Best Youtuber: LEO MORACCHIOLI vs VARG VIKERNES

LEO MORACCHIOLI

Leo Moracchioli is a Norwegian metal musician and producer based in Oltedal. A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his metal covers of popular song...

Leo Moracchioli is a Norwegian metal musician and producer based in Oltedal. A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his metal covers of popular songs, which have gained him over 4 million followers on YouTube as frogleapstudios. Moracchioli has recorded over 400 covers, at a rate of approximately one per week, including covers of "Hello" by Adele, "Sail" by AWOLNATION, "Poker Face" and "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga, "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz, "Chandelier" by Sia, "Africa" by Toto, "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley, "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X, and many others. His cover of "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi peaked at number 35 on the Hungarian Single Top 40 chart on 10 August 2017. Moracchioli states that although he is playing covers, it is enough of a creative outlet for him to put his own spin on the songs. In addition to his metal covers, he also made an "acoustic" cover of "Duality" by metal band Slipknot, using slide whistles, timpani and tuba. For each video, Moracchioli creates the arrangements, and plays all the instruments, except for a small number of songs in which he has collaborated with other instrumentalists; they often require at least 50 tracks. Although most of the videos feature only himself, and sometimes his family or a musical guest—sometimes a fellow YouTube artist participating remotely—for his video cover of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" he was joined by Drowning Pool guitarist C. J Pierce. The video was filmed in a nightclub and included hired backup dancers. He sometimes tours internationally with his band Frog Leap (studios). On 3 August 2019, he was at the 30th Anniversary of Wacken Open Air with the band. The Frog Leap band members are – Leo Moracchioli (vocals and guitar), Erik Torp (bass), Rabea Massaad (guitar), Truls Haugen (vocals and drums).

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VARG VIKERNES

Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (Norwegian: ), is a Norwegian musician and author best known fo...

Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (Norwegian: ), is a Norwegian musician and author best known for his early black metal albums and later criminal convictions. His first four records, issued under the name Burzum from 1991 to 1994, made him one of the most influential figures in black metal. In 1994, he was convicted of murder and arson, and subsequently served 15 years in prison. A native of Bergen, Vikernes spent part of his childhood in Iraq, where his father was working for the Iraqi government. He began playing guitar at the age of 14 and formed his first band, Kalashnikov, by 1989. After founding Burzum, he became part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. In 1992, Vikernes, along with other members of the scene, was suspected of burning down four Christian churches in Norway. Vikernes denied responsibility for the arsons, though he supported them. From 1992 to 1993, he was a member of the band Mayhem, and played bass on their debut album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. In August 1993, Vikernes fatally stabbed Mayhem guitarist Euronymous during an altercation at the latter's apartment, and was arrested shortly after. In May 1994, Vikernes was convicted of first-degree murder, church arson and possession of explosives. Vikernes said the killing was self-defense and unsuccessfully argued for the charge to be reduced to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum penalty under Norwegian law. During his incarceration, Vikernes launched the Norwegian Heathen Front, had two books published, and released two ambient albums as Burzum. In 2009, he was released on parole, after which he moved to France with his wife and children, where he has continued to write and make music. Described as "the most notorious metal musician of all time", Vikernes remains controversial for his crimes as well as his political and religious views. He promoted views which combined Odinism and Esoteric Nazism, and openly embraced Nazism during the 1990s. He has since disavowed the ideology and its associated movements, although commentators continue to label his views as far-right. Vikernes calls his beliefs "Odalism" and opposes anything deemed "a threat to a pre-industrial European pagan society", including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, capitalism, socialism and materialism.

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