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)
Mass Darkness
Ihsahn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your eyes should of been closed.
Instead you lost your shadow,
To become, like them, a ghost.
Immersed within a mist of death,
You withered in the light
And left your disillusioned soul
Look beyond the fear and take it back.
The contours of your spirit
Make them black.
You just have to
(Give in) to the hunger.
(Give in) to the solitude.
(Give in) to the rapture of life.
Give in to darkness.
Mass Darkness.
You just have to give in.
Complete the shadow's circle
To become all that you are.
Surrender to the darkness
To shine just like a star.
You just have to
(Give in) to the hunger.
(Give in) to the solitude.
(Give in) to the sanctity of your heart.
Give in to darkness.
Mass Darkness.
(Give in) to the fire.
(Give in) to the cold.
(Give in) to the rapture of life.
Give in to darkness.
Mass Darkness
Mass Darkness
The lyrics to Ihsahn's song Mass Darkness speak of a haunting and disillusioned reality, where the singer has lost their identity and become trapped in a fog of death. The opening lines suggest that the world the singer is in is like a “haunting mirror,” and that they have become a ghost like the others in this world. They have lost their self and become disenchanted with life, leading them to tremble in the night, unable to find solace in anything.
However, the chorus provides a glimmer of hope as Ihsahn suggests that the singer can overcome their fears and find their true self. The repeated phrase “Give in,” may seem like a surrender to the darkness, but it is actually a call to let go of their past selves and embrace their inner hunger, solitude, sanctity, and the rapture of life. By doing so, they will complete the circle of their shadow and shine like a star.
The message in this song appears to be that over time people can become disillusioned with life, and lose their sense of self in the process. Ihsahn’s message is that even though the darkness may take hold, there is still hope for those who “give in” to their true selves.
Line by Line Meaning
In a world of haunting mirrors,
Existing in a world where the reflection oneself sees holds a haunting quality,
Your eyes should of been closed.
One's eyes should be shut so as to escape the horrors seen all around,
Instead you lost your shadow,
In a world where the darkness encompasses all, the shadow that was once indicative of one's identity has been lost,
To become, like them, a ghost.
To assimilate with the other spirits that traverse the shadows and to lose a sense of individuality in the process,
Immersed within a mist of death,
Surrounded by a dense fog of despair that brings forth the end of all things,
You withered in the light
One has weakened within the presence of the light, unable to withstand its blinding glare,
And left your disillusioned soul
One has departed, leaving behind a soul that has lost faith in the world around it,
To tremble in the night.
To shake uncontrollably in the dark, unable to find any semblance of stability in the absence of light,
Look beyond the fear and take it back.
To face one's fears and take back the aspects of oneself that have been lost amidst the darkness and despair,
The contours of your spirit
The distinctive characteristics that make up one's soul,
Make them black.
Transform them into a darker and more menacing form,
You just have to (Give in) to the hunger.
To submit oneself to the insatiable appetite for power and dominance,
(Give in) to the solitude.
To accept the loneliness that accompanies the path of the outcast,
(Give in) to the rapture of life.
To give oneself over to the ecstasy of existence, to revel in the joys of living,
Give in to darkness.
To surrender oneself to the darkness that permeates everything,
Mass Darkness.
A darkness that has consumed everything, leaving no trace of light or hope,
Complete the shadow's circle
To reconnect with the identity that has been lost, and to become whole once again,
To become all that you are.
To fully embrace every aspect of oneself, regardless of how dark or forbidden,
Surrender to the darkness
To give up the fight against the forces of darkness and to instead become one with them,
To shine just like a star.
To embrace the darkness so completely that one becomes an entity to be feared and revered,
(Give in) to the sanctity of your heart.
To accept the sacredness of one's inner self, even if it is shrouded in darkness and despair,
(Give in) to the fire.
To embrace the heat of passion and desire, even if it leads to destruction and chaos,
(Give in) to the cold.
To embrace the chill of the void and the abyss, even as it threatens to swallow one whole,
Mass Darkness
A force that threatens to consume everything, leaving nothing behind but eternal darkness and despair
Writer(s): Vegard Tveitan
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jaketaz
Ihsahn is one of the most important metal musicians today
Andi Pawlik
It's 2K thumbs up now. Still way too little for what this song represents. Come on all you former Emperor fans. This is different but just as good.
FF Fivehundread
Agreed. This song is a masterpiece
John A. Zoidberg
What's wrong? For starters, that bullshit dependence on something as trivial as a vote. Turns every goddamn argument into a popularity contest.
Vampire Jack
Only 12 thumbs up?
This is what is wrong with this damn planet....
Nitemortis
It's catchy song, there are moments you don't expect and that I like, Ihsahn always surprises. The melodic pathway he chose I personaly like (in Emperor and Ihsahn melodies always were). The shift towards mainstream is more from the "simplicity" of the song, but as simplicity I don't mean shitty riffs. His songwriting is still outstanding and it's still him!!! I'm curious what Arktis. is going to present.
Shawn DeBray
Matt Heafy of Trivium doing the clean backing vocals on the "give in, give into darkness mass darkness" part according to the man himself
Juan A. Perez
This is how you make a lyric video, a great video, and a great tune. I can't wait to hear this. I respect whatever direction this man goes in. Of course, I like some more then others.
Nicu Bucur
Amen on this, my friend! Everything I've ever heard coming from this man is briliant
Emmanuel Nava
Poderoso Ihsahn