This Monday, 25th of August, sad news reached us of the passing of Nils “Nisse” Joel Karlén, vocalist and founding member of the Swedish black metal band Sacramentum, who at different points also acted as the bassist and guitarist.
The announcement was made by the band through the following statement:
“With deep sorrow, we share the heartbreaking news that our dear friend, band member, and one of the founders of Sacramentum, Nisse Karlén, has passed away. He chose to leave this world due to struggles with mental health. At this time, we kindly ask for privacy for his family, friends, and bandmates as we come to terms with this loss. Thank you for everything, Nisse. You will always be with us. Suicide is never to be glorified.
Suicide crisis helpline:
EU 116 123
US 988“
The unexpected news prompted me to once again revisit the band’s work, specially the iconic album “Far Away from the Sun” (1996). It remains striking: drawing from a tradition harkening back to late Romanticism, the band crafts what still stands as one of the most complete and immersive visions of the fundamental core of black metal. Every element, from the lyrics to the expressive melodies, convenes to summon fantastical images and all the ideas and emotions associated with them – sorrow, melancholy, darkness, the forest, the Night and the otherworldly sights it promises.
I had the chance of interviewing Karlén back in 2021 – the first interview I did for this website, in fact, which above all turned out to be a very pleasant meeting. The band had just recently returned in full force from a long period of stasis (this was only the second interview they had given since then); Karlén’s enthusiasm was palpable and at some point he claimed that, in many ways, he still felt the same youthful ardor for the genre that he had when he was trading tapes in the ’80s-early ’90s.
Regardless of what led him to this precocious end, one can only hope that wherever he is Nisse has finally achieved union with the Night.
Nils Joel Karlén (1974-2025)
