Interview with Fenriz

Well, Darkthrone's fifth (fourth) album "Panzerfaust" has been released a while ago, so are you 100% satisfied to it? I think that it differences from the others a little, I mean the vocals, "more synth / keyboard" plus more slower parts, etc... How do you feel about it?

More synth / keyboard?! That's just the outro, you person! (Well, I meant the outro. -ED.) Well, I feel great about the slower parts in the Celtic Frost spirit style. "Quintessence" is a very special Darkthrone song (And a truly great one. -ED.) when it comes to the arrangement, like "To Walk the Infernal Fields". Remember that Darkthrone always had slow parts, except on the "Transilvanian Hunger" album, which is the hardest and harshest black metal album ever made. (that was also the intention with "Transilvanian Hunger") The three songs (in the spirit of Celtic Frost) on "Panzerfaust" is no rip-off. It's a tribute! Better than a cover song, plus that they were done in the spirit/style! It wasn't like we listened to the Celtic Frost albums the day before! Oh, no! We know what Tom G. Warrior would make a song like (in the old days), and so we did three songs just the way Tom would have done them in '84/'85.

The vocals of Nocturno Culto are (on the "Panzerfaust" album) the first without no effects to be recorded by a black metal band. The first black metal album released with no effect on vocals was Satyricon's "The Shadowthrone" (which, I think, has extremely brilliant vocals), but Darkthrone had the idea first. It has always been common to use delay or reverb on black metal vocals, but in early 1994 I said to Nocturno Culto: "Let's do the vocals on Panzerfaust without special effects! It would sound raw, harsh, brutal, and sick! And let's put the vocals unusually high in the mix as well!" He agreed, and the result is "Panzerfaust" - raw to the bone. Of course, after releasing such extremely hostile albums as "Transilvanian Hunger" and "Panzerfaust", the sales are dropping dramatically (really? -Ed.), but we don't care, only the most extreme must survive, with or without being the best-selling black metal band anymore!

At the "Panzerfaust", you claimed to be the most hated band in the world, so do you really think so? As some people think that DT is one of the best black metal bands ever and praise you, so do you really see a reason for that statement?

Yes, we're the most hated band in the world, and we state that because we've been boycotted in up to eight to ten countries. We are hated, and we don't know why, ha ha, - actually, we refuse to see why. We ain't Nazis, fuck the press!

"Panzerfaust" came through Moonfog Prod. and also at the first time, so why did you quit from Peaceville, did there appear any problems between you and them? Why did you exactly go to them anyway and for so long?

Peaceville already hated us, but they'd still work with us, but they sold themselves to Music for Nations - a huge label that would probably piss on Darkthrone and tell us what to do - so we decided on the heroic act to move to a smaller label (Moonfog) but much truer. We sacrificed our sales, to be able to continue to play true black metal plus supporting the scene. Moonfog is professional and true. We went with Peaceville for so long because we had a super record deal.

I understand that Moonfog don't pay to their bands, so wasn't it financially better to be at Peaceville even though it's hard to make money with black metal?

What? Moonfog is just an underlabel of Tatra, which is a superb financer-everyone gets paid at time, and no rip-off either. Who told you that lie? I'll shit on his grave. (Shit on his grave? Don't think so, because it was Satyr who told that in some interview, or maybe it was just a misunderstanding. -Ed.)

Could you tell of the making of the "Panzerfaust"? Was it in any way harder to make than the others? You also recorded it in Necrohell Studios. I haven't heard of them, so is it a good studio? Better than Creative? Why didn't you continue working at there?

No problem with doing "Panzerfaust". Necrohell is the best studio for black metal if you want necro demo sound like Darkthrone! I think every black metal band should have demo sound. Demo sound has a soul! Creative is just another studio. The sound depends on: luck, the band in question, the engineer, and die-hard black metal souls!

Greifi Grishnackh have written couple of lyrics to Darkthrone, so how did it come true? Will he continue also at the future with Darkthrone? What do you think of Varg's poetry? Are they better than the original ones of Darkthrone, as you are the poetry maker? What do you think of Varg/Burzum's music and to the deed he made on Euronymous? After all, "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" is dedicated to Euronymous.

He won't continue, because I just wanted to give him an opportunity to give poetry to "the people" while he was in jail, as he couldn't speak through many other medias. I just wanted to support a jailed man in his first months, plus that I respected him as I did Euronymous.

I have no opinion on the murder, all I know is that it destroyed many percent of the scene, because the murder led to a roll-up by the press and police. Burzum's music is one of my faves. I haven't analyzed Varg's lyrics too intensely, they seem fine to me.

Do you keep the "Soulside Journey" as a death metal or a black metal album? How did the big musical change come after "Soulside..."? Do you think that the lyrics have changed much from '89 to nowadays? How much do you think that the lyrics mean for categorizing a band to BM?

Dark metal, perhaps? The lyrics are mostly satanic, you know. I think the lyrics are very important for black metal, they must be satanic or anti-Christian. But sometimes mysticism... I don't think the Darkthrone lyrics have changed much since "Soulside Journey"...

Do you know how much have your all albums sold? When you started, did you then have any kind of purpose to become as famous as you are now? Has it affected much to you, changed you at any way? Do you think that you were a lot different person at before forming Darkthrone than now?

We don't know how much our albums have sold. We never wanted black metal or Darkthrone to be this famous. It's not our fault, it's other people's fault! We always stayed underground, no big press, no touring, etc. I, Fenriz, have changed a lot, disciple of Satan now, but not since forming Darkthrone. The radical changes/possessions came in 1990 from my part.

Could you tell something also from the other three albums besides "Panzerfaust"? What do you keep as the best album of Darkthrone? Who did those "Ferdasyn", "Taakeferd" pictures for DT's albums, what do those words mean? Do you have any special message through your pictures/music?

The pictures were done by my ex-wife and witch Nachthexe/Tania Stene. "Taakeferd" means "journey in fog". "Ferdasyn" means something like "sight during journey". This woman is the half part of Aghast. They (two witches), have their first album, also recorded in Necrohell Studios, out now on Cold Meat Industry (same as Mortiis). And Aghast's music is more evil than Diamanda Galas' first periods of music. Darkthrone's message is anti-Christian. I like all Darkthrone albums.

Are you satisfied to all DT products after the "Soulside..."? Are you any more satisfied to your old demos, etc., when you now have five albums out?

See Q.9. Demos? We hate em. Fuck the demos!

Darkthrone's future releases will be "Goatlord" and "Total Death", and they both will come through Moonfog, so how long are you going to be at Moonfog, what does the deal contain? Have you ever thoughted now any else label for the future or will you be at Moonfog as long as you can? Did you get any offers from other labels when the Peaceville deal ended? How did the Moonfog one get true? What do you think of Moonfog's other bands, e.g. Wongraven?

We signed with Moonfog before anyone knew we left them. So no offers were to be dealt with. Moonfog rules! We have no ideas to leave Moonfog in the future. Wongraven is extremely quality music, and I adore it. I knew Satyr and he asked if we couldn't sign with Moonfog. I said yes because Satyr is totally a boss dude! Yeah. And professional.

Didn't you have also some plans to go to DSP, when it was alive? Why didn't you want to stay at Peaceville then? Were there any serious plans for you and DSP? Would you have gone to DSP after the fourth album if they would be the same, and Euronymous would be alive, instead of Moonfog Productions?

After we sent Peaceville the DAT masterpiece of "A Blaze in the Northern Sky", Peaceville thought that the album sounded too raw, they didn't understand the concept of black metal, so Peaceville wanted to remix the album! We said that we would break the deal and release it on DSP if Peaceville remixed the album. So, finally, we won the argument, and Peaceville released "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" in its original form. I don't know if we'd go to DSP or Moonfog. I don't know.

When will the "Goatlord" and "Total Death" come out? Will they be a lot different from the others, at least the titles seem different, more usual perhaps? Will at the lyrics be any changes, and tell also what does usual DT lyrics are about?

"Total Death" will be out in late 1995, it seems, but "Goatlord" won't be out until mid '96, I guess. No lyrics from myself on "Total Death", but lyrics from Nocturnal Culto and other persons in the Norwegian black metal scene. (well, I guess It, from Abruptum, is no longer in the case to do some lyrics to DT, heh. -Ed.)

I will not analyze the more or less mysterious lyrics of Darkthrone, sorry.

How did you get involved with black metal as a music? How important is it to you? What was the first BM band you heard? Do you respect any of the oldest bands like Venom? What is black metal exactly in your opinion? Do you think that there includes murders, etc., what have happened in Norway among black metal? Do you think that BM should have keep as hidden and not to tell anything to the press? What do you think of that Grishnackh, Ihsahn have told quite much to the press? Also, do you see that it is right to make money with black metal? Would you accept if someone would like to make a video of Darkthrone to MTV?

I heard Venom first, but I didn't like it much. It was old Slayer, Destruction, Sodom, Celtic Frost, Creator, and Possessed for me. I heard Bathory and Hellhammer too, but it wasn't until 1990 that I got the black metal feeling so I could truly enjoy Hellhammer and Bathory. I truly believe that black metal should have stayed underground or hidden. Hidden is a better word. I don't think black metal should stand for criminal activities. It should stand for Satanism, which actually is not criminal. No music video, thanx. I'm for making money on black metal if it's coincidental; not on purpose.

Could you say a couple of words that where is your ideology based on? Where have the most effects to it come from? Is it based to any book? What does Satanism mean to you? Does it give you any kind of power, perhaps? Do you do any rituals, etc., spells?

I take that I want from where I want, ideologically speaking, altough I wouldn't say that it has much to do with Darkthrone's lyrics. I'm not going to give any further comments on this issue, I think.

How did you find the path where you are now, what was the first step? Did you ever have any loving relations, e.g., parents who tried to oppose your way to this? Do you, yourself believe in love and that you could fall in love with some Christian girl and abandon black metal and give up from your today's life? Do you believe in any Christian God, etc.? And what do you think of this so-called "Satan" and hell?

Not my childhood. I don't know why I started hating Christianity as a child, I don't know. But Satanism... Mercyful Fate, perhaps... and from there one thing led to another. I'm not in the position of always speaking my mind, there are many things more important than my mind. I couldn't fall in love with a Christian girl, that would be pitiful, but I believe (as Ihsahn) that love should be spent on your closest or those who deserve it, not waste love like Christians (among others) are thought to do. The Christian God is relative. I do believe that Jesus was not the son of God. I truly hate Jesus, son of a...

Do you think that Mayhem/Euronymous affected so much to today's (or better said, Norway's) black metal? I mean, some people say that he started the whole BM thing and then gave a permission to Darkthrone/Burzum, but at least one person declined that directly, who is no one else than Varg Vikernes? So how do you see it, and was DSP the only "true" label at that time for death/black metal? Are you in all this matter with Varg's or Euronymous' side?

DSP was the true label (although slightly slow) and Euronymous was the first one. Varg Vikernes is irrelevant now, as he is no longer a part of the black metal scene, I think. (Irrelevant? Maybe he isn't any more interested of black metal, but still he is connected with this subject because he was then very relevant at this whole black metal thing! -Ed.)

Is Darkthrone with this heathen wave with Burzum like Varg once said so? Are you 100% with the Norwegian pagan culture? Do you believe to Norway's old different gods and ancient Vikings? Do you read anything of them?

Heathens are acceptable. I wouldn't base my life on Northern mythology.

Well Fenriz, you have besides DT, couple of other bands/projects. So in what band do you concentrate at most? Has Neptune Towers music anything to do with Varg's "Hlidskjalf" or Mortiis?

Neptune Towers has nothing to do with these other synth projects. Neptune Towers is pure deep space early 70s inspired astral synth. Darkthrone is the most important act.

Storm, one of your projects, play also one same kind of song than Darkthrone's "Quintessence", so why is that? You've must have noticed that? Which one did it first?

It's the "Quintessence" riff, which I also wanted to use in Storm, only with additional melody upon it.

"Transilvanian Hunger" album has a same kind of sound quality than on some demo, so was that the original purpose to become like that? Are you satisfied into all else on that album?

Yes, it was done on purpose. We like demo sound. We're satisfied with "Transilvanian Hunger".

This might be all from Darkthrone, so thank you Fenriz for your time, but how do you see the future of Darkthrone?

More release in the old way and no touring.

Well, that was a long future indeed. All mail to Fenriz should be sent to the Moonfog address, but there's no guarantee that he will reply, even if you enclose an IRC!