Interview with Fenriz

Taken from Mythic Imagination, July 1994.

The album cover to “Transilvanian Hunger” is just extremely great. It really fits to the music. Do you think other bands should be more precise when it comes to picking out album covers?

It’s harsh. That fits with the “music”. Fenriz thinks that everyone should have satanic album covers. Evil und Norwegian.

What do you think about “A Blaze In The Northern Sky” and “Under A Funeral Moon” now compared to “Transilvanian Hunger”?

Our albums are always the essence of the antichristian hordes. Fight life und light. "Transilvanian Hunger" is uglier and that is perfect. Black Metal is ugly, therefore our ugly sound.

Darkthrone’s next release will be “Panzerfaust”. Why this somewhat strange title? When will this album be out?

"Panzerfaust" will be out in 1994. Panzerfaust is a war machine.

Could you tell me something about “Panzerfaust”?

6 tracks. 3 of the tracks are totally old Celtic Frost (except the vocals). The remaining songs are Darkthrone “as usual”. Harsh vocals.

Have you recorded other albums for Darkthrone?

Nein das haben wir nicht (oder etwas). Darkthrone will record our sixth album “Total Death” this winter. The lyrics will be written by different people (kings) from the Norwegian Black Metal scene.

I guess you will sign a new deal with Peaceville. Are there any other companies that have showed interest in Darkthrone? I’ve also heard that Music For Nations is not too pleased with Darkthrone. Do you know more about this?

To spread our black war to most humanoids possible, we’ll sign with any major labels. But if Music For Nations are **** and really hate our views, they can suck each others assholes, because then we’d sign with MOONFOG which is the best label on this garish planet.

Name your most important influences.

Bathory und Celtic Frost.

Do you have any fave bands these days?

Satyricon und Burzum.

As far as I know, you have recorded two albums for Neptune Towers. What are they called? These two albums were originally going to be released as Darkthrone albums. What happened here?

Darkthrone will rise und be more “active”. So there’s no need for synth albums anyway. DARKTHRONE is absolutely not a synth album. Neptune Towers is AVANT GARDE ASTRAL/ALIEN SYNTH. Its key purpose is NO LIFE – ESCAPE THE EARTH. Deep space synth of the early seventies without drums or voices. Only cold void. The first two Neptune Towers albums are one long story-concept albums. Album one: "Caravans To Empire Algol", out September 1994. Album two: "Transmission From Empire Algol", out in 1995.

How do you feel being signed to Moonfog Productions with both Isengard and Neptune Towers?

EXTREEEEEEEEMLY SUPERB. This label (TATRA/MOONFOG) is probably the bossest (grellt ord - bonus) label on this annoying planet. Sigtor forever!

Do you long for another time or place?

Total Death. Now.

On “Vinterskugge” there are three chapters. Could you tell something about each of them?

First: The actual "Vinterskugge" album. Defines Isengard’s style for the future. Second: Isengard demo “Spectres over Gorgoroth”, included as a service for people who wrote me in the past but never got this demo. Und others. Third: "Horisons", ergo different parts of me. Very personal, Fenriz finds it.

What will the future bring us from Isengard?

My new album “Samlet mot Gud Og Kvitekrist” (Meaning actually: Norwegian Black Metal hordes against God und Christ). It’ll be out in 1995. Very Norwegian und very “Vinterskugge chapter one style” but more “together”. Same sound. HAH HAH. Fenriz hates nice sound on albums!

You were supposed to write lyrics for a Mayhem song called “The Dawn Of The Black Hearts”, right? What happened there?

Don’t ask Fenriz, I don’t know. I only heard that Euronymous DID NOT LIKE THE TITLE! This is now something that the Black Metal "scene" laughs about because it’s a great title. Too bad for Mayhem. Euronymous said that the lyrics were great but the title was “strange”, and the lyrics weren’t used anyway. Perhaps it was too brutal…




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