Daniel Rostén

Early years (1994–2004)

Arioch joined Funeral Mist as bassist in the summer of 1994, before the band's first demo recordings. He leads the band since all old members left, and recorded the second demo Havoc in summer/autumn 1996 with the new drummer Necromorbus (Tore Stjerna). Arioch also played guitar and sung in Triumphator in the 1990s and contributed the lyrics to the French band Antaeus' song Sanctus, released on De Principii Evangelikum in 2002.

Marduk (2004 onward)

In 2004, Rostén joined Marduk as vocalist prior to the completion of the band's album Plague Angel, replacing longtime vocalist Legion. Marduk's founder and guitarist Morgan Håkansson had contributed the lyrics to the Triumphator song Heralds of Pestilence. Mortuus introduced a decidedly distinct and different vocal style to Marduk to that of his predecessor, and it was due to his credentials as vocalist in Funeral Mist that Håkansson contacted Rostén by telephone. After careful consideration Rostén accepted Håkansson's offer to join Marduk. In contrast to Legion, Håkansson has stated that Rostén has shared his interest in enthusiasm for Marduk's lyrical content, which has notably consisted of subject matter such as Biblical tales, Third Reich history and World War II.

In 2012, Mortuus also sang on Merrimack's album The Acausal Mass, as the band's member Perversifier stated after Rock Hard journalist Jan Jaedike compared some of Merrimack's material to "the least comfortable stuff of Marduk with Mortuus". He was not mentioned in the album's booklet though because Merrimack did not want to use his name for promotion.

Controversy

In December 2009 Rostén, while performing live at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, a shirtless fan who was drunk approached Rostén onstage trying to hug him, Mortuus grabbed the man by the head, flipped him over onto his back on the stage, and pushed him off it. This incident was recorded on video and was subject to mixed reception from observers.

Views on black metal

Arioch points out that "A band that claims to play Black Metal must always have Satanism and nothing but Satanism as the highest priority in their music and concept as well as in their personal lives" and that neither the voice, nor the sound and musical style make a black metal band. He considers "[d]estructive Satanism and fanatic Devil worship" to be "the very foundation of everything labelled 'Black Metal'".

With Funeral Mist

With Triumphator

With Antaeus

With Marduk

With Merrimack