Euronymous

Øystein Aarseth, known by the stage name Euronymous, (22 June 1968 – 10 August 1993) was a Norwegian musician and a central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was the founder and lead guitarist of the Oslo-based band Mayhem, formed in 1984, which became one of the genre's most influential groups. He also operated Helvete, a record shop in Oslo that served as a gathering place for bands and fans and helped promote the fledgling scene.

Within Mayhem he pursued a raw, extreme sound, and he played a key role in shaping the visual and musical aesthetics associated with black metal. He contributed to the music and helped release material, including work that would appear on the posthumous album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, which features his guitar work on several tracks. The shop Helvete and Aarseth's network of musicians were central to the scene.

On 10 August 1993, Euronymous was killed in his Oslo apartment by fellow musician Varg Vikernes of Burzum. Vikernes was later convicted of murder and related arson against churches as part of charges connected to the scene.

Euronymous' death remained a defining moment for Norwegian black metal and influenced its ongoing mythology; his recordings and Mayhem's work continued to influence later metal bands. He is frequently cited as a key figure in the development of the genre's ideology and aesthetics.