Abbath
The frost-rimed guitarist and frontman who helped forge black metal's iconic sound and image with the band Immortal.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Norwegian musician·Birthday: June 27·Generation X
Biography
Emerging from the fertile and infamous Bergen scene of the early 1990s, Olve Eikemo, known as Abbath, became one of black metal's most recognizable figures. With Immortal, he traded in the genre's raw Satanism for a self-created mythos of eternal winter and epic battles, channeled through blistering riffs and a relentless, percussive attack. His stage persona—corpse paint, snarling expressions, and a commanding, often inverted stance—was as integral to the band's identity as the music. While internal strife led to his departure from Immortal in 2015, it proved a catalyst, not an end. He launched his eponymous band, Abbath, delivering music that retained the icy ferocity of his past while exploring a broader, sometimes more rock-oriented, metallic palette. Through both incarnations, his work is defined by a singular, primal energy that makes him less a mere musician and more a elemental force within extreme metal.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Abbath was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Abbath Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Abbath's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the seminal Norwegian black metal band Immortal, shaping the genre's second wave.
- Wrote and performed on classic Immortal albums like 'Pure Holocaust' and 'At the Heart of Winter.'
- Recorded all drum tracks for the albums 'Pure Holocaust' and 'Battles in the North.'
- Successfully launched a solo career with the band Abbath after leaving Immortal, releasing multiple acclaimed albums.
Did You Know?
He originally played bass in his first band, Old Funeral, which also featured members of Burzum.
His distinctive 'crab walk' stage move was inspired by watching a musician trip over a monitor and deciding to incorporate the stumble.
He is left-handed but plays right-handed guitars.
He provided guest vocals on the track 'I' on the album 'Between Two Worlds' by I, a side project with fellow Norwegian metal musicians.
“I am the mountains of the north, frozen in eternal wrath.”
