Haavard | Athena
The first song written in 2014 by ex-Ulver guitarist Håvard Jørgensen became the closing track that sparked an entire acoustic folk masterpiece, reuniting him with his Norwegian black metal roots.
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Story Behind “Athena”
The Song That Started Everything
“Athena” was the first song. Not the last track on the album in the creative process—the first one Håvard Jørgensen wrote when he returned to acoustic music after years away. In 2014, Kristoffer Rygg asked him to do session work for Myrkur’s debut album M. Back in that scenery with Rygg, doing acoustic guitar on black metal again, something sparked. As Jørgensen explained, “I was inspired to write a song and the first song I wrote was a song called ‘Athena,’ and it’s the last song on the album.”[1]
He uploaded it to YouTube without much thought, wasn’t planning on making an album at all. Then Prophecy Productions reached out. If he ever wanted to make a full album, they said, they were more than happy to release it.[1] A year passed. Jørgensen talked to Kristoffer about making an acoustic album—not that Rygg had anything to say about it officially, but it felt natural given their history together. The conversation partner turned into collaboration, and “Athena” transformed from a standalone YouTube upload into the closing statement of a full album.
Twenty-Six Years Between Chapters
The path from “Athena” to the full Haavard album traces back to 1996, when Jørgensen composed most of Ulver’s legendary acoustic masterpiece Kveldssanger.[2] Throughout the 90s, he was integral to Oslo’s black metal scene—founding member of Satyricon when they were still called Eczema, guitarist for progressive black metal pioneers Ulver.[2] But he felt disenchanted with black metal for a while, appearing in various formations, contributing acoustic guitars to Myrkur’s M and Mausoleum, but never fully returning to the acoustic folk vision of Kveldssanger.[2]
In 2019, he founded Oslo black metal act Dold Vorde Ens Navn with current and former Dødheimsgard members.[2] His passion for darker music rekindled. That’s when he decided to pick up the loose ends of the beautiful musical thread Kveldssanger had left behind. “Athena” became the seed that grew into his self-titled debut, recorded between 2014-2018 and released in 2022[1]—a legitimate follow-up to work he’d done twenty-six years earlier.
“Athena” Recording and Production Details
Multi-Instrumentalist Vision with String Quartet Support
Jørgensen wrote, composed, and played all the core elements of “Athena” himself—guitars and various synth sounds forming the track’s foundation.[3] But the song’s emotional depth comes from its string arrangements. Kristine Marie Aasvang’s flute weaves through the composition, while Evan Runge’s violin and Raphael Weinroth-Browne’s cello add layers of Nordic melancholy that connect the track to Norwegian folk traditions.[3]
The production approach emphasized organic acoustic sounds layered with subtle electronic textures. Working across multiple years allowed Jørgensen to refine the arrangements, building the track’s contemplative atmosphere gradually. The result is what one listener described as “a very vibrant, melancholic tone, that transports you in a contemplating space out of time.”[5]
The Album’s Emotional Anchor
As the closing track, “Athena” serves as the album’s emotional resolution. While the opening track “Printemps” represents birth and rebirth,[3] “Athena” provides the meditative conclusion to Jørgensen’s acoustic journey into the beating melodic heart of dark Nordic music.[2] The track demonstrates how Ulver’s acoustic excursion could evolve with decades of additional experience—the same compositional DNA filtered through maturity and reflection.
Released through Prophecy Productions’ sub-label Auerbach Tonträger,[1] “Athena” received special attention in the deluxe edition, which includes a demo version alongside the final recording,[5] revealing how the song evolved from that first inspired composition in 2014 to its final form.
Notes About “Athena” by Haavard
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Duration: 2:57
Genre: Acoustic Folk / Neofolk / Dark Ambient / Nordic Folk
Album: Haavard (debut solo album, track 13 of 13)
Composer/Performer: Håvard Jørgensen
Label: Prophecy Productions / Auerbach Tonträger
Notable Feature: First song written for the album (2014), became closing track
Haavard “Athena” Era Band Details
Album Details
Album: Haavard
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Label: Prophecy Productions / Auerbach Tonträger
Recording Period: 2014-2018
Album Concept: Legitimate follow-up to Ulver’s Kveldssanger (1996)
Producer: Håvard Jørgensen
Album Description: Acoustic journey into dark Nordic music, the missing link between folklore-inspired Norwegian music and black metal
Format Availability: Digipak CD (16-page booklet), Gatefold 2LP (black and white vinyl with etching), Deluxe 2CD Artbook (includes demo versions)
Personnel
Håvard Jørgensen - Guitars, Various Synth Sounds, Composer, Producer
Kristine Marie Aasvang - Flute (on “Oberon,” “Snøhetta,” “Athena”)
Evan Runge - Violin (on “Printemps,” “Oberon,” “Emmanuelle,” “Niende Mars,” “Myrull,” “Athena”)
Raphael Weinroth-Browne - Cello (on “Printemps,” “Oberon,” “Emmanuelle,” “Niende Mars,” “Kveldssang II,” “Myrull,” “Athena”)
Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg - Vocals (on “Mot Soleglad”)
Ole-Henrik Moe - Violin, Viola (on “Heartwood,” “Snøhetta,” “Eastwood,” “Sørgemarsj”)
Anders Møller - Acoustic Percussion
Tore Ylwizaker - Keyboards, Mellotron
Lars Nygaard - Accordion (on “Emmanuelle”)
Torgeir Waldemar - Backing Vocals (on “Eastwood”)
Production Notes
Entirely instrumental except for one track featuring Kristoffer Rygg vocals
First song composed was “Athena” (2014), inspired by session work on Myrkur’s M
Prophecy Productions reached out after Jørgensen uploaded “Athena” to YouTube
Album described as sounding remarkably close to Ulver’s Kveldssanger
Deluxe edition includes demo version of “Athena” plus early sketches
Available in high-resolution audio (16-bit/44.1kHz)
Photography by Håvard Jørgensen included in deluxe artbook edition
Interesting Facts About “Athena”
The YouTube Upload That Became an Album
“Athena” never intended to launch an album. Jørgensen wrote it in 2014, inspired after working with Kristoffer Rygg on Myrkur’s sessions, and simply uploaded it to YouTube without much thought. He wasn’t planning on making a full album at all. But a representative from Prophecy Productions sent him an email saying if he ever wanted to make a full album, they’d be more than happy to release it.[1]
That casual YouTube upload became the catalyst for Jørgensen’s entire solo project. The track demonstrated that after years away from acoustic music, he could still tap into the dark Nordic folk vision that made Kveldssanger legendary. It proved to Prophecy Productions that there was appetite for a mature follow-up to Ulver’s acoustic era, and more importantly, it proved to Jørgensen himself that he had more to say in this musical language. One spontaneous composition became the foundation for a thirteen-track album recorded over four years.[1]
The Missing Link Between Folklore and Black Metal
“Athena” and the album it anchors represent something paradoxical—what critics called “the missing link between a modern interpretation of folklore inspired Norwegian music and black metal.”[3] Although black metal doesn’t seem present on the album sonically, it’s there in spirit. As one description noted, “Beauty easily has all of us fooled.”[3]
Jørgensen’s background in Oslo’s 90s black metal scene—as founding member of Satyricon and progressive spearhead in Ulver[2]—infuses “Athena” with an underlying darkness that transcends genre. The melancholic melodies and brooding atmospheres reveal the cinematic beauty hiding underneath Norwegian black metal. Through acoustic translation, Jørgensen demonstrates that the epic, sublime melodies deeply rooted in Norwegian folklore were always the foundation of the extreme music he helped pioneer. “Athena” closes the album by proving you don’t need distortion and blast beats to access black metal’s emotional core—sometimes you just need acoustic guitar, strings, and twenty-six years of perspective.
Common Questions
Q: What is “Athena” by Haavard about? A: “Athena” is an instrumental acoustic folk piece that represents the first song Håvard Jørgensen wrote when returning to acoustic music in 2014. The track closes his debut solo album and serves as the emotional resolution to his journey back to the dark Nordic folk sound he pioneered with Ulver’s Kveldssanger in 1996.
Q: Who is Haavard? A: Haavard is the solo project of Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Håvard Jørgensen, born September 26, 1975. He was the original guitarist for black metal bands Satyricon and Ulver, and composed most of Ulver’s legendary acoustic album Kveldssanger in 1996. His self-titled 2022 debut represents a return to acoustic Nordic folk after decades in various metal projects.
Q: When was “Athena” by Haavard written? A: “Athena” was written in 2014 after Jørgensen worked on Myrkur’s debut album M with Kristoffer Rygg. It was the first song composed for what would become his 2022 debut album, though it appears as the closing track. The album was recorded between 2014-2018 and released November 11, 2022.
Q: How is Haavard connected to Ulver? A: Håvard Jørgensen was a founding member and guitarist of Ulver, composing most of their 1996 acoustic masterpiece Kveldssanger. His 2022 solo album Haavard serves as a legitimate follow-up to that work, featuring a similar acoustic folk approach. Former Ulver vocalist Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg appears as guest vocalist on one track.
Q: What instruments are featured on “Athena”? A: “Athena” features Håvard Jørgensen on guitars and synths, with Kristine Marie Aasvang on flute, Evan Runge on violin, and Raphael Weinroth-Browne on cello. The combination creates the track’s melancholic Nordic folk atmosphere that closes the album.
References
Invisible Oranges - Haavard Creates Mesmerizing Instrumental Folk Tunes (Interview)
Haavard Bandcamp - Haavard Album Page
HeadBanger.ru - HAAVARD Release First Single and Album Details
Brooklyn Vegan - Ulver’s Haavard and Garm Reunite on New Song
Haavard Bandcamp - Haavard Deluxe Edition