Stian Aarstad

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Stian Aarstad

Background information
Birth name	Stian Aarstad
Origin	Norway
Genre(s)	Heavy metal, Black metal
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s)	Keyboards
Associated acts	Dimmu Borgir, Enthral

Stian Aarstad is a Norwegian pianist and keyboard player best known for his four-year (1993-97) stint with the black metal band Dimmu Borgir during which he played keyboards and synthesizers while engendering criticism and controversy for appearing onstage and performing in a top-hat-and-cape outfit reminiscent of Jack the Ripper, while wearing minimal corpse makeup.

Subsequent stories indicated that during his period with Dimmu Borgir, Stian Aarstad did not even listen to any metal music, preferring classical music instead. His departure from the band came as a result of unresolved issues regarding compulsory service in the Norwegian Army. In 1998 to 1999, he produced a demo-EP for the unblack metal band Vaakevandring.

In the 2000s, Stian Aarstad had been the pianist for the band Enthral, but left his regular position during the recording of the band's third album. Reports have mentioned that he has also performed as a session player and engineer for the band and, in 2007, has been working as a sound engineer.

Stian Aarstad "adapted" the melody "Sorgens Kammer", the fourth song on the Stormblåst album, from the Amiga game "Agony". Also he plagiarized the Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen piano intro (the first song on the Stormblåst album) from the song Sacred Hour by Magnum. These songs couldn't be re-released on Stormblåst 2005. This is the explanation for the disappearance of the Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen intro on this release, and the recording of Sorgens Kammer Del II on Stormblåst 2005.