Abbath

Olve Eikemo
Olve Eikemo
Born	Olve Eikemo; June 27, 1973 (age 53); Odda, Norway
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter
Years active	1989–present
Known for	Founding member of Immortal, Abbath (band)

Olve Eikemo (born 27 June 1973), widely recognized by his stage names Abbath Doom Occulta or simply Abbath, is a Norwegian artist and one of the founding figures of the black metal group Immortal. Prior to Immortal's formation, he played in Old Funeral together with fellow future Immortal member Demonaz. After departing from Immortal in 2015, Abbath established a new ensemble under the name Abbath. While he is chiefly known as a guitarist, Abbath has also demonstrated proficiency on bass and drums, having performed all drum parts on Immortal’s albums Pure Holocaust and Battles in the North.

Early life

Olve was born in Odda and raised in Lysefjorden, located in Os, near Bergen, Norway. During his childhood, he admired the hard rock group Kiss, with their album Creatures of the Night being his first heavy metal record and a major source of inspiration. He began his musical journey with Old Funeral and attributes receiving his initial exposure to a Venom video and a Bathory album as crucial influences that directed him towards black metal.

Immortal

In 1991, Abbath and Demonaz founded Immortal, recruiting former members from extreme metal outfits Old Funeral and Amputation. Due to frequent changes in personnel, Abbath took on multiple roles including lead vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, drums, and lyric writing. Initially, Abbath handled vocals, bass, and studio drumming while Demonaz was the guitarist. Stability came briefly when drummer Horgh joined the lineup. Following the 1997 release of Blizzard Beasts, Demonaz was diagnosed with acute tendinitis which forced him to stop playing guitar; however, he continued contributing as lyricist and band manager.

The 1999 album At the Heart of Winter featured Abbath performing both guitar and bass parts and represented a notable evolution in their musical style. Subsequent albums Damned in Black (2000) and Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) included Iscariah on bass. The group disbanded shortly thereafter due to personal issues.

In May 2006, Abbath announced that Immortal would reunite, resulting in a European tour in 2007 followed by their inaugural visits to Australia and New Zealand in 2008. Their 2009 release All Shall Fall reaffirmed their standing in the metal scene. The band's 2007 performance at Wacken Open Air was captured and released as the 2010 video album The Seventh Date of Blashyrkh. Abbath exited Immortal in 2015 after legal disputes concerning ownership of the band’s trademark.

I

After Immortal disbanded in 2003, Abbath initiated a new project called I within the same year. He fronted the band as vocalist and guitarist alongside former Immortal drummer Armagedda, bassist King ov Hell from Gorgoroth, guitarist Arve Isdal of Enslaved, and ex-Immortal guitarist Demonaz who contributed lyrics. The group released their debut record Between Two Worlds in 2006 and performed once at Bergen’s Hole in the Sky festival.

Abbath

Following his exit from Immortal in 2015, Abbath established a band under his own name, unveiling their debut album, also titled Abbath, in early 2016. The group subsequently released Outstrider in 2019, and their most recent album, Dread Reaver, came out in 2022.

Bömbers

Formed in 1996 as a tribute to Motörhead, Bömbers includes Abbath "Killminister" handling lead vocals and bass, Tore "Fast Tore" Bratseth on guitar, and Jan Terje "Pez" Pedersen playing drums. In 1997, Motörhead's Lemmy attended their performance at the Garage venue in Bergen. Abbath departed from Bömbers at the end of 2000 to dedicate himself to Immortal but rejoined after the band's hiatus in 2003. During his absence, Nicola "Morrigan" Trier took over bass duties. The band issued the EP Bergen in 2005, featuring covers of "Bomber," "No Class," and "Dead Men Tell No Tales." In October 2024, Bömbers announced their disbandment citing personal conflicts.

Alcohol issues

During the 2019 South American tour, Abbath's performance in Argentina was cut short due to his visibly impaired state from intoxication. The remainder of the tour was canceled the following day, and later that month, Abbath publicly disclosed entering rehabilitation for substance issues.

Equipment

Since 2015, Abbath has been endorsed by Schecter Guitars and launched his signature RavenDark V model in 2017. His arsenal over the years has included:

Schecter RavenDark V FR Abbath signature edition
Schecter E-1 FR
LTD DV8-R customized with a Floyd Rose tremolo system
LTD V-401DX equipped with Seymour Duncan pickups
GHL Jackson Randy Rhoads replica
Rickenbacker 4001 Bass guitar
B.C. Rich Ironbird Bass
Westone Thunder I Bass

His amplification setup features an ENGL Ritchie Blackmore Signature E650 amp connected either through direct line-in or routed to a Marshall speaker cabinet.

In popular culture

The character Lars Ümlaüt in the Guitar Hero game series draws clear inspiration from Abbath, notably mirroring his stage attire and use of corpse paint. Abbath also features in the 2008 film Until the Light Takes Us, a documentary exploring the origins of Norwegian black metal. Additionally, Austin's Jester King Brewery incorporates a figure influenced by Abbath on the label of their Black Metal Imperial stout.

Discography

Immortal

I

Between Two Worlds (2006)

Abbath

Abbath (2016)
Outstrider (2019)
Dread Reaver (2022)

Bömbers

Bergen (2005)

Old Funeral

The Fart That Should Not Be (1989)
Abduction of Limbs (1990)

Dimmu Borgir

Death Cult Armageddon (2003) – provided backing vocals on "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" and "Heavenly Perverse"

Enslaved

Isa (2004) – contributed backing vocals on "Lunar Force"

The Battalion

Stronghold Of Men (2008) – performed backing vocals on "Detonate" and "Man To Man (Warfare)"

References