Faust (musician)

Bård Guldvik "Faust" Eithun (born 21 April 1974) is a Norwegian drummer and convicted murderer known primarily for his work for black metal band Emperor.

Bård Eithun
Faust performing with Emperor at Wacken Open Air 2014
Background information
Birth nameBård Guldvik Eithun
Also known asFaust
Born (1974-04-21) 21 April 1974
Hedmark, Norway
GenresBlack metal, thrash metal, death metal
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsDrums
Years active1989-1994, 2003-present
Associated actsEmperor, Aborym, Blood Tsunami, Djevel, Zyklon, Scum

Education

Eithun studied at the University of Oslo.

Career

Stigma Diabolicum (1990), Thorns (1990–1992)

Eithun started his career as a drummer at the age of 16 for the first Stigma Diabolicum demos, Lacus De Luna - Rehearsal and Live in Stjørdal in 1990 and in the Thorns demo, The Thule Tapes in 1992.

Emperor (1992–1994, 2014)

Eithun is best known for his work with early black metal band Emperor, especially on the releases As the Shadows Rise and the groundbreaking In the Nightside Eclipse. In 2013 Faust returned to Emperor as drummer for the 20th-anniversary tour of In the Nightside Eclipse in the summer of 2014, where they also played[1] the full setlist in Wacken Open Air.

Conviction and release

On 21 August 1992, while Eithun was visiting family in Lillehammer, he stabbed Magne Andreassen to death.[2][3] According to Eithun, while walking home from a pub through the Olympic park, a well known gay-cruising spot, Andreassen drunkenly approached him and solicited him for sex. Eithun agreed to go with him to the nearby woods and stabbed Andreassen 37 times. He kicked him in the head repeatedly as he lay on the ground.[4]

Eithun claimed that he felt no remorse at the time.[5] Ihsahn, his bandmate in Emperor, said that Eithun "had been very fascinated by serial killers for a long time, and I guess he wanted to know what it's like to kill a person".[2] The media has linked the murder to black metal and speculated that Eithun was motivated by Satanism, fascism, or homophobia. In a 1993 interview, he stated: "I am not a Satanist, but I praise the evil".[6] In an interview for the book Lords of Chaos, he explained that he had been "interested in Satanism but there are other things as well. Basically, I don't give a shit".[7] In a 2008 interview, Eithun said: "I was never a Satanist or fascist in any way".[8] In a 2012 interview he said: "I never had any racist or homophobic views".[9] Gaahl, who is an openly gay member of the Norwegian black metal scene, said that Eithun was the first person to send him a message of support when he came out.[10] Jørn Inge Tunsberg of the band Hades Almighty said that the murder was "an impulse killing" and that "it had nothing to do with black metal".[11]

Police initially had no suspects, and Eithun remained free for about a year. However, he told Øystein 'Euronymous' Aarseth, Varg Vikernes, and a few others what he had done.[12] After Vikernes' murder of Aarseth in August 1993, Eithun was arrested and confessed to killing Andreassen. In 1994, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, but was released due to good behavior in 2003 after serving nine years and four months.[8]

Discography

Bibliography
  • Orcustus, underground zine published by Eithun in the early 1990s

References
  1. "Emperor - Live @ Wacken 2014 (Full Show, Pro Shot) [HD]". YouTube. 3 August 2014.
  2. Moynihan & Søderlind 2003, p. 111
  3. Aaron Aites (director, producer), Audrey Ewell (director, producer) (2009). Until the Light Takes Us (motion picture). Variance Films.
  4. Moynihan & Søderlind 2003, pp. 111, 113, 116
  5. Moynihan & Søderlind 2003, p. 114
  6. Interview with Euronymous, Faust, Metalion and others from Beat, Issue 2 (1993) Archived 2013-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Moynihan & Søderlind 2003, p. 255
  8. Bowar, Chad. "Interview with former Emperor drummer Faust". Retrieved 30 May 2008.
  9. "Interview with Peter "Pete" Vegem and Bård "Faust" Eithun of Blood Tsunami". OX-FANZINE. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  10. Godla, Frank. "Gaahl Opens Up On Being Gay In The Black Metal Scene, New GAAHLS WYRD Album, His Evolving Career, & The Three Biggest Changes In His Life". Metal Injection. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  11. Grude, Torstein (1998). Satan Rides The Media.
  12. Moynihan & Søderlind 2003, p. 116

Sources
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