Jan Axel Blomberg

Jan Axel Blomberg
Hellhammer live at Jalometalli 2008
Background information
Birth name	Jan Axel Blomberg
Also known as	Hellhammer
Born	(1969-08-02) 2 August 1969 (age 47) Trysil, Norway
Genres	Black metal, death metal, symphonic black metal, power metal, heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1987–present
Associated acts	Age of Silence, Antestor, Arcturus, Dimmu Borgir, Dynasty of Darkness, Emperor, The Kovenant, Jørn Lande, Mayhem, Mezzerschmitt, Mortem, Shining, Thorns, Troll, Winds, Dynasty of Darkness, Immortal, Fleurety

Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg (born 2 August 1969) is a Norwegian heavy metal drummer. He is best known as the drummer of Mayhem, which he joined in 1988. In 1987 Blomberg formed the avant-garde black metal band Arcturus (under the name Mortem) with Steinar Sverd Johnsen, which broke up in April 2007 and reunited in 2011. He named himself after the Swiss extreme metal band Hellhammer. Praised as a talented musician, Blomberg is a three-time winner of the Spellemannprisen award.

As a child Blomberg's main interests were football (soccer) and wrestling. At first he had no interest in drums or drumming, but as music became more appealing to him he started to find the different instruments interesting, which eventually led to an interest in drums. His grandparents purchased him his first three drum kits; the first one was a four-piece jazz kit. With these he began learning how to play drums by playing along with albums he listened to. He was into heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Metallica and Slayer, but also bands like Depeche Mode and Duran Duran. He then found out about Venom and Celtic Frost and eventually jazz, due to influences from a past drum teacher.

Before joining Mayhem, Jan Axel Blomberg played in various local bands, including the progressive metal band Tritonus, where he met Carl August Tidemann, the man who became the Arcturus and Winds guitarist. He did some live performances as well, and then was hired by Mayhem, who needed to replace Kjetil Manheim; Blomberg got the job and took the pseudonym Hellhammer.

The first recordings he did with Mayhem were two songs for a compilation album around 1989, with the songs Carnage and The Freezing Moon. The first proper recording he did with Mayhem was Live in Leipzig in 1990. After that album, Mayhem had some trouble with the line up due to the suicide of the singer Dead and Necrobutcher's departure from the band. During this time he founded the band Arcturus together with Sverd in 1991, out of the remains of the band Mortem. They released the 7" My Angel in 1991 and later the mini album Constellation. In 1995 he joined Immortal as a session drummer during their tour that year, he also agreed to play drums on their first official Video, Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms. He also briefly played for Emperor during this period. The recording and release of the Arcturus debut album Aspera Hiems Symfonia also happened this year.