ophthalamia
(as Shadow), Satanized, Siren's Yell, and Terror, a grindcore
band which featured members of At the Gates
.
He also appeared as a journalist in Metal Zone, where he was responsible for keeping track of the growing black metal scene.
He was a member of the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, now known as Temple of the Black Light, and the Werewolf Legion, a Swedish gang, not to be confused with the Russian Werewolf Legion. Contrary to popular belief, he was not its co-creator, but "was introduced [...] by close friends at a quite early stage."
Nödtveidt was convicted of being an accessory
to the 1997 murder of a gay Algerian man called Josef Ben Meddour. He was released from prison in 2004, and restarted Dissection.
, a suburb of Stockholm
by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a circle of lit candles.
Early reports indicated that he was found with an open copy of the Satanic Bible, but these were later dismissed by Dissection's guitarist Set Teitan
. According to him, "it's not any atheist, humanist and ego-worshiping 'Satanic Bible' by Anton LaVey
that Jon had in front of him, but a Satanic Grimoire
. He despised LaVey and 'The Church of Satan'."
The said "Satanic Grimoire" is reputed to be the Liber Azerate, one of the publishings of the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, from which Jon Nödtveidt apparently was influenced, his last album Reinkaos
s lyrics being co-written by the very same man who wrote the Liber Azerate.
On 19 August 2006, Jon's website publicly announced his suicide.
Nödtvedit's brother, Emil "Nightmare Industries" Nödtveidt, the rhythm guitarist
and keyboardist
of gothic
industrial metal
band Deathstars
, wrote a song named "Via the End" the night he heard about Nödtveidt's suicide. The song appears as the fifth track on Deathstar's third album Night Electric Night
.
Regarding his views on suicide, Nödtveidt said "The Satanist decides of his own life and death and prefers to go out with a smile on his lips when he has reached his peak in life, when he has accomplished everything, and aim to transcend this earthly existence. But it is completely un-satanic to end ones own life because one is sad or miserable. The Satanist dies strong, not by age, disease or depression, and he chooses death before dishonor! Death is the orgasm of life! So live life accordingly, as intense as possible!"
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Dissection
Dissection (band)
Dissection was a black metal band from Strömstad, Sweden. The band was formed in 1989, by Jon Nödtveidt. The band released its first EP in 1991. They disbanded in 2006, after Nödtveidt's suicide.- Band overview :...
, which he founded in 1989.
Nödtveidt also performed in several other projects, including The Black (as Rietas), De Infernali, Nifelheim
Nifelheim
Nifelheim is a Swedish black metal band. The band was formed in 1990 by the twin brothers Erik and Per Gustavsson, under the stage names Tyrant and Hellbutcher...
, Ophthalamia
Ophthalamia
Ophthalamia was a Swedish heavy metal band that formed in 1989.-Biography:Ophthalamia was started in 1989 by singer All and guitarist It, both also active in the musical groups Abruptum and Vondur. The band named themselves Ophthalamia after a fantasy-world created by It. He created and named the...
(as Shadow), Satanized, Siren's Yell, and Terror, a grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band which featured members of At the Gates
At the Gates
At the Gates is an extreme metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg death-metal sound. Their early albums lean towards a death metal sound, but later albums sound more like melodic death metal.Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a...
.
He also appeared as a journalist in Metal Zone, where he was responsible for keeping track of the growing black metal scene.
He was a member of the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, now known as Temple of the Black Light, and the Werewolf Legion, a Swedish gang, not to be confused with the Russian Werewolf Legion. Contrary to popular belief, he was not its co-creator, but "was introduced [...] by close friends at a quite early stage."
Nödtveidt was convicted of being an accessory
Accessory (legal term)
An accessory is a person who assists in the commission of a crime, but who does not actually participate in the commission of the crime as a joint principal...
to the 1997 murder of a gay Algerian man called Josef Ben Meddour. He was released from prison in 2004, and restarted Dissection.
Death
On the 16th of August 2006, he was found dead in his apartment in HässelbyHässelby
Hässelby is a part of Hässelby-Vällingby in the City of Stockholm in Sweden, comprising the suburban areas Hässelby Gård, Hässelby Strand and Hässelby Villastad.-Hässelby in literature:...
, a suburb of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a circle of lit candles.
Early reports indicated that he was found with an open copy of the Satanic Bible, but these were later dismissed by Dissection's guitarist Set Teitan
Set Teitan
Set Teitan [Sethlans Teitan] as Davide Totaro. He was the guitarist of industrial black metal band Aborym from 1997–2005, lead guitarist for Bloodline 2000-2005, as well as the second guitarist of the Swedish black metal band Dissection. He is also the second guitarist for Watain and performed on...
. According to him, "it's not any atheist, humanist and ego-worshiping 'Satanic Bible' by Anton LaVey
Anton LaVey
Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician...
that Jon had in front of him, but a Satanic Grimoire
Grimoire
A grimoire is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons...
. He despised LaVey and 'The Church of Satan'."
The said "Satanic Grimoire" is reputed to be the Liber Azerate, one of the publishings of the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, from which Jon Nödtveidt apparently was influenced, his last album Reinkaos
Reinkaos
Reinkaos is the third and final studio album by Swedish melodic black/death metal band, Dissection. The album is a drastic change from the band's previous material, leaving the early influences of black metal and heading towards Gothenburg metal...
s lyrics being co-written by the very same man who wrote the Liber Azerate.
On 19 August 2006, Jon's website publicly announced his suicide.
Nödtvedit's brother, Emil "Nightmare Industries" Nödtveidt, the rhythm guitarist
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
of gothic
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band Deathstars
Deathstars
Deathstars is a Swedish band from Stockholm that perform industrial and gothic metal. Formed in 2000, the group are noted for their dark horror-themed lyrics, pessimistic and misanthropic social commentary, distinctive trademark face paint, dark stage uniforms and physical appearances that...
, wrote a song named "Via the End" the night he heard about Nödtveidt's suicide. The song appears as the fifth track on Deathstar's third album Night Electric Night
Night Electric Night
- Personnel :* Cat Casino – guitars* Bone W. Machine – drums* Whiplasher Bernadotte – lead vocals* Skinny Disco – bass guitar, backing vocals* Nightmare Industries – guitars, keyboards- Chart positions :...
.
Regarding his views on suicide, Nödtveidt said "The Satanist decides of his own life and death and prefers to go out with a smile on his lips when he has reached his peak in life, when he has accomplished everything, and aim to transcend this earthly existence. But it is completely un-satanic to end ones own life because one is sad or miserable. The Satanist dies strong, not by age, disease or depression, and he chooses death before dishonor! Death is the orgasm of life! So live life accordingly, as intense as possible!"