15 Facts About Ihsahn

Ihsahn is a progenitor of the symphonic black metal genre.

Ihsahn began playing piano at age six and guitar at age 10.

Ihsahn recorded and produced the album by himself, with the exception of drums which were contributed by Asgeir Mickelson, and guest vocals on the track "Homecoming" by Kristoffer Rygg of Ulver.

Ihsahn released his second studio album, titled angL, the following year, featuring Lars K Norberg on bass, Asgeir Mickelson on drums, and guest vocals from Mikael Akerfeldt on the track "Unhealer".

Ihsahn has since made many festival appearances, playing a mix of solo material and Emperor covers.

Ihsahn won the prize because he is considered the best-known inhabitant of Notodden, a great musician, a music teacher, and he arranges a lot of concerts for unknown bands.

Ihsahn highlighted the conceptual and narrative aspects that these groups constructed their albums around as being particularly influential.

Ihsahn is married to Heidi Solberg Tveitan, known professionally as Starofash or Ihriel.

Ihsahn has cited her as an important creative collaborator on his solo albums.

Ihsahn is the brother-in-law of Einar Solberg, the lead vocalist of the band Leprous, Kenneth Solberg, former guitarist of the band Leprous, and Lord PZ, who was a part of the band Peccatum together with both Ihsahn and his wife.

Ihsahn described himself a Satanist in the 1990s, when he was 18 years old and mainly known as the Emperor guitarist.

Ihsahn considered most other adolescents to be "soulless" people, too involved in materialistic things.

Ihsahn said the imprisonment of the other Emperor members had both positive and negative effects; it meant a difficult period for the band, but the imprisonment gave them publicity and therefore more possibilities to spread their ideas.

Ihsahn additionally has said he has seen no reason to be physically destructive and has had no personal connection to the church burning cases that rocked Norway.

Ihsahn has additionally condemned acts of criminality and other forms of religious intolerance such as the aforementioned arson cases.