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)
Scarab
Ihsahn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the shades of night
So am I reborn from my own corruption
I invoke the consuming fire
And from the ashes mould
The renaissance of my decadent self
The heart is overflowing
I indulge and dissipate
And when the cup is empty
I drink from nothingness
The venom by which I disintegrate
This is not merely pride
Or lust for eminence
This is the reoccurring cycle of my existence
As the sun returns
From the shades of night
So am I reborn from my own corruption
Behold - the god returns
Solar balls upon his back
A sacrifice
I invoke the consuming fire
And from the ashes mould
The renaissance of my decadance
My sacrifice - my corruption - my death
The lyrics of "Scarab" by Ihsahn are a testament to the rebirth of the self, after being consumed by corruption. The opening verse compares the return of the sun from the shades of night, to the rebirth of the self from its own corruption. The persona calls forth the consuming fire to emerge from the ashes and be reborn as a new self. The renaissance of the decadent self is a necessary step towards their rebirth. The introspective and transformative nature of this process is reflected in the overflowing heart, indulgence, and dissipation that occurs at the dawn of the rebirth. The persona drinks from nothingness after the cup is empty and disintegrates by the venom, suggesting that the old self is destroyed to make way for the new one.
The chorus repeats the opening lines, emphasizing the cyclical nature of rebirth and the interplay between darkness and light. The second verse uses the mythological figure of the god, who returns with solar balls on his back, representing transformation, sacrifice, and death. The persona invokes the consuming fire again and from the ashes renews themselves in their decadence. The final line, "My sacrifice - my corruption - my death," encapsulates the transformative cycle of rebirth, where the old self dies and is reborn as a new and glorious version.
Line by Line Meaning
As the sun returns
I am likening myself to the sun which returns each day, as I too believe that every time I emerge from darkness I am a new version of myself.
From the shades of night
I am stating that I am similar to the sun as it emerges from the dark night. I too have endured the darkness and have emerged new and transformed each time.
So am I reborn from my own corruption
I am confessing that each time I emerge from darkness, I am reborn from what I consider to be my own destructive behaviors and thoughts.
I invoke the consuming fire
I declare that I have the power within me to call upon a powerful force to consume the negative aspects of myself.
And from the ashes mould
From the destruction left by the consuming fire, I am able to create a new version of myself, one that has been transformed by fire.
The renaissance of my decadent self
I am acknowledging that I am flawed and have indulged in decadent behaviors, but through transforming myself, I am experiencing a 'renaissance' of sorts.
At the dawn of my rebirth
I am highlighting that with each transformation, there is a new beginning, a fresh start.
The heart is overflowing
I am experiencing an abundance of emotion during this transformation.
I indulge and dissipate
I am indulging in the newfound emotions I am experiencing but am also recognizing that they will eventually dissipate.
And when the cup is empty
I am acknowledging that eventually, the emotions and abundance will come to an end.
I drink from nothingness
Once the emotions have dissipated, I must find a way to continue on and grow, even when there is a void.
The venom by which I disintegrate
The 'venom' I am referring to is the transformation and growth I have undergone, as it has forced me to leave certain parts of myself behind.
This is not merely pride
I am asserting that the transformation and growth I have undergone is not due to pride or ego.
Or lust for eminence
I am asserting that the transformation and growth I have undergone is not due to a desire for fame or recognition.
This is the reoccurring cycle of my existence
I am highlighting that this process of transformation and growth is something that I will continue to undergo throughout my life.
Behold - the god returns
I am comparing myself to a god - one that has returned and has been transformed.
Solar balls upon his back
This is a metaphorical reference to the energy and power I feel I possess.
A sacrifice
I am acknowledging that in order to transform and grow, sacrifice must be made.
My sacrifice - my corruption - my death
I am stating that I have sacrificed my corrupt and flawed self in order to transform and grow, thus 'dying' to my old self.
Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.