ICS VORTEX Parts Ways With Guitarist, Announces New Drummer

February 16, 2012

Former DIMMU BORGIR and current BORKNAGAR member ICS Vortex (real name: Simen Hestnæs) will perform live for the first time with his solo band at this weekend's prestigious Finnish Metal Expo in Helsinki.

The ICS Vortex band lineup for the event will be as follows:

ICS Vortex - Guitar/Vocals
Jens Ryland - Guitar
Steinar Gundersen - Bass
Baard Kolstad - Drums

Commented ICS Vortex: "My buddy Asgeir Mickelson recently (and undramatically) handed over the drums to Baard Kolstad.

"I was not planning on guitar work live, but since Terje Andersen's [a.k.a. Cyrus; SUSPERIA, SATYRICON, DIMMU BORGIR] duties elsewhere for the second time collided with ICS Vortex, we decided together that it is was best to let go and part as friends."

ICS Vortex will also takie part of a special signing session at FME (at the Century Media booth) on Friday, February 17 at 6:15 p.m. The stage time for their show is 9:15 p.m. - 10 p.m, just before PARADISE LOST and EDGUY.

ICS Vortex's solo album, "Storm Seeker", was released last August via Century Media Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Blackmobile
02. Odin's Tree
03. Skoal!
04. Dogsmacked
05. Aces
06. Windward
07. When Shuffled Off
08. Oil In Water
09. Storm Seeker
10. Flaskeskipper
11. The Sub Mariner

ICS Vortex describes "Storm Seeker" as "a tribute to the fall and rise of my kind. A generation of misfits, born of hippies and raised by Satan."

Regarding the influences that went into the making of the album, ICS Vortex said, "Inspiration is usually drawn from the things that are close to me. I always write in code, it's often doom related, but never ever whiny. The power of the elements, obscure beauty, religion, death and junk are a few favorites. Knowing I am drawn to the power of the dark side, I decided to include lighter topics into the mix this time to separate 'Storm Seeker' from 'Sideshow Symphonies': 'The Blackmobile' about Mopar and 'Aces' about gambling are the result. Love songs, really."

"Storm Seeker" was released in Europe as initial limited-edition digipak, 180-gram LP and as a digital download. According to a press release, the CD "takes the musical elements from [ICS Vortex's] 10-plus years of experience with DIMMU BORGIR as well as the legacy of the classic bands with whom he is still active (BORKNAGAR, ARCTURUS and LAMENTED SOULS),topping things off with his signature clean vocals in order to make 'Storm Seeker' become a perfectly balanced axe, whether a song is cutting fast, or dicing slow."

"Storm Seeker" features appearances by ICS Vortex's BORKNAGAR bandmate Asgeir Mickelson on drums and Terje "Cyrus" Andersen (SUSPERIA, DIMMU BORGIR) on lead guitar. The CD was recorded at Toproom Studio (MAYHEM, TRISTANIA, BORKNAGAR) with engineer Børge Finstad and mastered by Peter in de Betou at Tailor Maid Studio (ARCH ENEMY, DARK TANQUILLITY, DIMMU BORGIR) in Sweden.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/icsvortexofficial.

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