Interview with Fenriz

Are you satisfied with the result of the L.P.?

I guess every musician ends up hating what they've done in the past. I love some of the songs on "Soulside Journey". Basically those songs sound very weird and evil, but unfortunately we fucked up with the sound on the album. It actually destroys everything! We sound like another Morrisound band or something, and that sucks! We will boycott this trendy sound that every 'New wave' death band chooses nowadays.We play black music, and on our next album we will try to take you back in time,soundwise. Production gives an atmosphere, and because of this, we're not satisfied with the sound on our first album. We will not stand as one of the 'New Scandinavian bands', we'll do everything to avoid that. Our fave bands are in Scandinavia - BATHORY, MAYHEM, TIAMAT, OBSCURITY, MERCILESS and HANOI ROCKS. We simply can't stand those new clone bands. Many will protest but DARKTHRONE anno summer 1991 is a black metal band, at least we are true. If people say we play death metal, it doesn't matter to how we look upon the situation - we feel somethin special and black in our music , also lyrics and what we think everyday are brutal and black, so if you don't mind DARKTHRONE is black metal. What is death,when you dwell in darkness...

Who in the band comes up with strange names like the gothic horror "Cromlech" that means grave?

I am the creator of all titles and satanic poetry in DARKTHRONE. I also have some new interesting titles that may chill those of you with black hearts:
"Under a funeral moon", "Caravans to emptiness", "Natasja in eternal sleep", "As vultures circled", "Axmata", "Hhaialgin dreamthreshold", "Dans de la divine symphonie", "Te deum Rabeleria", "Kathaarian life code"
Titles mean EXTREMELY much to me. I am TOTALLY OBSESSED by creating atmospheres, especially with lyrics, that's why I already have titles for our fourth album (Crazy, isn't he? -ed.)

I think the cover artwork of "Soulside Journey" is one of the best ever, and the made up logo in silver fits in the cover excellent. Who's the god-artist ?

It was Duncan Fengredo, which also did the album cover to the first PARADISE LOST L.P. I told him just to paint something to these words: "Soulside Journey" and there it was, a marvellous breathtaking album cover. I did the layout, and I figured that silver was the only suitable colour to go with black,white and blue.

Have you got a good relationship to other Peaceville combos ?

No,there aren't too many interesting bands there, but KONG is great! But no satanic bands. I liked the first albums of AUTOPSY and PARADISE LOST as well. Our vocalist is in tour with Chris Reifert or something (AUTOPSY). I also heard that Peaceville should re-release the PENTAGRAM (USA) type old BLACK SABBATH albums. Should be something to look forward to.

I think you've got a real own style of death metal. How did you get this style ? What are your influences ?

Wow, thanx! That's what we also say, and we can analyze our music and then we know it is original. But people keep comparing us to ENTOMBED, but I can assure you that that's because of the SOUND , "Left Hand Path" of ENTOMBED helped us with guitar sound. Read more about how our original the album sounds in your first question. How we got the original sound ? Well, firstly I do not play 'normal' stuff on drums, I play some kind of Jazz mixed with metal and double bass drums. Secondly we have no verses, no refrains, and a very special song structure. Thirdly we make music that sounds like horror movie music. I think we will somewhat cool this down. Cause horror movie music sounds better with a symphonical orchestra, or with synths.So we might not sound all that weird, because we use the wrong instruments, but that leaves us sounding original. We had been influenced by ourselves alot, but also by other weird bands that use the right choice of notes like AUTOPSY , NOCTURNUS or NECROPHAGIA.But I'm not into making this kind of music anymore. We wanna play more black metal oriented stuff like BATHORY or MAYHEM. But on "Soulside Journey" we made very weird music, and we accomplished that mostly ourselves.

What are you listening to? Death metal, pop, etc.?

Not much death metal; I used to listen to MORBID ANGEL , but their new album makes me sick. Even more standard Morrisound sound, and not as good songs as before. Also on MTV and METAL HAMMER denying that they are satanists . I don't know what they're doing! They're probably satisfied, but they do not give me anything anymore. MORBID ANGEL is dead. I listen to HELLHAMMER, BATHORY, first 3 DESTRUCTION albums, first SODOM stuff, first KREATOR album, B 52s, MYSTIFIER, TORMENTOR, NECROMANTIA, SLAUGHTER, ROTTING CHRIST, SARCOFAGO, TERMINATOR (POL.), first VADER demo, TIAMAT, MERCILESS, MASTER'S HAMMER, DIAMANDA GALAS, DOCS DEMOUR, MAYHEM, CADAVER, POISON (West-Germany), CELTIC FROST, SAMAEL, NUCLEAR DEATH, first MORBID demo, AUTOPSY, OBSCURITY and lots more. Anything black and morbid.

Who came up with the great name DARK THRONE and does it symbolize something special for you?

DARKTHRONE is correctly written in ONE word, like WHITESNAKE, just so you know it . I came up with it in November / December 1987 , when I needed a new name for the band. I told you before that I'm obsessed by titles , so DARKTHRONE is not coincidence. I searched and searched myself for a name, and finally I found it. It's also influenced by the CELTIC FROST song "Jewel Throne" where the lyrics go, "I am the king, sitting in the dark...". The best lyrics so far in the world's history must be those on "To Mega Therion". Can't you just feel the souls might with the word 'throne' ?

Are you really into satanism and if would you tell our readers something about it ?

It is personal. Search for it yourselves. The path of the darkest wind is not easy to find...

Is Norway a good country to be satanic?

No! There are almost no satanists here. USA, Switzerland, Greece and Italy seem to be good but it doesn't matter to me! As long as I am satanic, I feel great. I wouldn't want everyone to be satanic, cause there are lots of mindless people that would get into it if it was not all so occult. But I'd like some more satanic witches around instead of the boring girls nowadays.

Did you go into satanism due to the fact that Norway is such a cold and depressive country?

No, why? I guess special climates are good for certain atmospheres but for me it ain't that important. Life should be the greatest thing for me, so why be depressed. Depression is for christian fools.

Please tell me something about the lyrics of the album, especially of the songs "Cromlech" ("Into the abyss I fall...")

It is visions and black phantasmatic stories, drences in occult form a poetic way of writing. I feel a lot for my lyrics, I try to tease some black hearts into becoming darker. It's nothing special with "Cromlech", it's so easy for me to create an atmosphere with darkness. My fave is "Neptune Towers", it's taking my breath away. I do not know how I did it.

I just had these enormous pictures and visions filling my head and I luckily managed to get them down on earthly paper. Every single word is important. "Cromlech" is about abyssic views on death, but normally death doesn't interest me. I dislike to write about death, it's the things around death that can be amazing if you manage to get it down on paper. My lyrics will never change I guess, I don't have anything else that influences me, except for the Tom G. Warrior lyrics. They're simply so astounding that I can only read the first sentence of a song, and the next second I find myself absolutely drifting away from this dimension. It is an experience that I can find nowhere else!!

Which role did Uffe of ENTOMBED play in the production (guitars) of the L.P. ?

We asked him to give us a guitar sound, because we had no studio experience, and we needed 100% good and brutal sound. That's what we got, but now we've discovered that it's not what we want. It's not Uffe's fault or Sunlight studio's fault, it was our fault. We didn't dare to do any evil sounding stuff! We also didn't have much time in the studio. We will never enter a studio like Sunlight or Morrisound again! Those studios are for insecure trendy losers, like we were one year ago. But as said to everyone a hundred times: Never again!!!

Do you know him as a longer time?

I was the first guy Uffe wrote to. At least that's what he said to me, so I guess I have known him as long as possible.

Do you know the other guys of ENTOMBED as well?

I have written with Nicke since the days when NIHILIST were called BRAINWARP.

Are you in touch with other Scandinavian bands?

MAYHEM mostly, and CADAVER. Also VALHALL. Of course (my best friends) and I'm in touch a lot with ISENGARD! Also STIGMA DIABOLICUM and EMBRYONIC. I used to be in contact with TREBLINKA (write me Johan, or have you wimped out?), and also we're in touch with ENTOMBED. I would like to be in touch with MERCILESS and BEHERIT. But one of my coolest friends in the underground is MORBID and NECROMANTIA. I also used to be in touch with Matti Karki (ex-THERION, CARNAGE and DISMEMBER) but he also quit writing me.(I must be a disgusting person, since people quit writing me.)

Is there a good death/grind scene in Norway? (CADAVER/OLD FUNERAL...)

I don't care a lot about the death/grind scene. CADAVER is the best death metal band though. But MAYHEM is the blackest - not only in Norway but to the inverted horizons on the edge of the universe! Also STIGMA DIABOLICUM is cool as fuck but they might change their name, I'm not sure if I remember correctly 'coz I was down in the pub. He he. VALHALL is good, they're doom metal with death metal influences, slow as fuck! Also EMBRYONIC but they are a little bit to the new wave for me. But one of the better of the newer bands in the scene. Buy their single!

What is up with CADAVER?

They have just been in the studio, recording 4 new tracks with their new bassist Eilert (He is 29 years old and plays contra bass, even on gigs!). The new tracks are less brutal, but more evil, cosmic, technical and dynamic. Very CLASSY.

Have you already recorded some new songs?

We've made at this point (May 1991) 13 out of 14 songs for our next two albums. Read more about on next question.

When can we expect a new thing by DARKTHRONE? (E.P., L.P...?)

Ahh, now you're talking! In August 91 (in 3-4 months) we're going to Creative studios near where we and MAYHEM live. It is the studio that MAYHEM has used before, and now we are going for a totally different sound. We see ourselves as POSSESSED. "7 churches" had a standard sound, but on their second album they got a totally original and grotesque sound. That's what we're going to do, we will make some sound that's not trendy. Back to the mid-80's! We are recording:
Our second album "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" Mini-L.P., Playing time 22 minutes. Our third album "Goatlord" L.P. Playing time 35 minutes, concept album!
"A Blaze in the Northern Sky" will be out in October / November '91 It will be some of the blackest things you've ever seen or heard. "Goatlord" will emerge from the abyss in Jan / Feb '92

Future plans?

Stay dark.

Anything to add?

This is hilarious, the longest answers I ever gave! Thanx for the 'view, Christian (Are you christian? Change your name! He he!) Hail to NECROMANTIA. Buy their album or face hate!