Samoth
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Samoth (Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen) is a prominent musician in the Norwegian black metal scene. He is well known for his distinct guitar work in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon. Samoth is the owner of the record label Nocturnal Art Productions.
Biography
When Samoth was a young man, he met a fellow musician named Ihsahn at a rock clinic. The two soon became friends and started playing music together. They formed a band and moved through various names – they were called Dark Device, Xerasia, and finally Embryonic. The group eventually settled on the name Thou Shalt Suffer in 1991. They were playing an early form of black metal strongly influenced by death metal, and with death metal vocals.
Samoth and Ihsahn's friendship proved to be strong, however, and eventually the two took their musicianship to a new level. Partly due to the influence of Euronymous of the band Mayhem, Samoth dissolved Thou Shalt Suffer and began writing music for a new band called Emperor (in which he played drums). Ihsahn was the only member of Thou Shalt Suffer to remain, and soon bass player Mortiis and drummer Faust were recruited; Samoth moved back to his more familiar position of guitar. At this point, the group was playing fully developed black metal. Emperor was quick to release several demos which gained them recognition and popularity in the underground.
After years of playing in Emperor and being featured on various black metal side projects, Samoth decided to bring an end to his main band. He and Ihsahn decided to dissolve Emperor in 2001 due to their differing musical tastes. Samoth was leaning much more toward a futuristic death metal sounds, while Ihsahn was more influenced by gothic metal and symphonic metal. After Emperor's final release, Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire & Demise, composed entirely by Ihsahn, Emperor was no more. Samoth continues to play guitar in his own death metal band Zyklon.
Personal Discography
- Thou Shalt Suffer - Into The Woods Of Belial [Demo] - (1991). Samoth plays guitar.
- Thou Shalt Suffer - Open The Mysteries Of Your Creations [Demo] - (1991). Samoth plays guitar.
- Emperor - Wrath Of The Tyrant [Demo] - (1992). Samoth plays drums.
- Emperor - Emperor / Hordanes Land [Split] - (1993). Samoth plays guitar.
- Burzum - Aske [EP] - (1993). Samoth plays bass.
- Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse - (1994). Samoth plays guitar.
- Emperor - As The Shadows Rise [Demo] - (1994). Samoth plays guitar.
- Gorgoroth - Pentagram - (1994). Samoth plays bass.
- Satyricon - The Shadowthrone - (1994). Samoth plays guitar and bass.
- Arcturus - Constellation [EP] - (1995). Samoth plays guitar.
- Zyklon-B - Blood Must Be Shed [EP] - (1995). Samoth plays guitar.
- Emperor - Reverence [EP] - (1997). Samoth plays guitar.
- Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk - (1997). Samoth plays guitar.
- Emperor - Thorns Vs. Emperor [Split] - (1999). Samoth plays guitar and bass.
- Emperor - IX Equilibrium - (1999). Samoth plays guitar.
- Zyklon - World Ov Worms - (2001). Samoth plays guitar.
- Emperor - Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire & Demise - (2001). Samoth plays guitar.
- Zyklon - Aeon - (2003). Samoth plays guitar.
External links
- Emperor Official Homepage (http://ww.emperorhorde.com/) - The famous black metal band which Samoth founded.
- Zyklon Official Homepage (http://www.zyklontribe.com/) - Samoth's death metal band.
- Nocturnal Art Prodcutions (http://www.nocturnalart.com/) - Samoth's record label.