Samoth

Infobox musical artist
Name = Samoth


Img_capt = Samoth on Metalmania 2007
Img_size = 200px
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen
Alias = Samoth
Born =
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Guitar, Bass guitar, drums, vocals, synth
Genre = Black metal Death metal
Occupation = Musician, Songwriter
Years_active =
Label =
Associated_acts = Emperor Zyklon Zyklon-B Burzum Gorgoroth Satyricon Mayhem Scum
URL =
| Current_members =
Past_members =
notable instruments = Gibson Les Paul ESP Guitars Marshall JCM 2000 Amp Pearl Drums Sabian Cymbals Ahead drumsticks

Samoth (born Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen on June 9, 1974) is a prominent musician and multi-instrumentalist in the Norwegian black metal scene. He 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. In very early Emperor releases, he was called Samot, and with the formation of Zyklon he became known as Zamoth. Samoth is the owner of the record label Nocturnal Art Productions and has a close relationship with Candlelight Records.

Biography

Samoth was born in June 9, 1974 in Hammerfest, Norway. He is the son of Spoonful of Blues bass player Jens Haugen, who encouraged his son to play bass guitar. He grew up and lived in Tromsø, Norway and still resides there to this day. When Samoth was a young man, he met a fellow musician, who would later become known as Ihsahn, at a rock clinic in Bergen. 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, particularly vocally.

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 in 1992 and 1993, which gained them recognition and popularity in the underground. Mortiis did not stay in the band, and decided to form his own, more electronic-based solo band. He was succeeded by Tchort.

In 1994 Samoth was sentenced to 16 months in prison for burning Skjold Church in Vindafjord, together with Varg Vikernes [NTB. (1994, June 29th). Ubetinget fengsel for kirkebrann. (Norwegian) "Aftenposten" (morning), p. 4.] The arson was committed during a pause in the recording of the Burzum EP "Aske" ("Ashes") [Fragell, Geir. (1994, June 28th). – Alle kirker skulle brennes. (Norwegian) "VG", p. 11.] , where Samoth performed as a session bass player. As Tchort and Faust were also imprisoned at this time, Ihsahn was the only remaining bandmember outside prison, and Emperor didn't release another album in three years. Tchort and Faust did not return to the band.

After years of playing in Emperor and being featured on various black metal side projects, Samoth, in conjunction with Ihsahn, decided to dissolve Emperor in 2001 due to their differing musical tastes. Although black metal was both Samoth and Ihsahn's biggest influence and favorite genre of music, Samoth was leaning toward a futuristic death metal sound, 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 with fellow drummer Trym in death metal band Zyklon.

Emperor regrouped in 2006 with the core trio of Ihsahn, Samoth and Trym augmented by a bassist and a keyboardist, and played a few one-night-off gigs in Europe and USA in 2006 and 2007.

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

He has one daughter with ex-wife Andrea Haugen. He remarried since his divorce and he also has a daughter with his wife Erin. [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/BlabberMouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=96291 BLABBERMOUTH.NET - ZYKLON/EMPEROR Guitarist Welcomes Addition To Family ] ]

Samoth also did voicework for 2007's Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse episode "Dethfashion".

Beliefs

Samoth is a practitioner of Norse Paganism, like the Scandinavian Vikings many hundreds of years ago. Samoth has stated in numerous interviews that he has never been a Satanist or an Occultist but that he is Anti-Christian and Anti-religious in general. He stated that "Ideologies don't bother me, but it's religion that does."

amoth's Drumkit

Samoth has stated in an interview with Metal Hammer that the following kit was used by himself to record drum tracks for the albums "Wrath Of The Tyrant". Fact|date=August 2008

*Pearl Export Drums (jet black w/ black hardware)
**22" x 18" Bass Drum
**13" x 6.5" Snare Drum
**10" x 8" Mounted Tom
**12" x 9" Mounted Tom
**13" x 10" Mounted Tom
**16" x 16" Floor Tom
*Sabian and Wuhan Cymbals
**20" Sabian Solar Ride
**14" AA Sizzle Hats
**18" Wuhan China
**19" B8 Rock Crash
**6" AA splash
**12" Wuhan china
**18" B8 Pro Heavy Crash
**20" AAX Metal Ride
**22" Wuhan China
**Pearl Eliminator Double Pedal

Personal discography

*Thou Shalt Suffer - "Into the Woods of Belial" [Demo] - (1991) (Guitar)
*Thou Shalt Suffer - "Open the Mysteries of Your Creations" [Demo] - (1991) (Guitar)
*Emperor - "Wrath of the Tyrant" [Demo] - (1992) (Drums)
*Ildjarn - "Seven Harmonies of Unknown Truths" (Demo) - (1992) (session vocals)
*Emperor - "Emperor / Hordanes Land" [Split w Enslaved] - (1993) (Guitar)
*Burzum - "Aske" [EP] - (1993) (session bass)
*Emperor - "As the Shadows Rise" [EP] - (1994) (Guitar)
*Emperor - "In The Nightside Eclipse" - (1994) (Guitar)
*Gorgoroth - "Pentagram" - (1994) (Bass)
*Satyricon - "The Shadowthrone" - (1994) (Bass)
*Arcturus - "Constellation" [EP] - (1995) (Guitar)
*Zyklon-B - "Blood Must Be Shed" [EP] - (1994) (Guitar)
*Emperor - "Reverence" [EP] - (1997) (Guitar, Bass, )
*Emperor - "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" - (1997) (Guitar)
*Hagalaz' Runedance- "The Winds That Spoke of Midgard's Fate"-(1998) (War drums, violas and contrabass)
*Emperor - "Thorns Vs. Emperor" [Split] - (1999) (Guitar and bass)
*Emperor - "IX Equilibrium" - (1999) (Guitar)
*Zyklon - "World ov Worms" - (2001) (Guitar)
*Emperor - "" - (2001) (Guitar)
*Zyklon - "Aeon" - (2003) (Guitar)
*Notodden All Stars - "Valfar, ein Windir" - (2004) (guitar on cover of "Destroy")
*Scum - "Gospels for the Sick"- (2005) (Guitar)
*Zyklon - "Disintegrate" - (2006) (Guitar)

Endorsements & Equipment

**"Endorsements"
*ESP Guitars & Basses
*Marshall Amplifiers
*Vader Cabinets
*Dunlop Picks
*Ernie Ball Strings
**"Other Equipment"
*Gibson Guitars
*Jackson Guitars
*B.C. Rich Guitars
*Fender Bass Guitars
*ENGL Amplifiers
*Peavey Amplifiers
*Pearl Drums & Hardware
*Sabian Cymbals
*Ahead drumsticks

References

External links

* [http://www.emperorhorde.com/ Emperor Official Homepage] - The famous Norwegian black metal band which Samoth founded.
* [http://www.zyklontribe.com/ Zyklon Official Homepage] - Samoth's death metal band.
* [http://www.nocturnalart.com/ Nocturnal Art Productions] - Samoth's record label.