Roger Tiegs (born 18 June 1972 in
Umeå
Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County.
Situated on the Ume River, U ...
), better known by his stage name Infernus, is a Norwegian
black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an emp ...
musician and
Satanist.
He is the sole founding member and chief ideologist of the black metal band
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
, which was formed in 1992, as well as the founder and head of
Forces of Satan Records. He is mainly a guitarist but has also participated as bassist, drummer and vocalist on several recordings released both by Gorgoroth and other bands.
Biography
The formation of Gorgoroth
Infernus founded the black metal band
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
in
Sunnfjord in 1992 after making '
a pact with the Devil'.
The first
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
demo, ''
A Sorcery Written in Blood
''A Sorcery Written in Blood'' was the first demo released by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. The title of the demo was taken from the lyrics of the song "The Return of Darkness and Evil" by the band Bathory. The demo was released i ...
'', was released in 1993, and this demo landed the band a record deal with French label Embassy Productions. The first full-length Gorgoroth album, ''
Pentagram
A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle arou ...
'', was released in 1994. In the following years, the band experienced several line-up changes, with Infernus being the only original member to continue in the band. Joining members of black metal bands such as
Ulver,
Immortal
Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life.
Immortal or Immortality may also refer to:
Film
* ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film
* ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film ''The Wisdom of ...
,
Enslaved and Molested, he also participated as bassist on
Borknagar
Borknagar is a Norwegian heavy metal band from Bergen, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines black metal and folk metal with progressive and melodic elements. Borknagar's lyrics often deal with philosophy, pagan ...
's
self-titled debut album, which was released in 1996. After signing a deal with German label Malicious Records, Gorgoroth released the albums ''
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...
'' in 1996 and ''
Under the Sign of Hell'' in 1997, with Infernus responsible for all the music and also the majority of the lyrics, as well as doing both guitar and bass duties on the albums. These three first albums were the first steps towards fame in Norway, and the following albums resulted in Gorgoroth earning their reputation as one of the leading black metal bands in the world.
Gorgoroth tenure with Nuclear Blast
After the release of ''
Under the Sign of Hell'' and a European headlining tour in 1997,
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
was signed by the major German metal label
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
. Infernus wrote the majority of the first two Gorgoroth albums released on
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
, ''
Destroyer'' (1998) and ''
Incipit Satan
''Incipit Satan'' is the fifth full-length album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released on 7 February 2000 by Nuclear Blast, and reissued in 2006 by Back on Black Records. ''Incipit Satan'' was the first album with King ov Hel ...
'' (2000). Guitarist
Tormentor, who had joined the band in 1996, wrote the title tracks for these two albums, and Infernus and Tormentor also released an album and three limited editions of 7" vinyl in 1998 as a black metal side project called Desekrator, which included members of
Enslaved and
Old Funeral. After performing live with Gorgoroth on several festivals and tours both in Europe and South America, Infernus became one of the founding members of the black metal band
Orcustus
Orcustus is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 2002.
History
Orcustus formed in Bergen, Norway, in early 2002 by Taipan, Dirge Rep, Infernus and Tormentor. Their moniker, meaning "the inner circle of Hell where Lucifer resides on his thr ...
in 2002, a band consisting of members and ex-members of Gorgoroth,
Gehenna and Enslaved. ''
Twilight of the Idols - In Conspiracy with Satan'', which was Gorgoroth's third release on
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
, came out in 2003.
Allegations of rape
In 2003, Infernus was accused of raping a woman at an after-party. In the following trial, he was acquitted of rape, but was convicted of
gross negligent rape and served four months in prison in winter 2006/2007.
Gorgoroth controversy in Kraków and transfer to Regain Records
On 1 February 2004 Infernus and
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
performed a controversial live gig in
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, Poland, which was meant to be released on DVD by
Metal Mind Productions
Metal Mind Productions (MMP) is a Polish record label founded in 1987. The label focuses on rock and heavy metal. MMP is also publisher of ''Metal Hammer'', the largest and the oldest heavy metal magazine. As a concert agency, it organises Met ...
. Due to the satanic nature of the live show, the band and DVD producers were accused of breaking the Polish blasphemy laws. The tapes from the concert were confiscated by the Polish police for 4 years, but the concert was finally released on DVD in summer 2008, as ''
Black Mass Krakow 2004''. In 2005, Infernus and
Tormentor (who had quit
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
in 2002) released a cover version of
Von
The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''.
Nobility directories like the ''Almanach de ...
's "Satanic Blood", under the name Norwegian Evil. After leaving
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
in 2004, Infernus and Gorgoroth signed on Swedish record label
Regain Records, which released the next Gorgoroth album, ''
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam'', in 2006.
Forces of Satan Records
On 6 June 2006 Infernus started his own record label,
Forces of Satan Records, dedicated to only releasing albums by bands with a "clear-cut Satanic profile". The label's first release was the
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
live EP ''
Bergen 1996'', followed by albums by the Italian black metal band
Black Flame, the Brazilian
death metal band
Ophiolatry
Snake worship is devotion to serpent deities. The tradition is present in several ancient cultures, particularly in religion and mythology, where snakes were seen as the holders of knowledge, strength, and renewal.
Near East Ancient Mesopotam ...
, and the Serbian black metal band Triumfall.
Trademark of Gorgoroth band name and ''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt''
In March that year, Infernus announced that he had won the rights to the Gorgoroth band name in a dispute with Gaahl and King. According to Tiegs, City District Court delivered a verdict on the main question in the Gorgoroth trademark case, which took place at the end of January 2009. The court decided that King ov Hell's trademark registration No. 243365 of the band name Gorgoroth was not valid and was therefore to be deleted. The court stated that King ov Hell and Gaahl excluded themselves from the band Gorgoroth when they tried to fire Infernus in October 2007. The court further stated that Infernus cannot be excluded from Gorgoroth, unless he himself should decide to quit.
With the departure of Gaahl and King ov Hell from
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...
, Infernus recruited drummer
Tomas Asklund (
Dissection) and bassist
Bøddel (
Obituary) as well as guitarist
Tormentor and vocalist
Pest into the band, and recorded and released the album ''
Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt
''Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt'' (Latin for "They draw as many as they can toward Satanism") is the eighth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released on 21 October 2009 by Regain Records. This album marked the ...
'' in 2009.
Beliefs
Infernus is a
theistic Satanist and as the founding member of Gorgoroth, has built the band on his philosophy and religion, proclaiming himself as 'Satan's Minister on Earth'.
When asked in March 2009 about what he specifically practised, he described it as a
Gnostic
Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...
form of Satanism.
In an interview conducted in March 2009 following the conclusion of the
Gorgoroth name dispute with former colleagues
Gaahl and
King of Hell, he explicitly reaffirmed that he was 'the ideological backbone of Gorgoroth'.
[Infernus (Gorgoroth): Nu-mi pasa de Gaahl - METALHEAD.ro (2009)] He has expressed opposition to the
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is a religious organization dedicated to the religion of LaVeyan Satanism as codified in '' The Satanic Bible''. The Church of Satan was established at the Black House in San Francisco, California, on Walpurgisnacht, A ...
based on commercial frivolity, and when asked about this on a couple of occasions in 2009 he also said that he disagreed with their basic values:
'Basically, because they reject a theist view upon being. I do not regard man as the center of the universe. These are my views and they are not the views of any humanist or so-called atheist.'
Gallery
File:Gorgoroth Infernus.jpg, Infernus in 2010
File:Gorgoroth HITS09 by Christian-Misje-2649.jpg, Infernus in 2009
File:Gorgoroth live at John Dee 04.jpg, Infernus in 2001
File:Infernus live with Gorgoroth in 2000.JPG, Infernus in 2000
Discography
References
External links
Official Infernus MySpace profileon
Myspace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Infernus
1972 births
Living people
Norwegian heavy metal bass guitarists
Norwegian male bass guitarists
Norwegian black metal musicians
Norwegian rock bass guitarists
Norwegian rock guitarists
Norwegian Satanists
Norwegian songwriters
Musicians from Bergen
Gorgoroth members
Norwegian heavy metal guitarists
Norwegian multi-instrumentalists
Black metal guitarists
21st-century Norwegian bass guitarists