Fenriz: I stopped going out to avoid fools. A man can have too many, cuttin' down on contacts is taking care of nr 1 in my book right now, heh heh

PW: Congratulations on the new album. In fact as far as most bands are concerned ‘The Cult Is Alive’ would still be considered new and they would be touring on the back of it. (Fear not I won’t ask pleading questions about touring plans). You work damn quickly, how long was the recording process for F.O.A.D. was everything laid down in one take?

Fenriz: Hi, just back from the studio recording the 2 first tracks for our next album (nr 14). As we don't tour we can keep writing songs and recording them when we have them ready. We prefer just going to the rehearsal place (we both travel 3 hours to get there), carry the studio equipment in, plug it up, do line checks, learn the songs, record the basics, I do the vocals - and then we get hammered. Next day we pack it up and then we usually meet again for another session 3 months later. Ted records additional titbits at his home in the mountains, and also his vocals. The choirs are laid after I do the vocals, we have always the owner of the house we rehearse in there to help us and also another sidekick Called Mats. Those guys and Ted do eventual choirs.

Recording process isn't an issue any longer, but when did the songwriting start? October 2005, I think. Like the songwriting for this new album we are working on started already last year (Ted had a coupla riffs already then) and I started in January this year. I already have the material ready more or less, before FOAD came out, even. So if you wonder if we are influenced by feedback from the press/fans, we can honestly say NO because we are well ahead of that - AND I don't read reviews or get any fan reaction at all, as I don't surf on the internet or go out anymore.

PW: Peaceville didn’t send out promos for the album due to internet leaking. I remember we spoke before about the speed that Sardonic Wrath was online. Was this effective or did you find it popping up on torrent sites? Looking now it is up as of 13 days ago, approximately the album release date. What is your opinion of all this and how would you consider it has affected you?

Fenriz: It affected me....I realised someone out there is EXTREMELY WEAK and silly...if they get a kick out of putting our album out on the internet before we even have our own listening copies. So we had to change mastering studio. For THE CULT IS ALIVE didn't leak at all, and FOAD didn't either. Nice. Un-aired ideas have suddenly a LOT bigger value now after the internet came into our world. So I can't tell you the new album title, even! Anything in due time. It didn't use to be like this before, no big problem, but us oldies often forget and we trust people too much. People think they get a favour from a band if they get a promo, but if the album is prematurely leaked NO ONE that got the promo will admit they did it - so EVERYONE is a suspect. So the best honour you can give your friends/contacts as a band, is to explain them this situation and NOT give them a copy until the album is out.

This should be OFFICIAL MUSICIAN LAW nr 1.I hope you all understand and listen.

PW: On the same subject, a lot of labels release promos with voiceovers on them to stop them being leaked. As a reviewer I would rather stick it where the sun don’t shine rather than listen to it like this. It ruins it musically and disrupts the artist’s intentions. I would imagine this is something you would be against, was such a move considered with F.O.A.D.?

I don't know, I don't deal with the business; I do the music and screaming and drums. It is best that others do the business and I do the music - not the other way around, perhaps. At least it would be tragic if I should do business because I know almost nothing about the way the record business works, and I don't UNDERSTAND capitalism in a creative environment.

PW: Before the album you flung us the E.P. NWOBHM. The cover was a thing of bold and bald beauty that had a fellow writer so surprised they forgot to play the CD. Were you expecting shocked reaction to Nocturno’s shiny dome and is he booking regular appointments at the hairdresser (this writer hopes it is a DIY fashion statement)? Or could it actually be a stunt double?

Fenriz: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA! I almost bust a nut here! Well no, this is my favourite Darkthrone photo of all time, and I insisted I should use it on the EP cover. It has been hanging in the kitchen in the commune I live in, so it's got lots of stains n shit… but the point is that it is from around 1997 methinks, from ULVSJØBERGET some kilometres north of our place and Ted shaved his head in 96 I think.

Anyway, it's my shoes that's the problem on that photo, not Ted's hair style.

PW: NWOBHM stands for New Wave Of Black Heavy Metal in your books. It is hardly new and it does as you state, pay tribute to the pure metal sounds of Manilla Road & Cirith Ungol. Speaking of which the latter band have an album, ‘King Of The Dead’ and the EP has a song called ‘Wisdom Of The Dead.’ This is musical regression that could be considered as a form of train spotting for the metal purists with large record collections. Care to comment and does it please you that by doing so you are probably getting people to check out groups they will never have otherwise heard of?

Fenriz: Only reason I am put on this earth is to get people to check out great bands and not the beginner bands, I'm after getting people into the acquired taste bands of the 80s and the 70s, one can listen to both big and small bands, no problems, they're usually important for how HM became huge in the 80s and more extreme versions of metal too.

We now usually have fans that have large record collections, or are over 30 years old. We certainly don't expect kids to understand what we are doing nowadays, I guess we are too old and wild and strange.

But King Of The Dead has nothing to do with our Wisdom Of The Dead track, certainly not the lyrics and the music. Our song is about what the dead know that we don't, such as WHY ARE THERE LOW-TALKERS. Hahaha!

PW: I did ask you about possible cover versions when we last spoke and you said, “I find it almost revolting to play other people’s music.” Obviously there is a cover of Testors ‘Bad Attitude’ on the EP. What made you decide to have a change of heart?

Fenriz: Bah, in a relationship there is give and take, so also with Ted and me. The thing was that with the change to record company Peaceville, they and Ted wanted to make some press statements and then he aired the whole EP and cover song idea---.I was into the Siouxsie And The Banshees at the time, so I said OK, if we do a cover, I choose it. So also on the next cover we did but now we finally can these EP's, it seems we won't do that on our next couple of releases. I prefer playing MY OWN material and also full album releases.

I constantly get offers playing for others bands, now last for the Infernus camp of Gorgoroth, but I just play our own material - so that's why I don't do any projects. Also I dislike playing drums, haven't practiced since 1993. I only like to "sing" but not for others if I can avoid it, I prefer singing for Darkthrone only. Also my drumming style is ANCIENT (70s, early 80s) compared to what all the bands that ask me REALLY need.

PW: There are very few ‘metal’ bands who release such things as an EP these days. You obviously still consider there is a market for them. Glad to see that vinyl is still around and even going through a resurgence but the thoughts of download only music fills me with disgust. What are your thoughts on this and do you envisage a time of a digital download Darkthrone?

Fenriz: Well, the most important thing is THE MUSIC. Anyways, I can't really discuss music on a general basis since I am in an extreme situation, and I get around 700 titles every year through trading, buying, gifts, so anything goes as far as I'm concerned.

PW: I noticed that an original Transilvanian Hunger" vinyl LP, original first press on Peaceville records (Vile43) 1994 went for £270 on Ebay the other day!! Does this surprise you and have you got any spare copies I could have please?

Fenriz: For our most commercial record? It's just gross, when all the important stuff from the 80s are surely underpriced compared to it.

PW: Onto the new album, love the cover art, when I first got handed it the words Broken Bones were immediately muttered by a colleague. Well it’s certainly punk as fuck. I see the cover is by Dennis Dread and there is some fantastic stuff on his website www.dennisdread.com How did you discover him, did he hear the completed album before doing the cover or was it just based on the title?

Fenriz: Nah, Ted and me just had a few components, he didn't hear no music. 1 our guy should have a deathhammer patch. 2 our guy should have spikes and a mohawk (my suggestion). 3 our guy should have a helmet (Teds suggestion). 4 it should take place on the graveyard on our THULCANDRA demo cover.

PW: Speaking of the title, even in its abbreviated F.O.A.D. it’s pretty obvious in these days of text talk what it stands for. Have you had or do you anticipate any problems having it stocked in any of the more censorious chain stores?

Fenriz: Beats me, I'm sure we would never hear about this as my head is in the artistry and not the business, sorry. But the diaper-commercial was cancelled #SOB# hahahahahahaaha

PW: Also the T-shirt pulls no punches with Fuck Off And Die proudly illustrated in big letters. Recalling the furore with my old mucker Rob Kenyon ending up falling foul of the police with his ‘Jesus Is A Cunt’ shirt, how would you react if I (err I mean someone) was arrested for wearing It.? Would you laugh, throw loads of money in for a defence fund, bribe the judge or something else?

Fenriz: Why would anyone be arrested for it? Swearing is MANDATORY!

PW: Punk rock eh. All these bands playing it unashamedly and it being called black metal by people when it obviously stems from a time before black metal existed. When I read blurb and reviews from the likes of Carpathian Forest, Imp Naz, Horned Almighty errr Blackthrone and hordes of others describing the music as black metal it just strikes as silly. What is your view on all this?

Fenriz: Nattefrost/Carpathian Forest and Impaled Nazareth certainly play a more historically correct black metal than symphonic 90s drivel. Hell, I think even NAZARETH is more black metal than Cradle Of Filth, Nazareth rocks!

PW: Onto killer track ‘Canadian Metal.’ It’s described as “lyrically about Canadian metal songs that rule” although musically not. I am sure some of our readers would love a crash course in Canadian metal, where should they start off - Blasphemy, Razor, Voivod, Revenge, surely not 3 Inches Of Blood?

Fenriz: I don't know about this band that you mentioned last, but it's usually wise to stay away from bands with numbers in their band name.

Voivod, Razor, Thor, Slaughter, Voor, Soothsayer DEMO, Obliveon DEMO, Sacrifice, Piledriver, Cauldron, Rush, Dbc, Bastardator THE LIST GOES ON, find your own. Even Sword!

PW: That’s Nocturno hitting the high notes on the backing vocals I believe. Was any form of pain involved? Also you go for some austere and theatrical sweeps on the likes of the title track and ‘Raised On Rock.’ It sounds like you are having a real laugh and have led people to think you maybe taking the toxic piss! Do you consider that metal and its followers do at times simply take things far too seriously?

Fenriz: I am deadly serious and fucking angry! Modern metal means nothing to me! I hit the high notes on Canadian metal, no one asked early Slayer or Destruction the same question when they did it. Metal must be taken BOTH seriously and un-seriously, some bands I only liked ironically before, I would defend with violence now, if some Korn-fan would talk shit about early Accept for instance.

PW: I like the way the album booklet has a list of bands to check out for those, “stuck in metal.” Some are obvious, some not so. Guess you have plenty of ideas for another Fenriz presents album. Anything on the cards or any other projects in the offing?

Fenriz: No, cuz people can chat about these things on the internet now I hear. Before, in the golden 80s, there weren’t these daft arenas for opinions, much more desolate and die hard landscapes for rock and metal fans.

PW: Not your baby I know but one of the freshest and dirtiest (if that makes sense) bands that I have caught both live and on disc this year are Gallhammer who are on Nocturno’s Tyrant Syndicate Peaceville label offshoot. Are you surprised they have got so much praise and attention yourself?

Fenriz: Nah, they're fresh. and I hear they are absolutely devastating live, so..

PW: Time to leave you and go away and decay I think. Before I do so, thanks for the interview, keep on ‘ooooh’ rocking and any final requiems to our masses?

Fenriz: Keep hailing REAL metal with SOUL, like DEMON'S GATE and ALPHA CENTAURI! HEAVY METAL IS THE LAW!

Well I think I just about came through that one unscathed. What a card that Fenriz chap, always one to shoot the breeze and put the metal world to rights. You can say what you want about him on the net as he obviously isn’t going to read it and if you haven’t already, pick up FOAD and listen to some obscure 80s’ metal, especially if it comes from Canada.

www.darkthrone.no
www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/foad

Interviewed by Pete Woods

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