VARG VIKERNES

PRE-IMMORTAL

Old Funeral is a death metal band formed in May 1988, located in Bergen. They were only 15 when Olve and Tore started a band(Only Padden was 18). They were one of the first bands to form in the Norwegian extreme metal scene.

Old Funeral lineup(1988) from left to right:

Tore Bratseth(Guitars), Padden(Drums), Olve Eikemo(Vocals, Bass)

With this lineup they recorded their first demo in 1989 titled «The Fart That Should Not Be»

Fun Fact: Their first rehearsal place was Tore’s father basement. They rehearsed there almost every day

That demo was recorded on a 4-track fostex tape machine in their rehearsal room. Tore handwrote the cover, but it was xeroxed and released in 50 copies. It was just their friends who got them, so it is a total underground tape.

Another Fun Fact: they had only played their instruments for 10 months when it was recorded.

In July 1990 they released another demo called «Abduction of Limbs». It was the first metal recording made in Grieghallen Studio in Bergen. Pytten(Eirik Hundvin) was the producer, who was an old classmate of Tore’s father. This was the first time they had been in a professional studio, it took some days to record and mix(6-7 days were spent in the studio altogether). 600 copies were released in cassette format.

Old Funeral(1990) from left to right:

Olve Eikemo(Bass, Vocals), Padden(Drums), Tore Bratseth(Guitars, Lyrics)

Kristian Vikernes joined Old Funeral in 1990, they played few gigs, and compose songs for the «Devoured Carcass» demo before Olve would leave band in order to form Immortal. The role of vocalist fell to Padden.

Old Funeral(Also 1990) from left to right:

Kristian Vikernes(Guitars), Olve Eikemo(Bass, Vocals), Padden(Drums), Tore Bratseth(Guitars)

Also in 1991 Thorlak came as a bass-guitarist

With this new line-up they recorded a demo «Devoured Carcass». They went to Grieghallen to record again, but not to do a demo, but a 7” vinyl EP. Thorlak does not play on this EP as he became a member too late to learn the songs, even though he is pictured on the cover. Both, Tore and Padden, did the bass lines for it. On June 17th 1991 these 7 vinyls have come to light

Fun Fact: They got that deal because of Thrash Records that approached them after listening to the demo. The reaction was very good and the 1100 copies sold out in 2 weeks only!

They played about 10 gigs with Kristian, there was even one gig in Notodden with both Kristian and Olve before he quit. It was just before Thorlak joined on bass.

That’s it for Old Funeral! And before we move to «Amputation» i’d like to show you some moments from interviews with Tore!

You told me that you went to school with Olve (Abbath) since you were 8 years old. How were these days? Were you the only children who were so crazy about MOTÖRHEAD, BLACK SABBATH, THE BEATLES? Did you use to fuck things up, or were you quite quiet boys?

«He-he, these days were quite wild. Especially Olve got quite a lot of bad remarks from the teacher in his books. I actually have a tape from 1984 when we are 11 years old from a history class and we take the total piss out of the teacher. He had to go and get the principal because we were making so much noise. Also on the same tape there is a part where me and Olve and another guy is singing ‘Shoot ‘Em Down’ by Twisted Sister. Fucking brutal shit he-he. No, you can’t have the tape. Some things are meant to stay very underground. Olve along with Padden were my best friends (and still are) from childhood years.»

Was Padden also in the same school than you and Olve? You told me that he bought «Hell Awaits» and «Morbid Tales» around 1986. How did you react when hearing such a music? What pushed you to dig it more, and later to get involved into tape trading?

«Padden was at the same school as us yes, but not in the same class, because he was 2 years older than us. He was the first one of my friends to buy extreme records. I remember me and Olve looked at each other when we listened to «Hell Awaits» for the first time. It was a feeling of aggression, laughter and awe. We just laughed for minutes because we didn’t think it was possible to make such brutal music. I remember this record was listened to by maybe 6-7 people in our little village called Lysekloster. We all thought that this was the music that fitted our personalities and we started to seek more information about this kind of music. Then Padden, who was the only one with some money, bought Celtic Frost «Morbid Tales» and Possessed «Seven Churches», then came «Reign In Blood» and it was no way back.»

When exactly did you start OLD FUNERAL? Did you play covers in the beginning or just tried to come along with your own stuff? Was it also the first band for Olve and Padden?

«We started on the 17th of May 1988 rehearsing in my parents basement. This is the constitution day of Norway. Old Funeral was the first band of all of us, and nobody had played any instrument before this date»

How strong was the influence of the new members on the way to compose songs for the «Devoured Carcass» demo?

«Varg was a very good musician, so he participated a lot in the songwriting. Thorlak was more the lazy guy, but he was good to have in the band as well...»

You can read full interview with Tore here – https://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/interview/old-funeral/

I also highly you to read other interviews with him talking about Old funeral. Click here and here to read it!

Amputation is a death metal band formed in 1987-1988, located in Bergen and created by Harald Nævdal(Demonaz). At first the band went by Sacrecy, but it was changed to Amputation. They only released two demos before disbanding.

Fun Fact: Around that time(1987-1988) Harald met Olve!

Amputation’s original recording lineup consisted:

Harald Nævdal(Demonaz) – Guitars & Vocals

Truls Kvernhusvik – Guitars

Padden – Bass

Jørn Inge Tunsberg – Drums

«Achieve in Mutilation» demo tape self-released in 1989 in cassette format. Regular xeroxed covers. Ordinary tape. Tracks 2 and 3 are listed in the wrong order on the tape cover; track 2 is labeled as "Merciless Slaughter" and track 3 is labeled as "Death Is Not the End". Logo and cover art by Harald.

Kvernhusvik exited the band prior to the recording of the second demo, leaving the remaining trio as Amputation's final lineup.

In July they released their second and last demo titled «Slaughtered in the Arms of God». It was recorded at Grieghallen recording studio in Bergen.

Last Amputation’s lineup from left to right:

Jørn Inge Tunsberg(Bass),Padden(Drums), Harald Nævdal(Guitars & Vocals)

PRE-EMPEROR

Dark Device – death metal from Norway formed in 1990. Currently, there’s no any recordings of Dark Desire. Barely being active under that name, they’ve changed it to Xerasia in the same year.

XERASIA(1990)

From left to right, BACK: Ronny Johnsen(Drums) and Finn Arne Nielsen(Bass, Vocals)

From left to right, FRONT: Tomas Haugen(Guitars) and Vegard Tveitan(Guitars, Keyboard)

Under their new name the band released a live rehearsal tape in 1990. It was distributed by the band itself. Interested people could send them an empty tape, and they would copy their demo on to it and return it. But, in the same year Finn left the band and Xerasia became Embryonic, Vegard taken on the role of vocalist. While Finn still was in Xerasia he wrote 2 songs(Morbid Silence and Throne of Blood) which ended up in «The Land of the Lost Souls» (Embryonic’s demo).

From left to right, BACK: Tobben(Bass) and Ronny Johnsen(Drums)

From left to right, FRONT: Vegard Tveitan(Guitars, Vocals) and Tomas Haugen(Guitars)

Unlike Xerasia, Embryonic was recorded at Notodden Lydstudio in November 1990. Håvard Ellefson(Mortiis) has contributed to the lyrics of the title track.

In 1991 they’ve changed their name to the more well known Thou Shalt Suffer(which in turn became the foundation for the Emperor)

line up, left to right: Tobben(Bass), Vegard Tveitan(Guitars, Vocals), Tomas Haugen(Guitars), Ronny Johnsen(Drums)

Fun fact: this photo was taken by tomas’s father – Jens Olav Haugen

In July they’ve released an EP «Open the Mysteries of Your Creation» and in October they also released a demo «Into the Woods of Belial». Around that time Vegard and Tomas dyed their hair black & they went by Ygg(Vegard) and Samot(Tomas). For TSS promo pictures they started wearing full-black outfits, spikes and corpsepaints which shows that they are slowly being influenced by BM

Listen to Xerasia – https://youtu.be/kfW33j0wbD0?si=jVEQnYYo98atAHRR

Listen to Embryonic – https://youtu.be/sG25ZHeR1u0?si=Ba9m_PZiTYJ4pPrw

Listen to Thou Shalt Suffer:

Open the Mysteries of Your Creation – https://youtu.be/pZhYDJ9ua8k?si=nT3bKDNjZrVBYwxZ

Into the Woods of Belial – https://youtu.be/eRo6Aqe7KUY?si=uNMV6TZIm4sVpHQS

More archive stuff coming soon!

BÅRD G. EITHUN

Interview from «I Return to Darkness 'zine Issue #6 - FINLAND - Surma 1998 V.A»

Kjetil Esten Haraldsson «Manheim»

(probably 1986)

CRIME SCENE

Backdoor of Øystein’s apartment, behind it he and Varg wrestled and where he got killed

The stairwell where Varg killed Euronymous(and later where he also was found dead)

Bård «Faust» Eithun (1987)

Kristian Larsson Vikernes

(Varg’s childhood photos)

Kjetil Manheim & Jørn «Necrobutcher» Stubberud at primary school (Langhus, 12 April 1981)

Kristian Larsson Vikernes

(Varg’s childhood photos pt.2)

(pt.1)

Thou Shalt Suffer

1991 | Live in Notodden, Norway

line up:

Samot(Tomas Haugen) – Guitars

Ygg(Vegard Tveitan) – Vocals, Guitars

Ildjarn – Bass

Thorbjørn Akkerhaugen – Drums