Born in the town of Notodden, Norway, Tveitan began playing piano at seven and guitar at ten and began recording songs shortly thereafter. His influences range from heavy metal, classical, ambient and techno. He grew up on a large farm in rural Norway.
Tveitan first met his partner in numerous musical projects, Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen (a.k.a. Samoth) at the age of thirteen at a music seminar. Tveitan gained Haugen's attention with his Iron Maiden patches. In 1991 they formed Thou Shalt Suffer together, a death/black metal band where Tveitan was guitarist and keyboardist. They produced several releases before Haugen left the band. Tveitan was left as the only member of the band and continues it to this day as a side-project. Unlike his solo work under his own name, Ihsahn's latest compositions for Thou Shalt Suffer are predominately keyboard-based and more classical in nature and influence.
After Haugen's departure from Thou Shalt suffer, the two formed Emperor where Tveitan again played guitar and provided vocals and keyboards. Emperor had a much more refined black metal sound which showcased Tveitan's developing keyboard sound, a distinct feature that would appear in his later releases. The band at this time received much support and encouragement from black metal pioneer Euronymous (member of the black metal band Mayhem) and after several demos, In the Nightside Eclipse was released to much acclaim.
Shortly thereafter, bandmates Haugen and Bård Eithun (a.k.a. Faust) were arrested and imprisoned leaving Tveitan to his own devices. He retreated to a property owned by his family to compose much of what would later become Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, which was recorded after the parole of Haugen.
In 1995 the cult album Blood Must Be Shed from Zyklon-B was released featuring members of Emperor and Satyricon, with Tveitan on synth. In 1998 Tveitan formed, along with his wife Heidi Tveitan (a.k.a. Ihriel), the highly experimental project Peccatum. In 1999 Emperor released IX Equilibrium.
Peccatum would feature his trademark synth sound as well as clean and black vocals. Over the years Peccatum has released five albums and EPs and was Tveitan's main project until the project was ended in early March 2006.
In 2001, the final Emperor album was realesed. A studio album, Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise was entirely composed by Tveitan and featured much more complex melodies than previous works. It had significantly less synth than before. It was at this time Emperor mutually decided to dissolve, leaving the band with more time to focus on side projects.
On September 30th 2005, Emperor made a surprise return at Scream's 15-year anniversary party in Oslo at the Rockefeller. The move was kept top secret, was only known by a handful of people, and they played three songs only. This was to announce the reuniting of the band for a few shows around Europe and America in 2006, namely at the Wacken Open Air festival and Inferno Festival.
His first solo album The Adversary was released in April 2006. All work was done by him with the exception of percussion, which was done by Asgeir Mickelson (Borknagar, Vintersorg and others). It showcases his progressive influences as well as heavy metal, black metal and classical music. The album was recorded at Symphonique Studios in Norway and is to be released on his label Mnemosyne Productions, which was formed in 2003 with Ihriel. A video accompanies the track Invocation.
As well as being a talented musician, Tveitan is also a capable artist and once considered doing the artwork for a Thou Shalt Suffer album. He presently lives in Notodden, Norway with his wife and one dog, an Akita Inu. He also teaches music at the local school.
From Official Myspace:
Just thirty years of age, Ihsahn has traveled far beyond his rural beginnings. In little more than a decade, the largely self-taught musician has amassed a resume that when combined exceeds more than three quarters of a million worldwide album sales. His cumulative professional accolades include a 2001 Spelleman (Norwegian Grammy) Award nomination, 2003 Notodden City Cultural Award, and countless "Best of" class honors in internationally respected metal and rock magazines including Terrorizer, Metal Maniacs, Revolver, Kerrang!, Guitar World and many more. Now with The Adversary, the former Emperor vocalist/guitarist steps outside the comforts of an ensemble or collaboration and commands for the first time his most challenging project - a solo album.
He also contributed vocals on Devin Townsend Project's album, Deconstruction.
Discography:
Thou Shalt Suffer:
1991 - Into the Woods of Belial (Demo)
1991 - Open the Mysteries of Your Creation (Demo)
1997 - Into the Woods of Belial (Compilation), (Re-issued 2004)
2000 - Somnium
Emperor:
Full Length:
1994 - In the Nightside Eclipse
1997 - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
1999 - IX Equilibrium
2001 - Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise
Live Albums:
2000 - Emperial Live Ceremony
Compilation Albums:
1998 - Wrath of the Tyrant
2001 - Emperial Vinyl Presentation
2003 - Scattered Ashes: A Decade of Emperial Wrath
Split Albums:
1993 - Emperor / Hordanes Land - Split with Enslaved
1999 - Thorns vs. Emperor - Split with Thorns
2000 - True Kings of Norway - Split with Immortal, Dimmu Borgir, Ancient and Arcturus
Singles/EPs:
1993 - Emperor
1994 - As the Shadows Rise
1996 - Reverence
Demos/Promos:
1992 - Wrath of the Tyrant
Bootlegs:
1995 - A Midsummer Night's Dream
1997 - Conquering Europe
1999 - Live in Frostland
Videography:
1997 - The Loss and Curse of Reverence (Promo Video)
2000 - Emperial Live Ceremony (VHS/DVD)
2001 - Empty (Promo Video)
Peccatum:
1999 - Strangling from Within
2000 - Oh, My Regrets (EP)
2001 - Amor Fati
2004 - Lost in Reverie
2005 - The Moribund People (EP)
Ihsahn: (Solo-albums)
2006 - The Adversary
2008 - Angl
2010 - After
2012 - Eremita
2013 - Das Seelnbrechen
2016 - Arktis
2018 - ÀMR
Hardingrock:
2007 - Grimen
Guest appearances and session:
1995 - Ildjarn - Det Frysende Nordariket (Session vocals on various tracks)
1995 - Wongraven - Fjelltronen (Session synth)
1995 - Zyklon-B - Blood Must Be Shed (Session synth and guitar)
1998 - Ulver - Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven & Hell (Guest vocals on A Song of Liberty)
2002 - Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (Guest vocals on Radical Cut)
2002 - Star of Ash - Iter.Viator. (Various roles including guitar and bass duties)
2011 - Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction (Guest vocals on Juular)
2012 - Jeff Loomis - Plains Of Oblivion (Guest vocals on Surrender)
Celestial Violence
Ihsahn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I will turn these unforgiving words into a star
Stay
This scenery would change if we could watch it from afar
Pain
Like icons of our suffering, distilled, the works of art
Pain
A sting of life to bind us to these heavens, torn apart
Celestial violence
Eternal wars unfold across the sky
Celestial violence
Feel the unrelenting pulse inside
Sing
And celebrate the chaos of this canvas that is night
Sing
But strike a chord of dissonance when harmony betrays to lure you blind into the light
An emptiness so deep
Even time will disappear
Hand in hand with all the whispers of the intermission
The still anticipation of a scream
Celestial violence
Eternal wars unfold across the sky
Celestial violence
Feel the unrelenting pulse inside
Celestial violence
I will turn these unforgiving words into a star
Celestial violence
This scenery would change if we could watch it from afar
Celestial violence
The still anticipation of a scream
Celestial violence (celestial violence)
Celestial violence (celestial violence)
Celestial violence (celestial violence)
The lyrics of Ihsahn's "Celestial Violence" speak of pain, suffering, art, and the chaos of the universe. The song starts with a powerful plea for someone to stay and witness the transformation of "unforgiving words" into a star. This analogy suggests that there is the possibility of beauty even in the darkest of times. There is also the hope that by observing things from a distance, one can gain a clearer perspective on them. Pain is described as both a reminder of our mortality and a creation of art, something that has the power to bind us to the heavens even as they are torn apart.
The title of the song refers to the eternal wars that take place across the sky, a metaphor for the conflicts and struggles that we all face in life. There is a sense of power and intensity in the way the phrase "celestial violence" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the weight and significance of these battles. The lyrics hint at the possibility of transcendence, of rising above the petty conflicts of the mortal world to embrace the chaos of the universe in all its terrifying beauty.
Overall, "Celestial Violence" is a powerful and thought-provoking meditation on the nature of pain, suffering, and the universe itself. It is a reminder that even in the seemingly darkest of times, there is always the possibility of transformation and beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay
Stay with me
And I will turn these unforgiving words into a star
I can turn our harsh words into something beautiful and eternal
This scenery would change if we could watch it from afar
Sometimes things only make sense when you look at them from a distance
Pain
Our suffering
Like icons of our suffering, distilled, the works of art
The art that comes from our pain is a representation of our struggle
A sting of life to bind us to these heavens, torn apart
The pain we feel is a reminder that we're alive and a connection to the wider universe, which is also suffering
Celestial violence
The never-ending conflict in the heavens
Eternal wars unfold across the sky
The battle is constant and stretches across the cosmos
Feel the unrelenting pulse inside
Experience the intensity and passion of the conflict
Sing
Celebrate
And celebrate the chaos of this canvas that is night
Find beauty and inspiration in the dark and seemingly chaotic aspects of life
But strike a chord of dissonance when harmony betrays to lure you blind into the light
When things seem perfect and harmonious, be wary of being deceived and losing sight of what's really important
An emptiness so deep
A void that feels all-consuming
Even time will disappear
The emptiness and void are so profound that time itself seems to vanish
Hand in hand with all the whispers of the intermission
All the hushed and secret moments in between the chaos and conflict
The still anticipation of a scream
The eerie and tense calm before a moment of explosive emotion
I will turn these unforgiving words into a star
Again, I can make something beautiful out of pain and hardship
The still anticipation of a scream
The eerie and tense calm before a moment of explosive emotion
Celestial violence (celestial violence)
Repeating the main theme of the song - the never-ending conflict in the heavens
Writer(s): Vegard Tveitan
Contributed by Aubrey E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.