Tveitan was born in
Notodden, Norway, where he grew up on a large farm. He began playing piano at age six and guitar at age 10.
Early years: Xerasia, Embryonic, and Thou Shalt Suffer At the age of 13, Tveitan met Tomas Haugen (also known as
Samoth), who would become his long time collaborator and the co-founder of
Emperor. While at a music seminar, Tveitan gained Haugen's attention with his
Iron Maiden patches. In 1990 Tveitan joined Haugen's band Xerasia, a
death metal band in which he played guitar and keyboards. They eventually changed their name to Embryonic sometime that year. In November, the band released a self-financed four-track demo titled
The Land of the Lost Souls. In 1991 they changed their name again to
Thou Shalt Suffer. The project was partially funded by a government grant and the group made several releases in 1990 and 1991. Shortly after, Haugen left the band to focus on other projects. Tveitan later used the name Thou Shalt Suffer to release an album of electronic music that he composed entitled Somnium.
Formation of Emperor and Peccatum Later in 1991 Haugen and Tveitan formed
Emperor. Emperor had a much more refined
black metal sound which showcased Tveitan's developing keyboard skills, a distinct feature that would appear in many of his later releases. The band at this time received a lot of support and encouragement from black metal pioneer
Euronymous, and after several demos, the
Emperor EP was released in 1993 to much acclaim. During this time, bandmates Bård Eithun (also known as
Faust) and Haugen were imprisoned; Eithun for murder and Haugen for arson.
Grimen, the only album by side project 'Hardingrock' was released the same year. Tveitan released his third solo album,
After, in January 2010. Lars K. Nordberg and Asgeir Mickelson once again contributed bass and drums, respectively, with
Jørgen Munkeby (of
Shining) playing saxophone on several tracks as well. Later that year, in October, a Mnemosyne web update confirmed that Ihsahn had already begun writing for a fourth solo album, and was also focusing on upgrading his studio at home.
2011–2013: Eremita and Das Seelenbrechen 2011 was a busy year for Tveitan. Aside from making his solo debut in the US at the annual
ProgPower USA metal festival in
Atlanta, Georgia, he also performed as a guest on two records, co-produced the album
Bilateral with his wife, and continued to work on his fourth solo album. Collaborators once again included Jørgen Munkeby and
Devin Townsend, who in a November 2011 interview mentioned that he was "singing a song for Ihsahn's new thing", but added that he could not elaborate any more at that point in time. In 2012, Tveitan released his fourth studio solo album,
Eremita.
Das Seelenbrechen was released on 21 October 2013. It was recorded in Juke Joint Studio and Tveitan's own
Mnemosyne Studio. 2014
2016–present: Arktis, Àmr, and self-titled eighth album In April 2016, Tveitan released his sixth studio album,
Arktis, on
Candlelight Records. The album was mixed and mastered by
Jens Bogren. The album cover features a photograph of
Fridtjof Nansen, whose 1896 mission to the North Pole fits with the lyrical atmosphere of the album. They also share their birthday of 10 October. The title of the album is an old Norse word for "loathsome" or "black" and reflects the introspective nature of the songs. Tveitan added that the word
Àmr, could also mean "rust red" and that the concept of a "room without walls" was a prevalent metaphor when working on the album. In comparison to previous albums,
Àmr also features a greater use of electronic sounds, including
analog synthesizers, that add to the intimate feeling of the music. In November 2023, Tveitan announced that his
self-titled eighth album would be released on 16 February 2024. In addition to the traditional album version, the new album also includes an orchestral version. At the same time, the first single from the album, "Pilgrimage to Oblivion", was released. == Awards and publications ==