Simen Hestnæs
| I.C.S. Vortex | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Simen Hestnæs |
| Born | Oslo, Norway |
| Genres | Melodic black metal, symphonic black metal, doom metal, progressive metal, folk metal, avant-garde metal, black metal, Viking metal, progressive rock |
| Instruments | Bass, vocals, guitar, drums, keyboards, flute, percussion, EBow, mouth harp |
| Years active | 1991-present |
| Labels | Century Media |
| Associated acts | Lamented Souls, Dimmu Borgir, Borknagar, Arcturus, Code |
| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
| B.C. Rich Vortex Signature Warlock Bass | |
Simen Hestnæs, also known as I.C.S. Vortex or simply Vortex, is a Norwegian musician. He is the vocalist of the similarly named band ICS Vortex, the avant-garde metal band Arcturus, and the doom metal band Lamented Souls. He is also the vocalist and bass guitarist to the progressive black metal band Borknagar, and the former bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir.
His longest-running band is the doom metal band Lamented Souls, which began in 1991 and for which he plays guitar and handles the vocal duties. He actually started out as their drummer, but switched places with Ole Jørgen Moe when they became aware of his singing abilities. His moniker was a bit of a joke to poke fun at one of Garm's aliases, Fiery G. Maelstrom: "Icy S. Vortex", with the first words being opposite elements, the middle initial being the first letters of their common names, and the last word being a powerful circular current of water.
In 1995, he was on tour with the avant-garde metal band Ved Buens Ende and performed the supporting vocals. Songs from that tour were later released on ...Coiled in Obscurity bootleg album.
In 1997, Hestnæs made a guest appearance on the Arcturus album La Masquerade Infernale. He sang on three songs: "Master of Disguise", "The Chaos Path" (in which he handled all lead vocals, wrote the lyrics and co-composed this song), and "Painting My Horror".
In 1997, the folk/progressive/black metal band Borknagar was in need of a vocalist after the departure of original vocalist Garm. Garm introduced the band to Hestnæs, who became their vocalist from 1997-2000. He took over bass duties as well, recording bass for their fourth full-length Quintessence, after bass guitarist Kai K. Lie left the band.
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