Martin "Marthus" Škaroupka is a Czech extreme metal drummer. He is a member and songwriter in British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth.
Biography
Since he was 6, Škaroupka started attending piano and singing lessons at LŠU Brno. Because there were no drums lessons at any of the music schools of that time available, he began to take private lessons from prof. Cupák. When 15 years old, Škaroupka was admitted to Leoš Janáček Conservatory Brno, where he graduated in drums and an additional instrument in piano. Marthus began playing with various bands of various music styles when he was 15. In the same year, his first studio enterprise is released, which is followed by another studio CD with band Pink Chubby Cigar. In 1997 Marthus and his long-time friend Khaablus founded the band Inner Fear, where Marthus is responsible for all compositions, keyboards and drums. In the same year the first demo came out and until 2003 two more mini-CDs and three full-length albums. Also in 1997, Marthus filled in as touring drummer for Czech bands Monastery, Pluggulp, Inner Fear, Happy Death and Scharnhorst. In the years following Marthus played live not only with Happy Death and Inner Fear, but also appeared as a guest drummer on Melancholy Pessimism minitour, in a project of Root singer Jiří "Big Boss" Valter, BigBoss and in 1999 recording CD of project Entrails. In the beginning of 2001, Marthus took place on drummer-stool in Pandemia, setting out on a spring European tour, after which the cooperation is finished. In summer 2004, Marthus filmed his first drumming DVD and moved from Czech Republic to England. In autumn 2004, Marthus joined English band Mantas and in summer 2005 started his cooperation with Czech power/speed/symphonic metal band Symphonity. In January 2006, Marthus recorded drums for a new Symphonity album at House of Audio studios in Germany. In October 2006, Marthus joined English extreme heavy metal band Cradle of Filth, replacing Adrian Erlandsson. On 1 July 2012, it was announced that Marthus would join melodic power metal band Masterplan. Marthus is also a songwriter and keyboard player. He wrote and recorded all the keyboards and orchestrations for the Cradle of Filth albums 'Manticore and The Other Horrors', 'Hammer Of The Witches' & 'Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay'.
