Steinar Sverd Johnsen (born 1972) is a Norwegian

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instru ...

and composer. Sverd plays keyboards and synthesizers in

Arcturus , - bgcolor="#FFFAFA" , Note (category: variability): , , H and K emission vary. Arcturus is a red giant star in the Northern celestial hemisphere, northern constellation of Boötes, and the brightest star in the constellation. It ha ...

and was also the main composer for the band. He formed the band with Marius Vold (

Mortem Mortem is a death metal band formed in 1986 in Lima, Peru. Biography Mortem is one of the oldest and most celebrated bands from the obscure Peruvian death metal scene. Founded by Fernán Nebiros and Alvaro Amduscias in July–August 1986, Morte ...

, Stigma Diabolicum of Thorns, and

Jan Axel Blomberg Jan Axel Blomberg (born 2 August 1969), better known by his stage name Hellhammer, is a Norwegian drummer known for his role as the drummer of the black metal band Mayhem, which he joined in 1988. He is the only member to have appeared on all of ...

(also known as Hellhammer) of

Mayhem Mayhem most commonly refers to: * Mayhem (crime), a type of crime Mayhem may also refer to: People * Monica Mayhem (born 1978), Australian pornographic actress * Jason "Mayhem" Miller, American mixed martial arts fighter * Mayhem Miller (dr ...

in 1987, originally under the moniker Mortem (where he played guitar). The band split up in April 2007, but reformed in 2011. In 1998, Sverd was recruited by the band, The Kovenant, known at the time as Covenant, along with Hellhammer. After the release of the album '' Nexus Polaris'', Sverd and the band parted ways. Sverd has also been a guest on a few releases by prominent Norwegian

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...

bands,

Ulver Ulver (Norwegian for "wolves") is a Norwegian Experimental electronic music, experimental electronica band founded in 1993, by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg. Their early works, such as debut album ''Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler, Bergtatt'', ...

and

Satyricon The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius in the late 1st century AD, though the manuscript tradition identifi ...

Discography

With Mortem

* ''Slow Death'' (demo, 1989) * ''Slow Death'' (EP, 1990) * ''Ravnsvart'' (LP, 2019) * ''Slow Death'' (album + extra tracks, 2022)

With Arcturus

*''Promo 90'' (Demo, 1990) *''My Angel'' (EP, 1991) *''Constellation'' (EP, 1994) *'' Aspera Hiems Symfonia'' (full-length, 1995) *'' La Masquerade Infernale'' (full-length, 1997) *'' Disguised Masters'' (compilation, 1999) *'' Aspera Hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel'' (compilation, 2001) *'' The Sham Mirrors'' (full-length, 2002) *''

Sideshow Symphonies ''Sideshow Symphonies'' is the fourth studio album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus (band), Arcturus. It was released on 19 September 2005. It is the first to feature ICS Vortex, Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs as the principal vocal ...

'' (full-length, 2005) *''

Shipwrecked in Oslo ''Shipwrecked in Oslo'' is the first DVD release by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on 21 August 2006 by Season of Mist. The DVD includes footage of the band's 15 song performance at the Rockefeller Music Hall during t ...

'' (live film, 2006) *''

Arcturian Arcturian may refer to: * ''Arcturian'' (album), a 2015 album by Arcturus * Arcturian (''Star Trek''), a fictional species in the ''Star Trek'' franchise * Arcturians (New Age), a purported extraterrestrial civilization See also * Arcturus (dis ...

'' (full-length 2015)

With Covenant

*'' Nexus Polaris'' (full-length, 1998)

As a session musician

- '' The Shadowthrone'' (full-length, 1994) (credited as S.S.) *

Ved Buens Ende Ved Buens Ende is a Norwegian avant-garde metal band. Their sound is diverse with quiet instrumental jazz influenced sections and aggressive black metal blast beats and vocals. Ved Buens Ende means "By the end of the bow" referring to the mytho ...

- '' ...Coiled in Obscurity'' (compilation, 1995)

As a guest musician

- '' Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler'' (full-length, 1995) * Fleurety - '' Department of Apocalyptic Affairs'' - (full-length, 2000)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnsen, Steinar Sverd 1972 births Living people Heavy metal keyboardists Norwegian black metal musicians Norwegian rock keyboardists Rock pianists Place of birth missing (living people) Arcturus (band) members The Kovenant members 21st-century Norwegian pianists