Promenant black metal musician Tony ‘IT’ Särkkä passed away on Feb. 14 at age 45. The news was broken by Särkkä’s sister and manager, Desire, via Facebook.

IT was extremely well known amongst the Swedish black metal scene of the ‘90s. He was a multi-instrumentalist who performed with the bands Abruptum, Ophthalamia, Vondur and War. He also provided vocal parts to Dissection’s legendary Storm of the Light’s Bane and Marduk’s acclaimed Opus Nocturne.

Särkkä founded the True Satanist Horde, one of many satanic black metal circles across Europe in the ‘90s. Särkkä also caused a stir by claiming the band War formed to raise money to pay for the murder of Burzum’s Varg Vikernes, who was serving prison time for killing Mayhem guitarist Euronymous.

IT’s sister posted:

We’d like to extend our sympathies to the loved ones of Tony ‘IT’ Särkkä.

See the Rockers We Lost in 2016

More From 97.9 WGRD