Ildjarn
Background information
Origin	Telemark, Norway
Genres	Black metal, dark ambient
Years active	1991–2005
Labels	Norse League Productions Northern Heritage

Ildjarn was a Norwegian cult black metal project that formed in 1991. Ildjarn recorded music until 1997 but did not officially end until 2005. The man behind Ildjarn was Vidar Våer, although some releases were collaborations with a musician known as Nidhogg.

History

The band was formed in 1991. The band's music was a very raw, fast, simple and lo-fi brand of black metal, with most songs composed of basic drum patterns, a couple of riffs, and unintelligible vocals. The band's style has been compared to hardcore punk in its simplistic ferocity and short song lengths. Two Ildjarn albums were made entirely on a synthesizer. Of all the released music, the only Ildjarn song to have its lyrics published was "Eksistensens Jeger", from the self-titled Ildjarn-Nidhogg (2003) compilation.

In 2006, the band website stated that no more news would be printed, leading to the conclusion that Ildjarn had ended. The title of Ildjarn's 2005 release, Ildjarn is Dead, further supports this conclusion. Part of Vidar Våer's motivation for ending Ildjarn was due to his 4-track recorder breaking (the same 4-track recorder used during Emperor's early days as Thou Shalt Suffer).^[1]

Ildjarn never had or shared any political affiliations, messages or themes, but the artist supported veganism in interviews.

Related bands

The related band Sort Vokter consisted of Ildjarn, Nidhogg and two other members known as Tvigygre and Heiinghund. They released only one album called Folkloric Necro Metal.

Discography

• 1992 – Unknown Truths – demo
• 1992 – Seven Harmonies of Unknown Truths – demo
• 1993 – Ildjarn – demo
• 1993 – Norse – EP (black metal release with Nidhogg)
• 1994 – Minnesjord – demo
• 1995 – Ildjarn – album
• 1996 – Forest Poetry – album
• 1996 – Landscapes – album
• 1996 – Strength and Anger – album
• 1996 – Svartfråd – EP (black metal release with Nidhogg)
• 2002 – Hardangervidda – album (ambient release with Nidhogg)
• 2002 – Hardangervidda Part 2 – EP (ambient release with Nidhogg)
• 2004 – Nocturnal Visions – EP
• 2013 – Those Once Might Fallen – Split with Hate Forest

Compilation albums

• 1995 – Det Frysende Nordariket – contains Ildjarn Demo, Norse, Minnesjord
• 2002 – 1992-1995 – contains a collection of songs from 1992–1995
• 2003 – Ildjarn-Nidhogg – contains the two black metal releases with Nidhogg: Norse and Svartfråd
• 2005 – Ildjarn 93 – contains previously unreleased songs from 1993
• 2005 – Ildjarn is Dead – contains all demos and the outtakes from those demos

Members

• Ildjarn (Vidar Våer) – vocals, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, synthesizer
• Nidhogg – vocals, keyboard, drums (occasional member)
• Samoth – vocals (occasional member)
• Ihsahn – vocals (occasional member)