12 Facts About Samoth

Samoth is well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon.

Samoth was the owner of the record label Nocturnal Art Productions and had a close relationship with Candlelight Records.

Samoth is the son of Spoonful of Blues bass player Jens Haugen, who encouraged his son to play bass guitar.

When Samoth was a young man, he met fellow musician Vegard Tveitan, who would later become known as Ihsahn, at a rock clinic in Bergen.

Ihsahn was the only member of Thou Shalt Suffer to remain, and soon bass player Mortiis and drummer Faust were recruited for Emperor; Samoth moved back to his more familiar position of guitar.

In 1994, Samoth was sentenced to 16 months in prison for burning Skjold Church in Vindafjord, together with Varg Vikernes.

The arson was committed during a pause in the recording of the Burzum EP Aske, where Samoth performed as a session bass player.

Samoth went on to play guitar with fellow drummer Trym in the death metal band Zyklon.

Recently Samoth was involved in Norwegian-American supergroup Scum, which featured Bard Faust, Cosmocrator of Mindgrinder, Chasey Chaos of Amen and Happy Tom from Turbonegro.

Samoth did voice work for 2007's Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse episode "Dethfashion".

In 2008, Samoth formed The Wretched End with Cosmo and went on to release 3 albums: Ominous, Inroads and In These Woods, From These Mountains.

Samoth has stated in an interview with Metal Hammer that the following kit was used by himself to record drum tracks for the demo "Wrath of the Tyrant".