Håvard Ellefsen, often referred to as Mortiis, is the only constant band member. He was born in Skien, Telemark. Mortiis began his musical career playing bass for the black metal act Emperor. He stayed with the band just over one year before going on to create his own solo project, though unlike his previous band the music would be dark ambient oriented. Ellefsen was experimenting greatly with music during his early solo career. He started four separate projects, though the focus was always on Mortiis.
Ellefsen wrapped up work on the soundtrack to the movie Broken and The Devil's Chair (Renegade Films) in 2007. Both films were directed by Adam Mason who first worked with him on the Mortiis video for Decadent & Desperate. Having completed an album's worth of songs, Ellefsen commented at how they were "atmospheric and eerie" and also "very dark" while "some of it actually is semi-song structured, with some melody and sense to it." They were done under the Mortiis name. The collected music will eventually be released as a Mortiis album.
Mortiis as a band was formed shortly after the release of The Smell of Rain.
Dark Dungeon Music was the personal record label of Mortiis. It operated between 1995 and 1999 while Mortiis resided in Halmstad, Sweden, and released mostly limited-edition vinyl. It was dissolved as Mortiis moved back to Norway in late 1999.
For nearly the entirety of the band's existence, frontman Ellefsen has altered his facial appearance using several alternatives before using a prosthetic mask and ear set. The studio who made Mortiis' mask asked for a character reference for the moulding. The mask was always coupled with ears. During Era I the mask covered his whole face, though by Era III it had an appearance whereby it seemed to be falling off and was stitched in place. The mask was dropped after the release of Some Kind of Heroin. Having stated in an interview that the mask has been shelved "for better or worse", as part of the significance of Some Kind of Heroin.
Ellefsen's choice of dreadlocks (sometime after Era I), and various outfits helped produce the "Mortiis image". When asked as to what the mask represents he has answered, "I do not look upon myself as a goblin, or troll, or elf, or medieval. I am merely Mortiis." When talking about the influence for the imagery that his band uses, Ellefsen has commented, "A lot of people do not get that you can do more than just look like you're waiting for a bus. I mean how dull is that? I grew up with Kiss, W.A.S.P. and Alice Cooper.
The title of Era I was never intentional. It came about in 2001 when Mortiis was set to release The Smell of Rain, which was such a departure from his earlier records that he wanted to brand it in a way to signify this. All works previous to The Smell of Rain were thereafter referred to as Era I as a consequence. All of the Era I albums were composed entirely on synthesizers, creating a sound that Mortiis described as "dark dungeon music"- a fundamental influence on the later Dungeon Synth genre. The last album of this era, The Stargate, went a step further by introducing a wider range of instruments including acoustic guitars, flutes and dark vocals; mainly provided by Sarah Jezebel Deva.
Songs on The Smell of Rain were electropop, and frontman Ellefsen took to lead vocals for the first time. This would be the only release under the title of Era II. It was during this era that Ellefsen decided he needed to seek members to perform in a live setting, which later helped change how Mortiis as a band sounded. The first live shows with this new lineup and with Mortiis as frontman & vocalist took place in the United Kingdom in December 2001.
With Era III came The Grudge, which took an even more drastic turn from previous eras and is said to have made the biggest impression of any of his albums. The Grudge took on a heavy industrial rock emphasis, combining grinding guitars and industrial programming. Some of the longtime fans were again not too happy with this turn, but it helped gain Mortiis more new fans. In 2005, the Norwegian Culture Council selected The Grudge to be freely available for listening to the public in libraries across the country.
On 16 April 2007 Mortiis released a remix album titled Some Kind of Heroin, reworking material from The Grudge, via Earache Records. "Some Kind of Heroin" offers diverse remix material including interpretations by a wide range of contemporaries, such as Zombie Girl, Gothminister, Implant, XP8, PIG, The Kovenant, Velvet Acid Christ, Girls Under Glass, David Wallace, Kubrick, Flesh Field, Victor Vortexx, Dope Stars Inc, In the Nursery among others. In late 2009 and early 2010 earlier music has been partly reprogrammed and re-arranged for future live use.
On 10 October 2010 Mortiis released Perfectly Defect as a free internet only download album. Regarding why the album was free, Mortiis stated, "The new model of the music business is important to keep in mind; there's a new mentality out there in terms of how people acquire their music now." During this time and the subsequent tours, the visual appearance and sound was similar to that of Era III, but with a more Industrial appearance closer to Combichrist and without any form of mask which had been a key characteristic of previous eras. Although this is marked as being part of Era III, this could be construed as a movement in Era IV.
A four-year hiatus was broken on 8 June 2015 when a message placed on the band's Facebook page suggested a new album was on its way in a new era, Era 0. This was confirmed on 5 October 2015 when the release of the single "Doppelgänger," off the forthcoming album The Great Deceiver. The artwork for "Doppelgänger" included the familiar Mortiis logo, but with the Era 0 subscript, confirming the new Era. The album (The Great Deceiver) was originally finished in 2008, and included mixes by Chris Vrenna (of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson).
Additional material was also finished with enough material for another album during 2009. To mark the return, Mortiis announced a series of US tours starting on 7 October 2015 with "The Devils Be Damned Tour". Despite the Era being 0, this was not a return to the original sound of Era I, but a continuation of that within Era III, again with complete lack of prosthetics or mask, but keeping the gothic/industrial costuming and face paint.
In January 2020, Mortiis returned to his Era 1 style of music with the album Spirit of Rebellion. The album was a reworking of his 1994 work Ånden som Gjorde Opprør, and was instigated after he was invited to perform at the 25th anniversary celebrations for former label Cold Meat Industry in 2017. In April 2020, he shared a work in progress tentatively entitled The Shadow of the Tower during the online Dungeon Synth festival 'Northeast Dungeon Siege'. An extract was also shared on Mortiis' Bandcamp page; again, the style of this new track reflected the style of the artist's early output. A previously unreleased 1997 track of the same name was released via the same website in October 2020, with Mortiis explaining that the piece had previously been used as atmospheric background music during his sporadic live shows of the era. A second such sample, entitled Blood Becomes Water, was released in July 2020.
Mortiis admitted to having long-held negative feelings about his 1990s output, feeling resentment towards perceived lack of quality in musicianship and production. However, he has since reassessed his detachment towards this material, and now sees renewed worth in the honesty and originality of his early records. In the period leading up to the release of Spirit of Rebellion, many of these early releases were reissued, having remained largely out of print for many years. Mortiis' 2001 book, Secrets of My Kingdom, was also reprinted as an expanded edition in 2018. Subtitled Return to Dimensions Unknown, the reprint featured new interviews, images and other archive material from the 1990s.
Side projects include Cintecele Diavolui, Fata Morgana, and Vond.
Road to Ruin
Mortiis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looks Like My Only Chance Has Come And Gone
I Am Frozen In Time
This Alien Disguise
These Crumbling Lies Of Mine
Are Written In Your Eyes
I Wish That I Could Get A Second Start
Everybody Listen They Listen To Me Fail
I Don't Know The Right Words And My Voice Is So Damn Frail
I Am Frozen In Time
This Alien Disguise
These Crumbling Lies Of Mine
Are Written In Your Eyes
I Wish That I Could Choose A Warmer Heart
I Wish That I Could Get A Second Start
Feeble Needy That's How See Me
Feed Me Breed Me That's How You Get Me
Taunt Me Taint Me That's How You Kill Me
See Me Hear Me Now You're With Me
Feeble Needy That's How See Me
Feed Me Breed Me That's How You Get Me
Taunt Me Taint Me That's How You Kill Me
See Me Hear Me Now You're With Me
Dust It Off Rise Above
Ignore The Hurt It Will Be Gone
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
(My Only Friend Has Many A Name
My Truest Friend Will Always Remain
My Oldest Friend Your Name Is Pain
This Is The End This Is My Change)
"Road to Ruin" by Mortiis explores themes of stagnation, isolation, and the desire for change. The lyrics suggest a sense of being trapped and frozen in time, represented by the lines "I am frozen in time, this alien disguise, these crumbling lies of mine are written in your eyes." The singer feels stuck in a state of unfulfilled longing, expressing a wish for a warmer heart and a second chance, symbolizing a longing for a different path in life.
The song portrays a struggle to communicate and be heard, as the singer admits, "I don't know the right words, and my voice is so damn frail." This further emphasizes the sense of isolation and frustration felt by the singer. The lyrics also touch upon themes of manipulation and vulnerability, as the singer describes being taunted, tainted, and ultimately killed by others. However, there is also a sense of defiance and determination in the repeated lines "Nothing's gonna stop me on my road to ruin, nothing's gonna stop me on my way to hell." It conveys a willingness to embrace self-destruction or chaos, perhaps as a way to break free from the confines of their current existence.
Overall, "Road to Ruin" delves into the internal struggles of an individual who yearns for change and escape from their current situation but feels trapped and unheard.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone Is Moving On Moving On Moving On
Everyone around me is progressing and moving forward with their lives
Looks Like My Only Chance Has Come And Gone
It appears that the opportunity I had is now lost forever
I Am Frozen In Time
I feel trapped and unable to make any progress
This Alien Disguise
The facade I put on to hide my true self from others
These Crumbling Lies Of Mine
The false narratives I have created about myself are falling apart
Are Written In Your Eyes
You can see through my deceptions and know the truth about me
I Wish That I Could Choose A Warmer Heart
I long to have the ability to feel more love and compassion
I Wish That I Could Get A Second Start
I desire the opportunity to begin again and make better choices
Everybody Listen They Listen To Me Fail
Everyone pays attention to my failures and shortcomings
I Don't Know The Right Words And My Voice Is So Damn Frail
I struggle to express myself and my voice lacks strength and conviction
Feeble Needy That's How See Me
Others perceive me as weak and dependent
Feed Me Breed Me That's How You Get Me
Others take advantage of my vulnerability and manipulate me
Taunt Me Taint Me That's How You Kill Me
The cruel actions and words of others slowly destroy me
See Me Hear Me Now You're With Me
Now you can witness my struggles and hear my cries for help
Dust It Off Rise Above
I must brush off the pain and rise above my challenges
Ignore The Hurt It Will Be Gone
If I choose to disregard the pain, it will eventually fade away
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Road To Ruin
No obstacles or setbacks will prevent me from destroying myself
Nothing's Gonna Stop Me On My Way To Hell
I am determined to continue on a path of self-destruction
(My Only Friend Has Many A Name
(My only companion has different forms and manifestations
My Truest Friend Will Always Remain
However, my truest friend will always be pain and suffering
My Oldest Friend Your Name Is Pain
Pain has been with me since the beginning, never leaving my side
This Is The End This Is My Change)
This marks the end of my journey and my opportunity for transformation
Lyrics © Sentric Music
Written by: Håvard Ellefsen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind