Johan Patrik Mattias Liiva (born 18 November 1970) is a Swedish

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

vocalist, most widely recognized as the founding vocalist of

melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavine ...

band

Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, The Agonist, Nevermore, and Eucharis ...

, as well as a former member of Carnage, Furbowl and NonExist. He is currently working as vocalist with

Hearse A hearse is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin at a funeral, wake, or memorial service. They range from deliberately a ...

Personal life

Johan Liiva is married to Alexandra Adler, who is of Ukrainian origin. The wedding ceremony was held in Ukraine on 14 October 2015.

Career

Carnage

Johan Liiva formed Carnage with his friend

Michael Amott Michael Amott (born 28 July 1969) is a Swedish guitarist, founding member of the metal bands Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars and Carnage, as well as a former member of Carcass. He is the older brother of Christopher Amott. Amott was ranked No ...

in 1988, and appeared on two demo tapes "The Day Man Lost" and "Infestation Of Evil", but left the band before their debut album was recorded in 1990. He went on to form Furbowl as a guitarist/vocalist, with Max Thornell on drums. The band released their debut album ''Those Shredded Dreams'' as a two piece on Step One Records in 1992. The album also featured guest solos on two songs by

(who also produced the recording). Furbowl would add a guitarist, Nicklas Stenemo, and release their second full-length ''The Autumn Years'' in 1994 on Black Mark Production, but the project folded soon after.

Arch Enemy

After the demise of Furbowl in the mid 1990s, Liiva once again teamed up with

to form the band Arch Enemy in 1996. After releasing their first album '' Black Earth'' in Japan that same year, the album became a success, receiving airplay on Japan's MTV Rocks! and in 1998 Arch Enemy were invited to tour Japan, and sign a new deal with

Toy's Factory is a Japanese record label founded in the late 1980s as a subsidiary of the entertainment company VAP, based in Japan. On May 30, 1990, it was established as an independent company. Toy's Factory, as of the first half of 2012, is the four ...

records. Arch Enemy released ''

Stigmata Stigmata ( grc, στίγματα, plural of , 'mark, spot, brand'), in Roman Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ: the hands, wrists, and feet. Sti ...

'' worldwide in 1998, and the band toured for the first time. In 1999, the band released '' Burning Bridges'', and ''

Burning Japan Live 1999 ''Burning Japan Live 1999'' is a live album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. Originally released in Japan only, the album was re-released worldwide in 2000 due to fan demand. Reception ''Burning Japan Live 1999'' received mixe ...

'', the latter proved to be Liiva's last album with Arch Enemy.

After Arch Enemy

After parting ways with Arch Enemy in November 2000, Liiva went on to form the band NonExist with guitarist

Johan Reinholdz Johan Reinholdz (born 30 June 1980) is a progressive metal artist best known for his work with the Swedish progressive metal band Andromeda, Swedish death metal band NonExist and the melodic death metal band Skyfire. He composed Andromeda's deb ...

( Andromeda), and drummer Matte Modin (

Dark Funeral Dark Funeral is a Swedish black metal band from Stockholm, founded by guitarists Blackmoon and Lord Ahriman in 1993. They emerged during the second wave of black metal. Their lyrical themes have traditionally pertained to Satanism and anti-C ...

Defleshed Defleshed is a Swedish death/thrash metal band. The group was formed by guitarist Lars Löfven, formerly of Convulsion and Inanimate. He was joined by ex-Crematorium bassist Gustaf Jorde shortly after recording a demo. In 1995 drummer Matte Mod ...

). The band only released one album, ''Deus Deceptor'', in 2002 before parting ways. Liiva soon formed the band

, with Mattias Ljung on guitar and ex-Furbowl bandmate Max Thornell on drums. The band have been very active ever since, releasing '' Dominion Reptilian'' in 2003 on

Hammerheart ''Hammerheart'' is the fifth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Bathory. It continued the previous album ''Blood Fire Deaths transition away from black metal to what became recognized as Viking metal, and is considered a cornerstone wo ...

Records, ''

Armageddon, Mon Amour ''Armageddon, Mon Amour'' is the second album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Hearse A hearse is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a dece ...

'' in 2004 on

Candlelight Records Candlelight Records is a British record label based in England and founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bassist Lee Barrett, though it has had a division in the United States since January 2001. Candlelight Records specialises in black metal ...

, ''

The Last Ordeal ''The Last Ordeal'' is the third album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Hearse A hearse is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased per ...

'' in 2005 on Karmageddon Records, and ''

In These Veins ''In These Veins'' is the 4th album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Hearse. Track listing # "House of Love" - 06:07 # "Corroding Armor" - 05:07 # "Intoxication" - 03:28 # "Naked Truth" - 04:04 # "Crusade" - 02:56 # "Among The Forlorn ...

'' on Dental Records in 2006. Johan Liiva also was featured as guest vocalist on the Canadian Industrial Death Metal act Synastry's debut full length 'Blind Eyes Bleed' on the track 'Visions Of Anger' recorded in 2007 and to be released in 2008. On 10 October 2015 in Japan Johan Liiva along with former

guitarist

Christopher Amott Christopher Amott (born 23 November 1977) is a Swedish guitarist, younger brother of Michael Amott and founding member of the metal bands Arch Enemy and Armageddon. He is currently the guitarist for Dark Tranquillity. Biography Amott was bor ...

were special guests and performed in Arch Enemy as the original band lineup. They played three songs such as ''"Bury Me an Angel"'', ''"The Immortal''" and ''"Fields of Desolation"''. ''"Fields of Desolation"'' was performed by both original and newest lineup.

Discography

Max and the Chainsaws

* ''Max and the Chainsaws 7" EP'' (1989)

Carnage

* ''The Day Man Lost – Demo'' (1989) * ''Infestation of Evil – Demo'' (1989)

Furbowl

* ''Those Shredded Dreams'' (1992) * ''The Autumn Years'' (1994)

Arch Enemy

* '' Black Earth'' (1996) * ''

'' (1998) * '' Burning Bridges'' (1999) * ''

'' (2000) * ''

Wages of Sin ''Wages of Sin'' is the fourth studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. It is the first Arch Enemy album to feature the vocals of Angela Gossow. It is also the first album they use Standard-C tuning, which they still use ...

'' (disc 2) (2001)

NonExist

* ''

Deus Deceptor ''Deus Deceptor'' is the first full-length album by the Swedish Death metal band NonExist. Track listing Credits * Johan Liiva - Vocals * Johan Reinholdz - Guitar/Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater an ...

'' (2002) * '' From My Cold Dead Hands'' (2012) * ''Throne of Scars'' (2015)

Hearse

* '' Dominion Reptilian'' (2003) * ''

'' (2004) * ''

'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * ''Single Ticket to Paradise'' (2009)

Guest appearances

* Necrony — vocals on ''Pathological Performances'' (1993) * Birdflesh — ''Alive Autopsy/Trip to the Grave'' (2001/2004) * Manipulated Slaves — backing screams on ''The Legendary Black Jade'' (2002) * Legen Beltza — vocals on ''Dimension of Pain'' (2006) * Synastry — vocals on track "Visions of Anger" from album ''Blind Eyes Bleed'' (2008) *

Oceans of Sadness Oceans of Sadness was a progressive metal band from Belgium. History Oceans of Sadness were featured in 1996 with a ''Demo of the Month'' in the Dutch metal magazine '' Aardschok'' . They released their first album, ''For We Are'', in 2000. On ...

— on track "In the End" from album ''The Arrogance of Ignorance'' (2008) * Betrayer – on track "In My Heart" from the album ''Too Loud'' (2013)

External links

Official website
(archived)
Official Arch Enemy website

Profile
on Encyclopaedia Metallum
Interview with Metal-Rules, 2004
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Liiva, Johan 1970 births Death metal musicians Living people Swedish heavy metal singers Arch Enemy members People from Helsingborg Swedish people of Estonian descent 21st-century Swedish singers 21st-century Swedish male singers Carnage (band) members