A bizarre but really interesting entertainer, Oystein Aarseth was a musician from Norway who was part of the famous metal band in the 1980s and 1990s called Mayhem. The band made waves across Norway and was known for its very notorious live performances.
Aarseth, who was better known by his stage name Euronymous, was a central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene and also owned Deathlike Silence Productions, the extreme metal record label. The musician was notorious for making extreme misanthropic statements and often got into trouble because of that.
Biography of Oystein Aarseth
Aarseth was born in Surnadal Norway, though some other sources claim it to be Egersund, on the 22nd of March 1968. It is believed that it was in Norway that the musician grew up and developed his love for making black metal music.
Not much is known about his family. His parents are not mentioned neither are his siblings identified but he is said to have a brother whose name is unknown. His given name was Oystein Aarseth but along the way before putting the band together, he gave himself a stage name Destructor but later changed it to Euronymous.
Oystein Aarseth’s zodiac was Aries and he had a height of 5’6 (168 cm).
Read Also: Who is Teemu Brunila? 10 Things You Don’t Know About The Musician
Did Oystein Aarseth Go To School?
It is not stated if Oystein Aarseth went to school before he set up his band so no information is available about his schooling background. However one could say that one of his life achievements was forming the band Mayhem in the year 1984.
It is said that he helped many bands who had the same interest as he did come up by mentoring them and giving out recommendations about their music, groups such as Emperor and Enslaved benefited from him too.
He Was A Satanist
Oystein Aarseth was an extremely unusual person. He expressly professed that he believed in Satan and practiced satanic doctrines. He waged a war on churches where he started a movement of instigating other metal band groups who followed him to burn churches all around Norway saying he did these so he can spread grief and despair among Christians and everyone else.
Read Also: David Meece – 10 Facts About The American Musician, Bio, Family, Net Worth
Oystein Aarseth gained hate from the sections of the public for his notorious lifestyle and constantly got in trouble with the law because of this. But a section of the public, especially the youths, adored his lifestyle.
The Death Of His Fellow Bandmate Caused A Stir
Oystein Aarseth made headlines with what he did when his bandmate died. Aarseth’s friend and bandmate Per Dead Ohlin was found dead in his cabin in the woods he shared with Aarseth on the 8th of April 1991. He has committed suicide by slitting his wrists and shooting himself with a shotgun.
Something disturbing then happened after Aarseth found his friend dead. He went out to a store, bought a camera, and took pictures of his dead friend on the floor after rearranging the scene before he called the police to report the death. He would, later on, use the pictures as a cover shot for one of their albums later released.
This disturbing act surprised another bandmate, Necrobutcher, who stated that Dead and Aarseth were not getting along quite well until his death. After Aarseth took the pictures of his dead friend he called Necrobutcher the next day to say that Dead had done something cool by killing himself and this made Necrobutcher angry. During the following months, witnesses attest to the fact that Aarseth used bits of Dead’s skull as necklaces and gave them out as gifts to those he considered’ worthy” of it. He also allegedly cut Dead’s brain into tiny pieces and used it to make soup even though he denied it.
How Oystein Aarseth Died
Oystein Aarseth was killed on the 10th of August 1993 by his fellow bandmate, Vikernes. Vikernes stabbed him to death at his apartment in Oslo. Initially, the media blamed Swedish black metallers for his murder. It was speculated that his death was a result of a power struggle between the two.
Euronymous is said to have owed Vikernes lots of money for royalty payments and he had been receiving death threats from Euronymous. Vikernes on the other hand claimed he killed him in self-defense. He told the police that Euronymous had planned to torture him to death tied to a chair and stun him with an electric shock weapon and that he had told a few people about his plan. He stated further that he had gone to his residence to get him to sign a contract but on reaching there, Euronymous attacked him with a knife and he had no option but to defend himself.
Read Also: Jason Aalon Butler: FEVER 333 Frontman is more than a Musician- 10 Unknown Facts
Oystein Aarseth’s body was found in the stairwell of the first floor having 23 stab wounds all over his body – he had two stab wounds to the head, five to the neck, and sixteen to the back. He died at the tender age of 25. Vikernes went on to contend that the stab wounds on his body were caused by broken glass he had fallen on during their struggle.
A year later after the murder, Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison for murder and arson and Blackthorn who was waiting outside when the incident happened, was given 8 years imprisonment for being an accomplice. After serving his time Vikernes was released from prison in 2009 on parole.
