A native of Bergen, Vikernes spent part of his childhood in Iraq, where his father was working for the Iraqi government. He began playing guitar at the age of 14 and formed his first band, Kalashnikov, by 1989. After founding Burzum, he became part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. In 1992, Vikernes, along with other members of the scene, was suspected of burning down four Christian churches in Norway. Vikernes denied responsibility for the arsons, though he supported them. From 1992 to 1993, he was a member of the band Mayhem, and played bass on their debut album "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas".