Ulver Keyboardist Tore Ylwisaker Dead at 54

The music world lost another artist over the weekend, as avant-garde outfit Ulver announced their long-time keyboardist Tore Ylwisaker had passed away last Friday on his 54th birthday. He’d been with the band since 1998.

In an Instagram post announcing their loss, the band said they would need time to grieve. As such, they’ll be taking a leave of absence. Their statement is as follows:

“It is with black holes in our hearts we have to inform you that our brother for over nearly thirty years, Tore Ylvisaker (Ylwizaker), is dead. He passed on in the night of 16 August, his 54th birthday. It is all too much to take in at the moment. We will return as soon as we have collected ourselves. Rest in peace, dearest friend. We love you, forever.”

There’s no news as to why he passed as such a young age, but unless people close to him disclose that information, it’s not our place to speculate. Losing a loved one, whether it’s a friend, family member, close colleague, or a bandmate can be an extremely difficult situation.

Ylvisaker joined Ulver right around the time that they’d finally eschewed their black and folk metal roots for a more experimental approach to their art. As a result, he’d been on every major album from 1998’s Themes from William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell to 2020’s Flowers of Evil.

We at MetalSucks want to offer our deepest condolences to Ylvisaker’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.