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“As the Darkness creeps over the

Northern mountains of Norway


And the silence reach the woods
I awake and rise... Into the night
I wander
Like many nights before, and like
in my dreams, but centuries ago
Under the moon, under the trees
Into the Infinity of Darkness”
– Emperor
May 2014
DARK ARTS LTD
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Tel: +44 (0) 20 7729 7666

PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
Miranda “Queen Ov Winter Throned” Yardley

N
miranda@darkartsltd.com
o nation in the world has played
COMMISSIONING EDITOR
Tom “Torak” Dare a role in heavy metal quite like
tom@darkartsltd.com Norway. The place that took the
PRODUCTION EDITOR template of a trio of bands from across
Hannah May “Pårty Kät” Kilroy
hannah@darkartsltd.com
Europe and made an entire genre out of
it. The home of Emperor, of Immortal, of
ONLINE EDITOR
Kez “Pure HoloKez” Whelan Mayhem, of Burzum, of Darkthrone, of
kez@darkartsltd.com Satyricon, of Thorns, of Cadaver, of Arcturus,
DESIGN of Solefald, of, er, A-ha. The place that took
Steve “Gaaaaaarp” Newman
steve@darkartsltd.com heavy metal from controversy over lyrics and
SALES EXEC artwork to imprisonment over action. The
Amy “Haggrath” Harris place where Satanism became something real
amy@darkartsltd.com
in metal, not something sung about ’cause
PA TO MY it sounded cool. The place that launched a
Clare “Destroyer” Shoesmith
thousand bad band photos. The first time I got Emperor was the most
TRANSILVANIAN WRITERS
Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin, Adrien Begrand, Faye Over the last two-and-a-bit decades, powerful moment I have had as a music
Coulman, Connor Kendall, José Carlos Santos, Norway has seen one of extreme music’s fan since discovering heavy metal in the
Gunnar Sauermann, Rob Sayce, Kevin Stewart-
Panko, Guy Strachan, Rich Taylor, Ciarán Tracey most fertile scenes catch fire, burn itself out first place. As the intro to ‘In The Nightside
SNAPPERS OF NORTHERN DARKNESS and revive again. It seemed long overdue Eclipse’ faded out and the distorted chaos
Peter Beste, Steve Brown, Ashley Maile, Ester that someone catalogued this great nation’s of the guitars kicked in, it felt like the most
Segarra
astonishing contribution to the world of terrifying, exhilarating thing I had ever heard.
COVER PICTURE Terrorizer, and in this publication, we aim to It is not a feeling that ever faded. It is why
Peter Beste
do just that. Norway is still so important – not just to me,
SPECIAL THANKS
Abbath & Demonaz, Fenriz (for patience), Our experts have compiled your essential but to the millions of fans across the globe
Peter Beste (photography legend), José Carlos guide to the home of black metal, from its who feel the same.
Santos, Rich Taylor, Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin,
Gunnar Sauermann, Widget
earliest beginnings through its controversial This is why we present to you this Secret
SUBSCRIPTIONS adolescence and into the present day. We History
Tel: +44 (0) 1635 879 389 celebrate the greats and mourn the lost, and From Blashyrkh
try to explain why it all happened – with the
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PRINTING
Wyndeham Heron

The views represented in this magazine are not necessarily those


of Dark Arts Ltd. Best endeavours have been taken in all cases to
Miranda Yardley Kez Whelan
represent faithfully the views of all contributors and interviewees.
(Slave Driver) (Riff Hound)
The publisher accepts no responsibility for errors, omissions or the BURZUM DARKTHRONE
consequences thereof. ‘Filosofem’ (MISANTHROPY, 1996) ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’ (PEACEVILLE, 1992)
©2014 DARK ARTS LTD.
Tom Dare
Terrorizer is published every four weeks. No part of this magazine
may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher. The (Long Words) Steve Newman
publisher cannot accept responsibility for the advertisements in EMPEROR (Crayons)
this publication.
‘Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk’ (CANDLE- DIMMU BORGIR
The paper used in this publication is from a mill that carries chain LIGHT, 1997) ‘Death Cult Armageddon’ (NUCLEAR BLAST, 2003)
of custody and is from sustainable forests.

AWARDS Hannah May Kilroy Amy Harris


Print Media Management (Guinness) (Fire)
‘Innovation in Publishing' Award 2005 - Highly Commended
ACE Press Awards
WARDRUNA KVELERTAK
'Circulation Excellence and Endeavour' - Gold, 2008 ‘Yggdrasil’ (INDIE, 2013) ‘Kvelertak’ (INDIE, 2010)

2 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
Pic: Ester Segarra

Pic: Steve Brown

p56 SATYRICON
BM ON A MAJOR LABEL

Features
4. INTRODUCTION
The chronology of Norwegian extreme music

8. CHAOS REIGNS
The story of the early Norwegian black
metal scene

12. ORAL HISTORY


What it was like to be part of black metal’s
second wave in Norway

p20 MAYHEM
THEIR MOST REVEALING INTERVIEW
16. GONE GLOBAL
How and why Norwegian black metal
conquered the world

26. DEATH METAL


Profiles The story of Norway’s forgotten scene

30. OSLO PUNK


With the black metallers away, the punks
20. MAYHEM have played
The sole remaining original member of
Norway’s most notorious band recounts 32. THE ODD ONES OUT
their incredible, shocking history Norway’s rich avant-garde scene explored

36. WARDRUNA 34. NOT JUST SATAN


The new expression of Norway’s Think Norway’s all about the Devil? Think
uniqueness explain their mission again

44. GAAHL 38. THE ART OF WAR


Black metal’s most misunderstood The imagery of Norwegian extreme music
musician is profiled in this revealing
interview from the archive 40. CONFLICTS

The Classics
Fights, feuds and fickle friendships
48. FENRIZ
An all-new interview with heavy metal’s
truest die-hard and a black metal legend
seeks to get to the man behind the myth 64. THE
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS
52. IMMORTAL Your complete guide to the classic
The kings of the raven realm recount Norwegian records, from black metal’s
their remarkable story birth to the modern era

56. SATYRICON INCLUDING;


The first black metal band to sign to a
major label talk history
64. EMPEROR
68. BURZUM
60. TURBONEGRO 72. DIMMU BORGIR
What do you do if you’re in Oslo in 1993
to scare of the Satanist? Be homoerotic, 76. ENSLAVED
apparently
78. KVELERTAK
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 3
DARKTHRONE
INTRODUCTION

The complex, deep history of Norwegian metal can be confusing even to experts.
Before delving in depth, Terrorizer presents you with a beginners guide

T
he history of Norwegian metal begins always evolved somewhere completely else – although not from that far away.
in the early 1980s with TNT, a glam different. The New Wave Of British Heavy A boat ride across the North Sea, Venom
metal outfit that most Norwegian Metal led to the Americans – Metallica spat ‘Black Metal’ out in 1982. It was raw,
metallers would run a mile from – even if (after they failed to make an impact in horrible, noisy, chaotic and dangerous
they acknowledge them as the first band Los Angeles) and Exodus in San Francisco, as fuck; Monte Conner, who would later
anyone knew about. Except, in truth, the Megadeth and Slayer in LA, and Anthrax and sign Immolation, Deicide and Sepultura to
story begins beyond Norway’s borders. Overkill in New York – creating thrash, the Roadrunner Records, famously admitted in
With a brief flash of death metal giving California and New York thrash style was Sam Dunn’s film ‘Metal: A Headbanger’s
way to the greatest black metal scene in evolved in Florida into death metal, and then Journey’, that Venom were too frightening
history, the early Norwegian extreme bands Stockholm’s Nihilist grew death metal into for him when he first heard them. More
were repeating the history of metal elsewhere something more sinister. Norwegian black than thirty years later, it is still clear why;
– namely, what starts somewhere is almost metal’s roots are, likewise, from somewhere the imagery, the lyrical content and the

1984 1988 1991 (April) 1991 (June)


Bathory’s eponymous debut is released, After breaking the ice by sending Necrobutcher a Dead’s stage name becomes harrow- Euronymous opens the Helvete record shop. Thorns
inspiring swathes of disenfranchised Norwe- parcel containing a demo tape and a crucified mouse, ingly prophetic as the troubled vocalist release the influential ‘Grymyrk’ demo, which, despite
gian youths to break out their bullet belts and enigmatic vocalist Per “Dead” Ohlin leaves Morbid shoots himself in the head the absence of drums, is often credited as a pivotal
get grim and moves from Sweden to Norway to join Mayhem moment in the development of the Norwegian black
metal riffing style

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

1987 1991 (January) 1992 (February)


Mayhem make their recorded debut with the utterly filthy Darkthrone’s ‘Soulside Journey’ is released through Darkthrone begin to leave behind their death metal leanings in
‘Deathcrush’, spearheading the Norwegian black metal Peaceville – little did the label know what would favour of something altogether more evil with 'A Blaze In The
movement in the process follow next… Northern Sky’, and promptly scare the living shit out of Peaceville

4 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
EMPEROR

rough music still sound frightening in a


contemporary context; to the youth of the
1980s, they seemed like the most dangerous
band in the world. Norway’s most infamous,
brilliant bands had their initial inspiration.
But while much about Venom clearly led
to black metal as it is now considered, the
music was more proto-thrash riot than
tremolo fury.
Similarly, Switzerland’s Hellhammer,
led by one Thomas Gabriel Fischer – a
man who would become the legend better
known as Tom G. Warrior, but was then
known as Satanic Slaughter – were hugely
imporant, but they were clearing the land
the Norwegians would build on rather than
actually laying the foundations.
It was in Sweden that those foundations
were laid down. Led by the inimitable,
irreplaceable Thomas Forsberg – better
known as Quorthon – Bathory’s first three
records completed the source material
Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal and so
on would need to come into being. With

BURZUM
‘Bathory’ in 1984, ‘The Return Of The
Darkness And Evil’ in 1985 and ‘Under
The Sign Of The Black Mark’ in 1987, the
groundwork was complete, and Norway could

1992 (March) 1992 (July) 1993 (July)


Burzum’s self-titled debut is released through Eurony- Whilst most of the rest of the scene were off burning
Mayhem release ‘Live In Leipzig’, the black 1993 (August 10)
mous’ Deathlike Silence Productions, holding the honour churches, Immortal had just finished up their first Euronymous is murdered by Varg
metal equivalent of ‘No Sleep ’Til Hammer-
of being the second album to be released on the label album, ‘Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism’, making a video Vikernes
smith’ and one of the few official recordings to
(the first was ‘The Awakening’, the classic first album by for ‘Call Of The Wintermoon’ that would later become an
feature Dead’s iconic snarl
Swedish death metallers Merciless) internet smash

1992 1993

1992 (June) 1993 (June)


The Fantoft Stave Church, one of Norway’s most architecturally and culturally Candlelight Records release Emperor and Enslaved’s classic debut EPs (‘Emperor’ and ‘Hordanes
significant churches, is burnt to the ground. A photo of the burnt out ruins would Land’ respectively) as a split album, pushing black metal even further into the public eye.
then appear on the cover of Burzum’s ‘Aske’ EP. No prizes for figuring out who Darkthrone abandon death metal entirely with the thoroughly evil ‘Under A Funeral Moon’
was charged (but acquitted) of this one, then…

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 5
INTRODUCTION
GODSEED

take over. Or, as Fenriz from Darkthrone puts with its ethos and actions. The closest it violence. This was ‘Halloween’, this was Alice
it: “Everything you have to have to make had come was the grindcore wave which, at Cooper taken to a particularly spectacular,
a good black metal album is from ’87 and this point, had probably past its crest. There reactionary-baiting and inevitable conclusion.
back. You don’t need anything else to make was no doubt that Napalm Death and co. What happened in Norway was different.
great black metal. So in ’87, when ‘Under stood for what they claimed to stand for, but While some of the bands – Immortal, most
The Sign Of The Black Mark’ by Bathory was thought-provoking political ideology that obviously – had absolutely nothing to do
done, that’s all you really needed.” was essentially a reinterpretation of punk with Satanism, violence, criminality or any
It was from these roots that everything philosophies was not as extreme as their of the extracurricular bullshit that made sexy
since has grown. After Mayhem kickstarted music. tabloid headlines, and never pretended to be
the scene with the ‘Deathcrush’ EP in 1987, As an inverse example, Slayer’s lyrics anything but what they were, this was not
an initial flirtation with death metal (you can were never intended to genuinely support always the case. There was of course the odd
read about this on page 26) that included what they sang about (although occasionally clinger-on, claiming to be dangerous and evil
Darkthrone, the band who would later help ‘Angel Of Death’ still causes someone to while the reality was nothing of the sort, but
define black metal, came and went. As the get their knickers in a noisy twist). Kerry what brought the eye of the world – not just
1990s dawned, black metal came into being. King, Tom Araya, Jeff Hanneman and Dave the metal world – to Oslo, Bergen and the
Lombardo may have made extensive use other black metal hotspots was that here, the

I
f heavy metal had, up until this point, of shocking violence and Satanic imagery bands genuinely were as dangerous as their
been fond of theatricality and horror – something their death metal progeny presentation.
imagery, it had never really matched embraced with gusto – but the band made Mayhem, the first of the bands to come
its most extreme visuals, lyrics and artwork no pretence of supporting Satanism or along, were at the heart of much of this.

1994 1996 1997 2000


Emperor debut with ‘In The Nightside Eclipse’, Mayhem release ‘De Turbonegro release their sleazy, ultra-camp Ulver go uber-necro with ‘Nattens Madrigal’, Abandoning black metal altogether,
Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’, and Darkthrone’s ‘Transilvanian Hunger’ ‘Ass Cobra’ via Amphetamine Reptile Records. while black metal in general becomes less Ulver surprise everyone with the sultry
is released. Varg Vikernes is sentenced to 21 years in prison for Eu- ‘Filosofem’, the final Burzum album recorded rough, with Arcturus releasing ‘La Maquerade electronica of ‘Perdition City’. Vintersorg
ronymous’ murder and the arson of several churches, whilst Emperor before Varg’s incarceration, is released. Satyricon Infernale’ and a revived Emperor making joins Borknagar
drummer Bard 'Faust' Eithun is sentenced to 14 years for stabbing a release ‘Nemesis Divina’ ‘Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk’
man to death in Lillehammer.

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

1995 1999 2001


Immortal head to Blashyrkh for the first time on ‘Battles In The
North’. In The Woods… and Ved Buens Ende debut, marking 1998 Nick Barker and ICS Vortex join Dimmu Borgir,
who release ‘Spiritual Black Dimensions’.
Samoth and Trym from Emperor release ‘World Ov
Gaahl becomes vocalist for Worms’, Zyklon’s debut album. Emperor release
Norway’s growing avant-garde scene. Ulver and Fenriz’s
Immortal, with Abbath now on guitar, release ‘At final album ‘Prometheus…’ before splitting up
Isengard follow Satyricon into folk BM territory Gorgoroth
The Heart Of Winter’

6 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
Their singer Dead’s tortured vocals were
matched only by his equally disturbing
behaviour, culminating in his taking of his
own life aged just 22, passing into legend
even before the band had an album out.
With guitarist Euronymous an articulate
advocate for the scene in the early days, his
Helvete (“Hell”, in Norwegian) record store
providing the base for the bands to assemble,
they had their mouthpiece to declare their
intent to the world – a role that, in black
metal, has only really seen the like once
since, in the form of E. from Watain. With
his murder in 1993, at the hands of Count
Grishnackh – better known as Varg Vikernes,
the man behind Burzum – who was then

KVELERTAK
playing bass on Mayhem’s upcoming debut
album, the scene lost its Svengali-like figure.
It also ensured the notoriety of Norwegian
black metal would never end.
And it did not end there. The spate of
church burnings led to convictions and
imprisonments, and in 1994, Emperor
drummer Faust went to prison for murdering
a gay man in Lillehammer in 1992. He was
released in 2003, and will drum for the
reunited Emperor at their festival shows this
summer.
Meanwhile, some of the most amazing
music in extreme metal was produced.
Emperor, Darkthrone, Burzum, Mayhem,
Ulver, Immortal, Satyricon, Gorgoroth,

Grutle Kjellson, Enslaved pic Peter Beste


Enslaved, Dimmu Borgir and Arcturus became
recognisable around the world, adorning
magazine covers and turning black metal
into Norway’s biggest cultural export since
Edvard Grieg – apt, given that most of the
classic albums were recorded in Bergen’s
Grieghallen, which was named after the
composer.
But Norway’s contribution did not end
when the so-called “second wave” receded
as the bands splintered off in their own
direction from around 1994 onwards. In fact,
the sounds diversified, the music became punk rockers Kvelertak have used black Norse; and that place it all started, that little
richer, and has – in the last few years in metal to inspire them in creating entirely spark of a death metal scene, has kicked off
particular – seen a Norwegian renaissance new sounds; the gorgeous spiritual folk of a resurgence in Norwegian death metal.
that, while rooted in black metal, is very Wardruna, led by former Gorgoroth drummer And of course, still scaring the fuck out of
much its own beast. Legendary figures like Kvitrafn – who adorns this publication’s the scary Satanists, you have the deathpunk
former Emperor member Ihsahn have found cover, pictured at a very different time of homoeroticism of Turbonegro.
new sounds to explore; artists as diverse as his musical life – have found a new way to No wonder Norway is so hard for
headfuckers Shining and dirty, major label express something very old and intrinsically outsiders to understand…

2003 2005 2006 2009 2012


Immortal split up a year after releasing Emperor reunite for a series of Immortal reunite, Gorgoroth Wardruna debut, Immortal return with King and Gaahl work together again
‘Sons Of Northern Darkness’. Faust is shows over the next two years release ‘Ad Majorem Sathanas ‘All Shall Fall’, and Infernus wins the as God Seed, releasing ‘I Begin’. Gaahl
released from prison. Dimmu Borgir Gloriam’. The final Zyklon album Gorgoroth name dispute. Varg Vikernes had previously retired from music for a
seduce the metal mainstream with comes out is released from prison and reactivates while, shortly after coming out as gay
‘Death Cult Armageddon’ Burzum in 2008

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

2004 2007 2010 2013


Windir mainman Valfar dies of hypothermia, Mayhem release ‘Ordo Ad Chao’, their best record since ‘De Kvelertak release their self-titled debut, Obliteration bring Norwegian death metal back
bringing the band to an end. Enslaved release Mysteriis’. Emperor split up again. Gaahl and King “fire” Burzum releases ‘Belus’, Shining invent to prominence, Emperor reunite once more for
‘Isa’. Maniac leaves Mayhem, Attila returning as Infernus from Gorgoroth, beginning the Gorgoroth name ‘Blackjazz’, Zyklon disband festival headline shows and Kvelertak release
his replacement dispute. Kvelertak form in Stavanger ‘Meir’ via Roadrunner

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 7
THE EARLY YEARS

THE PERIOD LEADING UP TO 1994 DEFINED BLACK METAL AS A


GENRE, CONTAINED SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL RECORDS OF resulting in the ‘Soulside Journey’ album unveiled
METAL’S HISTORY AND SPAWNED A HUGE NUMBER OF IMPORTANT, in the first month of 1991. While one of the darker
and less formulaic albums of the death metal genre,
BRILLIANT BANDS IN A VERY SHORT SPACE OF TIME. IT ALSO LED TO by the time of its release there was a growing
SOME OF METAL’S MOST UNSAVOURY ACTS… directional dispute within the band; most wanted
WORDS: GUY STRACHAN to follow a more simplistic path, leaving bass
player Dag Nilsen as the sole enthusiast of a more

A I
rguably, two events that bookended the f these two events marked the end of the story, technical direction.
month of May 1994 marked the closing of then the beginning starts a decade earlier when This split led Nilsen to leave, playing session
the chapter on the second wave of black Euronymous, along with Necrobutcher and bass for the band’s sophomore outing. That album,
metal and yet, conversely, also marked the point at Manheim, formed the embryonic Mayhem. At that ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’, was initially a major
which the tentacles of the second wavers reached point in time, Norway’s best-known contribution to shock to most (not least to Peaceville themselves),
out above the underground bunker and spread metal was TNT who, that year, released ‘Knights Of but has since gone on to be one of the defining
outwards, bringing the movement and the notorious The New Thunder’, an album that found the band releases of the genre. Two further albums, ‘Under A
events surrounding it to the attention of the outside stepping out of the shadow of their influences and Funeral Moon’ and ‘Transilvanian Hunger’ followed
world. delivering a melodic yet powerful album that, with (completing the so-called Unholy Trilogy) before an
At the start of the month, Varg Vikernes went on the right backing, could have taken them an awful ill-conceived statement on the artwork of the latter
trial for his alleged hand in the arson of a number of lot further than it actually did. Mayhem’s sound, soured the relationship between band and label.
churches, and the murder of Øystein “Euronymous” however, was infinitely more coarse; a blend of

T
Aarseth, guitarist of Mayhem, owner of Deathlike metal, thrash and punk that eventually gelled into he shift from death to black metal was
Silence and proprietor of Oslo-based record shop a brutally rough and raw recoding in the shape not limited to Mayhem and Darkthorne.
Helvete, who had done so much to bring both of ‘Pure Fucking Armageddon’ in 1986, achieving Bands such as Thou Shalt Suffer, Eczema,
his band and black metal vision to the world. The a notably negative review in Metal Forces. The Amputation and Old Funeral would soon find
resulting publicity from the events described during following year saw the release of ‘Deathcrush’ (first several of their members joining the call to arms and
both Vikernes’ trial and the subsequent trials of as a demo, then re-recorded and released as a mini- forming Emperor, Burzum, Satyricon and Immortal.
others involved, as well as comments made during album) which, logo aside, bore little artistic and The reasons for this are multiple; for some the
his subsequent imprisonment, shone a light on the stylistic similarities to the recordings that were desire to replicate the bands that had inspired them
activities of a small group of people. But, if the to follow. (Venom, Hellhammer, Bathory, Celtic Frost) was a
actions themselves were attention-grabbing, then As Mayhem were taking their first vinyl steps, driving force, as was to move away from technical
so too was the musical epitaph to one of the most Darkthrone were changing their name from Black proficiency and the homogeneous sound that was
exhilarating periods in metal’s history. Death and taking things a little more seriously, beginning to find its way into the bigger albums of
At the end of the month, Mayhem’s long-delayed working on the songs that would soon grace their the genre.
‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’ album was finally ‘Land Of Frost’ demo. Three further tapes were Another explanation can be traced to the
unveiled. With a protracted gestation (the logo released in quick succession; the final ‘Cromlech’ immediate aftermath of Per “Dead” Ohlin’s April
for the album title can be seen on flyers for the tape securing the band a deal with Peaceville, 1991 suicide. In the wake of his death, with
band’s tour of Turkey and Germany in November

“If Everyone Had A Full-Time Job


1990) fuelled by a lack of money for recording,
line-up problems and a series of recording sessions,

Like I Had, I Think There Would


the album was originally slated for release in the
Autumn of 1993. However Euronymous’ parents

Have Been Less Criminal Acts” –


objected to Vikernes’ bass featuring on the album
and the album was put on hold while the album

Fenriz, Darkthrone
was remixed (with the original bass lines intact, but
featured less prominently).

8 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
9
VARG VIKERNES & EURONYMOUS
THE EARLY YEARS

Necrobutcher parting ways due to Euronymous’ January 1993 arrest following an interview given
desire to use photographs he had taken of Dead’s to Bergens Tidende newspaper designed to stir up

NOCTURNO CULTO - DARKTHRONE


corpse as album artwork, the guitarist saw a chance publicity for both Burzum and Euronymous’ Helvete
to drop the humour that had hitherto been a part shop led to a worsening of relations between the
of the band and develop an increasingly hostile and two; despite Varg handling bass duties in Mayhem
nihilistic persona. The vehicle for this was Helvete, at the time, the situation deteriorated to the point
a record shop that was opened in August 1991 on where Varg was to murder Euronymous in the early
Schweigaardsgate in Oslo’s Old Town that soon hours of August 10, 1993.
began to serve as a central meeting point for like- Accompanying Varg on his fateful trip to Oslo
minded souls. was Snorre “Blackthorn” Ruch, at the time another
One frequent visitor was Fenriz of Darkthrone: member of Mayhem and one of the unsung pioneers
“It was August 1991, suddenly we had a place to of the musical style, thanks to the demos that he
meet people and bands from Bergen or the rest of recorded under the name of Stigma Diabolicum and
Norway. It was still just a few bands, but they could later Thorns. Using full bar chords (instead of the
come in and stay there, stay in the shop – because power chord so frequently used in extreme metal)
it wasn’t just a shop. You could sleep in the back allowed him to generate a truly melancholic guitar
rooms. A lot of people would come there and crash sound, the style of which also featured heavily on
and you’d party and talk and listen to metal. That ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’, giving the recording a
ended with the church burning and murders and unique sense of chasmic depth.
feuds and everything. If we had just gone on with

E
just the letter writing, I doubt we’d have seen such mperor and Enslaved were the first two bands
an explosion. It’s probably also a matter of idle signed to Candlelight, both recommended to
hands – we were young, not all of them had jobs… label founder Lee Barrett by Euronymous, who between Bergen and Oslo that were part of the
if everyone had a full-time job like I had, I think was keen for both bands to have some promotion gruelling recording sessions for ‘De Mysteriis…’.
there would have been less criminal acts coming out before issuing their albums on DSP (although in the Ultimately signing the band a few short weeks before
of that. And that culminated with that press thing in event, Emperor chose not to progress with the deal). his death, it would take the best part of three years
’93, and that made the impact. But at the time, we Emperor were the first band of their type to hit for their album, ‘In The Streams Of Inferno’, to
still had the same mail contact like we had in ’89, the UK when they played four shows supported by surface but, when it did, such was the power and
with the rest of the world. The same contact I had at Cradle Of Filth during the Summer of 1993. strength of their blackened industrial metal that it
the end of ’91 I would have in ’92 with the outside Enslaved’s calling card contained one unique has rarely, if ever, been superseded by anyone since.
world. Nothing really changed – Helvete didn’t facet: their focus on their country’s Viking past.

A
change that.” At the time one of the few bands to look to longside the prominent names mentioned
their historical past for inspiration; their outlook above, a number of other bands were active

A
s both Necrobutcher and Manheim have would prove highly influential, especially by bands by the time of Euronymous’ death. Some
noted, Euronymous’ outlook in this period looking to move away from purely Satanic subjects. would go on to achieve a considerable amount of
became increasingly dark and antagonistic. Emperor’s lyrical focus was atmospheric over Satanic, fame (Gorgoroth, Satyricon), others would record a
A series of feuds erupted between bands in Sweden yet the band would, despite drummer Bård “Faust” demo before dissolving (Fimbulwinter), some would
and Finland, and Euronymous himself was frequently Eithun and guitarist Tomas “Samoth” Haugen being release a few recordings before disappearing from
at pains to state that war had been declared on imprisoned for murder and arson respectively, with view (Ildjarn), while others would veer away from the
death metal or, as he saw it, “life metal”, finding few the release of ‘In The Nightside Eclipse’ establish genre entirely (Ulver). Whichever path they ended up
bands who “truly cultivated and worshipped death” themselves as one of the pre-eminent and most taking, the fact remains that, listening back to those
within the genre, even going so far to state that successful names of the genre. recordings now, one key facet is that every single last
Dead had been driven to suicide by the prevalence of Like Emperor, Immortal were lyrically inclined band had their own singular take on the style and,
such bands. more towards “woods, mountains, forests and fog” as a result, still sound fresh and unique today.
A month after ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’ than anything more devilish, but their particular ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’ is, to this day, the
hit the shelves, ‘Burzum’ became the third release style of face paint and frequent photo sessions outstanding album of the period, yet by the time
on Deathlike Silence. Masterminded by former Old surrounded by ice and snow (as well as an infamous of its release several key players in the scene were
Funeral member Varg Vikernes, the album marked appearance on Norwegian television in 1992) rapidly deceased or incarcerated, and bands had moved
his entrance into Norwegian black metal. Recording made them one of the most instantly recognisable away from the displays of aggression and nihilism
several more albums over the covering months (each bands of the genre. Initially deviating little from that had once been such a defining part of the
of which are rightly seen as genre classics), Vikernes a full-frontal, blast-beat assault that reached a genre. Despite many subsequent impressive and
would also make his mark by demonstrating that crescendo with ‘Battles In The North’, they would influential releases few – if any – were to prove as
actions did indeed speak louder than words via acts later bring in a more thrash-fuelled style. influential as the recordings made during 1991-
of arson, which triggered a wave of church burnings Mysticum had impressed Euronymous with their 1994. This is a point not lost on Satyr of Satyricon,
across the country and beyond. His subsequent demo tapes, which he listened to on the drives who states that “if the atmosphere is right, if the
vibe is the right one, it can bring out things and
it can create a certain chemistry that cannot be

“The Atmosphere Of The taught, you have to be there. That’s why I think it’s
so difficult for bands who came a few years later

Norwegian Black Metal Scene, The in Norway, even if they are culturally the same,
they know the same people, they started only 3-4

Spirit, The Vibe That Was In ’91, years later… the atmosphere of the Norwegian black
metal scene, the spirit, the vibe that was in ’91, ’92,

’92, ’93 Is Completely Unique” ’93 is completely unique and without an in-depth
first-hand understanding and experience of what

– Satyr, Satyricon that is about, it’s a vital ingredient in your musical


sandwich missing.”

10 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
EMPEROR

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 11
ORAL HISTORY
DARKTHRONE Pic: Peter Beste

12 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
THE IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF THAT LEGENDARY NORWEGIAN SECOND WAVE IS
UNQUESTIONABLE. BUT WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT? TERRORIZER SPOKE TO TWO
MEN WHO WERE THERE, DARKTHRONE’S FENRIZ AND SATYRICON MAINMAN SATYR FOR THEIR
PERSPECTIVES ON THE SCENE THAT SHOOK THE WORLD

ON BEGINNINGS… ON HOW NORWAY FELL OUT many fanzines as we had functioning bands.
Fenriz: “If you look at bands like TNT, then OF LOVE WITH DEATH METAL, So the whole thing was really, really globally
suddenly came ‘Deathcrush’ with Mayhem. LEADING TO BLACK METAL… connected, and we were always thinking in a
It was like some hyperzoom teleport into Fenriz: “The focus shifted after ’88 and then global fashion. A band like Equinox that finally
something completely awesome that stunned ’89, because in the underground, the whole focus came out with some ’86 thrash in ’89, that was,
the contemporary global underground. That had been on death metal for quite a while. It for me and the rest of the band… we could enjoy
was what Mayhem was. The ‘Deathcrush’ tape seems strange to talk about this now because their songs, but we couldn’t support that at all.
came first and was sent to all the magazines, what is deemed death metal now isn’t the same We had to be cutting edge and we had to think
and the vinyl version came half a year later as what was death metal in ’87 or ’88 – that internationally.”
than the tape. The tape we had in like early ’87. was much harsher and had a lot more thrash in Satyr: “We stood shoulder to shoulder in
You can imagine for me just figuring out the it – a lot of stuff had thrash in it, normally and the way that people would try and help each
underground and having bought logically – so in ’88 and ’89 there other out, be it something related to the studio,
all the globe’s heaviest stuff like was an enormous focus in the borrowing equipment… you have to remember
Cryptic Slaughter, Celtic Frost and “IT WAS underground on death metal, so it that there were absolutely no budgets at the time
Slayer and everything that came
out in ’86 that was thrash and SIMPLY NOT was almost getting tiring then. We
[Darkthrone] had just learned to
and everyone heavily relied upon each others
tactical help to get things done, because this was
thrash related, and the speed punk ACCEPTABLE play death metal properly in ’89, so small and so underground, and I think people
etc., then we had this extremist but then at the same time, the did support each other’s bands and did help
band in our own ranks. There was TO BE A cup was starting to fill. And that out wherever you could help out, and people
no real evolution at all, it was just FAIRLY GOOD was really funny, because we were wanted other bands to make great music and to
from totally lame, contemporary jumping ship way before death do good. But at the same time doing anything
metal, and then suddenly there BAND – YOU metal became a popular genre!” less than unique would, speaking metaphorically,
was a recording like ‘Deathcrush’. HAD TO BE make you lose your backstage pass to the inner
It was beyond awesome. If I didn’t ON HOW NORWEGIAN circle of the black metal scene. So you had to
contact them at that time, I [would UNIQUE” – BLACK METAL fight hard for your respect and your position.”
have] been completely crazy, but
SATYR STARTED TO BECOME Fenriz: “Norway was a country that had so
of course I did contact them really ORGANISED… few die-hards that the main contact was by
soon with some tapes of my own Fenriz: “Think about a small mail, and we rarely saw each other. We grew up
shitty band – which of course was beyond shitty, country that’s just at the start of harder metal, in the same area as Mayhem – and Darkthrone
but still the guys were three or four years older a totally pristine country. For magazines and and Mayhem of course ended up recording in
than me, so of course they had an extreme band bands, what would you think would be normal? the same studio, because we lived a really short
with a good recording, and we were just starting Would it be one fanzine per band? Or ten [distance] away from each other, but they were
up. It ended up with me looking like a wimp, bands to one fanzine? Because it seemed like, older than us, and we didn’t want to impose
of course, but you could hang out a little bit in Norway in ’87, ’88, ’89, that we had just as anything. We had our own thing going, and sort
with the members of Mayhem, and could see
the rehearsal of Mayhem in October ’87 at the
Langhus area [south-east of Oslo], and there
“IT SEEMED LIKE, IN NORWAY IN ’87,
were two guys from Vomit helping out Mayhem ’88, ’89, THAT WE HAD JUST AS MANY
at that time, so there were the two bands there
in this rehearsal place, playing really fucking loud FANZINES AS WE HAD FUNCTIONING
and riffing a lot.” BANDS” – FENRIZ
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 13
ORAL HISTORY

of felt we didn’t want to be a hang-around or talk about things ever since because that’s my going in different directions. And also, in the
anything like that. I had contact with Metalion musical upbringing. musical environment we grew up with Metalion’s
by mail, Cadaver by mail, Mayhem by mail and “I even remember having some discussion Slayer mag, and talking to Euronymous, he
normal contact. Then there would be others about some group years and years ago with always said you want to mix it up, you want to
coming along like early incarnations of what the guitar player in Keep Of Kalessin [Obsidian have varied tastes, you can listen to anything –
came to be Emperor. They went through a whole C.], when he was the touring guitarist in encouraging everyone. Everyone was encouraging
bag of names – like they were called Xerasia and Satyricon. We were talking about some band each other to listen to freaky shit, not just
Embryonic before. There was a lot of snail mail; and I remember talking about how we were listening to one style.”
it was so normal. That was the way tape trading not impressed by that particular band, and I
worked anyway. I didn’t really understand why it remember he got frustrated with us and he said, ON CONTROVERSY…
was so important to hook up anyway. But after a ‘Why the fuck does everything have to be genius, Satyr: “The people who were involved in
while, people would want to see each other and why does it have to be totally unique? Is it not these controversial things, they were a part of
hang out – when you get to the age you can OK for a band to just play music and have fun that small circle of people that was there in
drink – and then it was really handy that a place doing that? Does it have to be so overly unique?’ the very beginning and some of them were you
like Helvete came around. But that was so much And I said, ‘yeah, I hear you, but in my book know, metal fans, metal artists, with a ‘bad-
later, it was like August ’91 that we could first yes, I guess so, because that’s the way I’ve been boy’ gene, some of them where metal artists
really hang out.” brought up, that’s the school I come from.’ I with some sort of philosophical conviction and
don’t come from the school that the vibe was determination to act out their philosophy in
WHY NORWEGIAN BLACK just ‘go out there and have fun, be in a band, real life and not sing about it, but also do it.
METAL IS SO DIVERSE… being in a band is fun’. We were on a mission And some of us were just drawn into it because
Satyr: “One thing Frost [Satyricon, drums] and demands were high. Maybe that’s one of the they weren’t the strongest of characters, and
and I have discussed a lot, I think it’s the important factors in how things were at the time, when surrounded by strong characters they
combination of elitism, brotherhood, and and more or less impossible to grasp unless you were persuaded to take part in things they
competitiveness at the same time. I felt this when were there, because it’s not something people didn’t understand the extent of, of what they
we were doing [1994’s] ‘Dark Medieval Times’; necessarily talk about all the time, but you feel it were getting involved in. So I think it was
I felt that, and no matter what we do we have if you’re part of that environment.” a combination of these things in the very
to do something unique, because the way it felt Fenriz: “We were living really close to the beginning, and then later on I think there
at the time, it was simply not Mayhem guys, but we wouldn’t might have been people drawn to this set.
acceptable to be a fairly good see them often really, or hang That could have been – some of them
band – you had to be unique. around or copy their sound. at least – people looking for belonging
Whatever you did obviously
“EVERYONE WAS You can hear our demos don’t somewhere, being a part of something
needed to be good but also ENCOURAGING sound anything like Mayhem, extreme; political left-wing, political
needed to be a complete thing the first album doesn’t sound right-wing, motorcycle club, or black
of your own, and I remember
EACH OTHER anything like Mayhem. And this metal, there will always be people
how Euronymous would talk TO LISTEN is really typical for our area – that are drawn to these extremities.
about, ‘this is what we do, you just do your own thing, It comes down to something
Darkthrone is supposed to do TO FREAKY you’re not supposed to copy so inside of them not quite being
that, Burzum take care of the SHIT, NOT JUST much. But at the same time, a in order rather than having
atmospheric stuff, Immortal lot of bands came at the same this strong conviction,
are gonna be that sort of LISTENING TO time, and were leaning on the or being philosophically
arena band’… you almost had ONE STYLE” same ’80s influences. determined to carry out
what they believe in.”
defined roles for everyone. And “Elitism would have to go
I remember thinking to myself – FENRIZ beyond that in how to present
‘what are we gonna do?’. the band, but I definitely think
“The things that were close that, for outsiders that weren’t
to my heart were Norwegian folk music, medieval used to this cold sound – because the current
folklore – things like that. I thought that I could sound in the scene was Morrisound, this warm,
do something with that and that was something plastic-sounding death metal, and then we came
that no one at the time was doing, so that was along with a more icy sound from here – a lot of
something to bring into conventional black metal people would think it sounds all the same, and
that would make Satyricon unconventional and it’s a wave.
unique in its own right. But the point is that it “For me, Mayhem sounds like Mayhem,
was simply not an option to go out there and Immortal sounds like Immortal, Burzum sounds
set out to be just a good band. That itself was like Burzum. So we in the scene were thinking
nowhere near good enough. With the spirit of we were not going in the same direction. And a
how things where then, that’s been the way I few years later, it was apparent that everyone was

“YOU HAD TO FIGHT HARD


FOR YOUR RESPECT AND
YOUR POSITION”
– SATYR
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SATYR

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 15
GONE GLOBAL
“If it doesn’t have that feeling
then for me it would never be the
real deal” – Satyr, Satyricon

THAT NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL SCENE OF THE EARLY 1990S BEGAN TO SPLINTER ALMOST
BEFORE IT BEGAN. IN THE PROCESS, IT GREW TO GLOBAL ATTENTION, AND ITS BANDS
INSPIRED BANDS AROUND THE WORLD. BUT IT ALSO ALIENATED SOME LISTENERS WHO WERE
UNAWARE OF THE CHANGES AFOOT…
WORDS: TOM DARE

“I
feel that there’s been a diversion or explored their theatrical prog leanings and people of the band at least would confess to
a split at some point,” muses Ivar became the biggest band of the lot before Satanic world views, philosophy or ideals. They
Bjørnson, guitarist and co-founder of going their separate ways. And of course, the wouldn’t have to be religious in that sense, but
Enslaved. “At the beginning, we were all more constantly shifting Enslaved first explored they would have that leaning. And if it leaked
or less in the same boat – or if we’re not in very different aspects of Quorthon’s creative out that these guys had no Satanic interest
the same boat, we’re in the same fleet at least, inspiration with a few subtle progressive whatsoever, people make it clear to them – not
with some ships being more Satanic than others. touches, before discovering and being clearly threatened directly, but conveyed to them –
There was at least a common direction and influenced by Neurosis and increasing the that they were diluting the art in a sense, and
understanding.” quantity of Pink Floyd in their sound to utterly making other black metal bands lose value by
If there is one defining characteristic of spectacular results. losing it as a tough guy badge or whatever. So
Norwegian black metal – beyond the trademark Add in Satyricon’s divisive but undoubtedly we had great respect for that, in the same way I
production sound of the albums Pytten recorded popular evolution, Dimmu Borgir’s love of have respect for any artist who takes completely
in the Grieghallen studio, at least – it is that the orchestra, Ulver dropping black metal for serious what it is he does, so we never said we
there is no defining characteristic. Ask any electronica and In The Woods… and Arcturus were black metal. We said we were very heavily
musician who was there – as Satyr and Fenriz going delightfully weird, and the speed influenced by black metal, but we were extreme
have made abundantly clear in this publication with which the scene - frequently seen as a metal.”
– and they will tell you that the scene of the movement of orthodoxy and dogma – shot off Of course, the public perception of
early 1990s actively encouraged individuality, in different directions is staggering. Stylistic Norwegian black metal was part of it shooting
forging your own path and creating your own evolution should, according to one who was to global prominence. People who had never so
sound. Mayhem were not Burzum, Darkthrone there, not be mistaken for a lack of common much as heard of Hades Almighty heard about
were not Immortal, Emperor were not Satyricon ground or mutual intent. the events surrounding the scene – tailor made
and Ulver were always too independent to fit

“I
into someone else’s niche even if they had f you were into extreme
wanted to. metal, there was a
As time passed, with the crest of the second sense of honour in
wave receding and black metal growing to the term ‘black metal’
something recognised around the world, that might have
the differences became more pronounced. made a point of
Darkthrone exaggerated and honed their not being black
autistically repetitive sound, ‘Transilvanian metal,” says Ivar.
Hunger’ forming the centrepiece of that “Calling yourself a
particular direction. Immortal became colder black metal band
and more vast, eventually sounding sufficiently would be saying
epic to entice enough adherents to the call to the world that
of Blashyrkh to headline festivals. Emperor the formative

16 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
GORGOROTH Pic: Peter Beste

“In the mid-’90s, black metal went from


being an art form to being a guy at the
party who stands up on the table and
shows his penis”
Ivar Bjørnson, Enslaved

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 17
DIMMU BORGIR

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 19
HALL OF FAME: MAYHEM

The pioneering, peerless MAYHEM are as shrouded in mystique as any band in heavy music.
Terrorizer spoke to NECROBUTCHER, to the one man who has been there since the start.
Here, in his own words, is the history of Norway’s most notorious band
Words: José Carlos Santos Main Pic: Esyer Segarra

band that included a few of those people at a place a politically oriented at all, we hadn’t even thought

“M
e and my friends at the time – this few kilometres away from my town, called Ski. I took about that. We were into horror films, violent
was around 1982/83 – we were the train, the guys picked me up at the station, and stuff, mysterious books, things like that. Something
interested in music, we wanted the first thing that amazed all of us was the fact that happened in those years that separated us from
to play in a band, so we bought instruments and we had the same favourite bands. Back in those days, everything else. We grew long hair, black or dyed
taught ourselves to play. We got a rehearsal place, very few people looked them up and nobody liked black, got bulletbelts, tattoos… we basically distanced
it was a borrowed room in an old school building them, except me, I thought. I thought I was genius. ourselves from the rest of society.”
because our drummer Manheim’s father was a school I was a big Motörhead fan, I liked the more extreme
principal. We called ourselves Musta, which is the songs of Maiden, Priest, AC/DC, I was always a

“A
Finnish word for “black”, but somebody told us that Stones fan… I never liked Kiss. I always thought they fter a while we played a gig,
it’s also a slang for ‘must have’, and we thought that sucked. So we talked about that, and this guy, who we recorded the ‘Pure Fucking
was cool. We didn’t even think about that, so we of course was Euronymous, tells me he has a guitar Armageddon’ demo at the rehearsal
just kept the name. When I finally turned sixteen, and that he knows how to play a few cover songs place – completely shitty sounding, of course,
in 1984, I started to venture out a little bit, I had that we were also fucking around with at our own but then we wrote a few new songs and we got
some money in my pocket, I could take the train… I rehearsal place back home, like stuff from [Venom’s] enough money to go into a studio. Not a lot of
was expanding my horizon, going to the next towns ‘Welcome To Hell’ album, a few Sabbath covers, money, so it was a quick in-and-out, and that was
from where I lived. It was in a town nearby that I ‘(Don’t Need) Religion’ by Motörhead… so, basically, ‘Deathcrush’. After that, Manheim left the band. We
found a metal scene. There were three or four bands as I was going up to this metal band’s rehearsal were rehearsing without a vocalist up to then – we
there that I had never heard of, and that summer I place to audition, I ended up asking Euronymous if actually had never had a steady vocalist. It had been
started to hang out with those guys. Øystein Aarseth he wanted to start a band with me and Manheim, just Messiah for a little while and Kittil Kittilsen,
[Euronymous] was there, he was one of those guys. I as we already had a place too and a drummer and who did a gig with us. Maniac lived in a mountain
didn’t know him before. everything. So the next day he came down to our village quite far from us, and he came down to do
“It came to be that I went to an audition for a rehearsal place with his guitar and his shitty the ‘Deathcrush’ vocals only. He told me he lived too
amplifier, and the moment we started to play far away, couldn’t come rehearse with us regularly so
together, everybody knew that this was ‘it’. he didn’t want to commit to being our vocalist. So
“I can still remember the feeling we had, we kept rehearsing without a vocalist, we borrowed
we were just so ecstatic that we had found a drummer from a friend’s band called Vomit, where
each other, and we thought everything was Kittil also played. So we never really made the Vomit
going to be fantastic. That’s where everything guys members of Mayhem, they were always session
really started, we had a lot of enthusiasm and players and everybody was aware of that. We did it to
we just stayed in our rehearsal place because keep things going. Then, in December 1987,
that’s where we loved to be. We had a new we got a letter in the mail, in the PO box we had
one because shortly after we were kicked for Mayhem.”
out of the school, and while everyone our
age was out in discos or going to the Gran

“I
Canaria or whatever, we were in that place, t was actually quite a big package, and I
drinking beer and playing. thought, fucking hell. Is it a letter, or what
“After a while, we started to reach out to is it? When I opened it, it was a dead mouse
other bands for inspiration, stuff like Sodom, crucified on a little wooden cross. This had come
Assassin, Napalm Death, all these bands that all the way through the mail, so it was rotting and
were around in the ’80s. It was such a small stinking like hell. I put the letter that came with
brotherhood of extreme bands that we were it and the dead mouse in the back of the pick-up
all kind of friends. Totally different from truck that I was driving at the time, and the thing
each other, of course – these people from stank up my van through the whole journey back
England were militant vegetarians, we weren’t home from the post office. It turns out it was from

20 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
“Euronymous called Vikernes to put the bass
lines that I had written on ‘De Mysteriis Dom
Sathanas’. What a stab in the back”
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 21
HALL OF FAME: MAYHEM
MAYHEM WITH BLASPHEMER AND MANIAC

“We were so pissed off and


violent, we couldn’t help
ourselves”
22 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
“I coped better with Euronymous’ death than
Dead’s, because I was still quite pissed off at him”
a friend of Metalion who played in a band called Morbid – it
was Dead, aka Per Ohlin. We decided to try him out, and he
flew over from Sweden to Norway, but when he arrived, he had
everything he owned with him. He wasn’t here to check it out,
he was here for good, to stay.
“We were completely unprepared for that. This was 1988,
I was still nineteen years old, we were all still living with our
parents at the time. So when he arrived, we just put him in the
rehearsal place. That’s how things started with him. We used
to joke that we lived in the rehearsal place because we spent
so much time there, but now we actually had one of us, Dead,
living – literally – in the rehearsal place. Around the same time,
we heard about Hellhammer from a mutual friend, we got in
touch with him and arranged a session. We all clicked quickly,
so we started to rehearse together, the four of us – Dead,
Euronymous, me and Hellhammer – and for the first time we
had a proper line-up. Everybody was totally into it, dedicated,
we were all unemployed and we devoted our entire lives to this
band. We played some gigs, and then when we were just about
ready to book the studio to record a new album that would be
‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’, Dead committed suicide.
“That was a big blow, especially to me. I took it very hard.
Not only was he one of my best friends by then, but I also felt
somehow that I had to take care of the guy. He came to my
country, he didn’t have any social network here, we used to
hang out all the time. I knew he was a little bit different, he
was a special person, but I never thought he’d actually do it.
He talked a lot about it, but I didn’t see it coming for real. The
reactions to what happened with Dead were very different for
me and Euronymous. I was crushed by grief, while he thought
this was some kind of promotion for us, take those pictures
of the corpse and all that shit. I had to distance myself from
all that. I told him ‘burn the pictures or don’t fucking call me
again’. He didn’t even go to the funeral, I was the only one
there. It was very disrespectful, and I told him to wise up.
He did the opposite. He called Vikernes to put the bass lines
that I had written on ‘De Mysteriis…’, on the songs that I had
written with him. The betrayal… what a stab in the back from
the bloke.”

"A
couple of years went by, and eventually we
started to hang out together again, in the
summer of 1993. We started talking because of
the tenth anniversary gig that we were going to have, at the
Rockefeller Music Hall which is one of the main venues in
Oslo. We were planning and plotting that, and so I was kind
of back in the band, because Vikernes only played on ‘De
Mysteriis…’ and said he never wanted to be a part of Mayhem.
I was actually asked by Euronymous to re-record the bass lines.
We agreed on that, we were happy to start working together
again, and then… he is killed. I don’t even know what to say. I
think I coped better with his death than Dead’s, because I was
still quite pissed off at him. So that helped me in my grief,
but it was still hard to overcome that. He was obviously my
best friend, we hung out together every fucking day for almost
ten years, writing songs together. We would write a riff each,
put them both together and that would be a Mayhem song, it
was like that with ‘Deathcrush’, with ‘Freezing Moon’, it was
a unique thing we had, a collaboration like that. I suppose
it happens with every songwriting pair in music history,
from Lennon-McCartney to all the others, that writing music

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 23
HALL OF FAME: MAYHEM

together leads to a lot of bad conversations. When Anyway, we got back together in 1994, I remember any more. Which is understandable, but I live for
there are big personalities, big egos in a band pulling very well that we went to the rehearsal place, very this band. This is me, it’s more than me. I got lost
in different directions it creates sparks, but that was close to Elm Street in downtown Oslo. It was still the somewhere in there along the way, so to stop was
good for us. It was real feelings being transferred to same place we had used to write for ‘De Mysteriis never an option.
live recordings and live shows.” Dom Sathanas’, and we agreed that if we had the “This period culminated in the ‘Wolf’s Lair Abyss’
right feeling, we would continue, but if not, fuck it. EP. We could have waited a little bit longer, we
We started playing, I looked at Hellhammer, and we could have written a few more songs and released

"A
t the time of Euronymous’ funeral – I both knew that it was all still there. After that, we a full-length and made more money. EPs aren’t a
was already in a band with Maniac basically lived in that space for two years. grand thing like albums are so fucking grand. I never
called Fleshwounds at the time – I “The Norwegian papers had written all kinds of got it. Most of my favourite albums are under half
talked to Hellhammer again, and from that shit about us, we were public enemy number one an hour. ‘Reign In Blood’, Voivod albums. I don’t
conversation we decided to keep going. Maniac was for a long time, we were called Nazis, Satanists, care what the music industry holds as standard, we
a better vocalist by this time, he wanted to do it, everything they could throw at us on their front weren’t part of the industry, we’ve never been. So we
he had moved and lived around the Oslo area, so he pages, they did. We couldn’t do anything to defend felt we just had to record what we had.
could step into the band again. Hellhammer told me ourselves against all the stupid tabloid shit coming “That’s what we did, we went into the studio for
he had a bloke in mind, but he had just thrashed our out all the time, it got totally out of hand. We had fourteen days, recorded it, came back and listened
rehearsal place. So, maybe not. [laughs] But some a lot of people working against us. Even Øystein’s to the songs, and we were like, fuck! We had been
time later he showed up to try out with us, the same parents, they wanted the band gone. They didn’t too aggressive when we recorded it, some of the
guy that had done that, and it was Blasphemer. want to keep reading about their son in the papers melodies inside the songs were too fast and too
aggressive to have the meaning they were supposed

“we told people to shut the to have. We actually had to re-record most of the
album. That’s the state of mind we were in. We were

fuck up and just listen to this so pissed off and violent, we couldn’t help ourselves.
But I think that struck a chord with the listeners,

– and they did” because all the badmouthing and every negative
thing stopped with that record. We went on tour,

24 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
MAYHEM, 2014 Pic: ESTER SEGARRA
“All the stuff that should have united us,
divided us, and we started to blame everyone
else for things that went wrong”
we told people to shut the fuck up and just listen to ‘

“A “T
this, and they did shut up. Not completely, but they fter that, we toured extensively his culminated on ‘Ordo Ad Chao’,
mostly did.” around the world. We had which is a totally inaccessible album,
different live second guitarists our biggest challenge ever. We were
filling in. When the ‘Chimera’ album came out, like, ‘figure this out, fuckers!’ I think it’s a crazy

“A
fter that, Blasphemer grew a lot as a we had come off a very heavy world tour. The album, very cold and aggressive, it’s easy to hear on
songwriter and was able to deliver the party side of it, with all the drinking and all it that we had reached the end of this musical path
masterpiece that is ‘Grand Declaration the other stuff, it was just too much going on, Blasphemer was on. He told me this was his end of
Of War’ – which no one understood when it came and that album was made in that aftermath extreme music and that he could not go further. I
out. Everything was ‘wrong’ to people. We used and in that state of mind. You can hear and don’t know if he didn’t know how to go further, or if
a synthesiser, that was wrong, we had some clear sense it on that album that we were way out you really can’t go further than that, but in his mind,
vocals, that was wrong as fuck, we had a great there on that one, even if there are some great he was finished. He told me stuff like he didn’t even
sound and a good production and that was wrong songs on it, like ‘My Death’ or ‘Dark Night Of want to write extreme music any more, he was just
too, that wasn’t black metal. All the shit we got… The Soul’ that we still play live sometimes. After empty, he had reached a wall, and so he decided to
of course, now this album is ranked as one of our that, it was time for a new world tour, with leave the band. It was inevitable, really; I had seen
best. Me, if I have to listen to a Mayhem album, it’s Attila in the place of Maniac who left after the it coming for five or six years. And from there we
that one. I think we stopped making music that was album came out, and we just continued with started the process that led to where we are now, with
accessible with that record, and people weren’t ready, too much partying, too much drinking, too ‘Esoteric Warfare’.
mentally speaking, for that kind of challenge. It hit much everything, and it led to us getting on “I can talk for a few weeks more, but consider this the
them like a big bomb. It’s funny that a lot of people each others nerves. All the stuff that should pocket book version of Mayhem’s history.”
who are into mathematics, physics and structured have united us, divided us, and we started to
sciences like that saw that album properly much blame everyone else for things that went wrong, ‘Esoteric Warfare’ is out June 6 on Season
faster than most metal fans did, they recognised pointing fingers at each other all the time. Of Mist. Read about that album in Terrorizer
value in it more easily, some of the journalists who Everything was going fine for us as a band, there #248, on sale now
spent more time with the album got it too. I think was no reason for any of that, but it happened.” www.Facebook.com/MayhemOfficial
it’s a milestone.”

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 25
NORWEGIAN DEATH METAL

IT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED THAT NORWAY’S INFAMOUS BLACK METAL MOVEMENT ACTUALLY GREW
FROM THE STILLBORN CORPSE OF A POTENTIALLY VIBRANT DEATH METAL SCENE. BUT THERE IS FAR
MORE TO NORWEGIAN DEATH METAL THAN A FEW DEMOS AND DARKTHRONE’S DEBUT…
WORDS: OLIVIER 'ZOLTAR' BADIN

A
scene whose origins are shrouded in metal, but their early use of proto-corpsepaint on to Earache for the much more experimental
mystery and lost in the memory of the and choice of covers (Venom’s ‘Black Metal’) ‘…In Pains’, after which they disbanded, only to
very few who were there to witness it, made it clear they were on a different path. reform in a very different form as Cadaver Inc
it is pretty hard to really nail who was the first Overall, if there was ever an actual death metal seven years later.
legitimate Norwegian death metal band. But scene to speak of in the second half of the Even if they later got known for performing
Kabel were probably at the top of the list. Based ’80s, it was located in Fredrikstad, although a much more laid-back and progressive form of
in the small southern town of Nittedal, they first out of all those bands – like Balvaz or Hydr music, back in 1989, Green Carnation were fully
started as a heavy metal covers band Hydr, for instance – only Cadaver went on to into death metal mode, as proven by their sole
in 1983, but it would take them another two greater things. demo recording from 1991, ‘Hallucinations
years and a name shift (to Vomit) to come After churning out a few demos, with 1989’s Of Despair’.
up with their own material and venture into ‘Abnormal Deformity’ being a highlight, they And of course, there was Kolbotn’s
extreme metal. signed to the short-lived Necrosis imprint (run Darkthrone. After evolving over the course of
There was also Mayhem, whose initial by Bill Steer from Carcass) for their quite thrashy four demos from the quite primitive Black Death
declaration of intent in ’84 was to play extreme debut ‘Hallucinating Anxiety’. They then moved (1986-87) into a much more technical beast,

26 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
OB;ITERATION
they ended up signing to Peaceville and heading Yet, with their whole back-catalogue having involved with The Batallion, and just hopes people
out to the already renowned Sunlight Studios in just been reissued for the second time (‘Our realise there was more to Old Funeral than just
Stockholm to record their classic, 100% death Condolences’), their easy-going former guitar future church burners in diapers.
metal debut ‘Soulside Journey’, with the help player Tore Bratseth cites brothers-in-arms Emptor “I can give you the exact date of Old Funeral’s
of Entombed’s Uffe Cederlund as guitar advisor. (featuring future Immortal and Borknagar drummer, very first rehearsal because it was Norway’s national
What happened after is another story, as you all Erik Brødreskift), Demonaz’s Amputation or Phobia day, May 17, 1988,” Tore tells Terrorizer. “Abbath
know already. (basically an early version of Enslaved) as the only and I, we had been friends since we were nine and
other extreme metal acts in Bergen back then. These we were both hard rock and metal fans, thanks

O
n the other side of the country – in days, he enjoys playing Motörhead covers with to my dad’s massive record collection. Our future
Lysekloster, to be precise, a small village his old mate Abbath in Bömbers when he is not drummer Padden, who was three years older than
outside Bergen – Old Funeral set out to
have a piece of the pie too. Although during the
band’s lifetime they only released two demos (the “We began to have this ‘us against
second being the first ever metal recording done
at the Grieghallen studio, in March 1990) and one the world’ mentality. As a result,
EP, they are now mostly remembered as a stepping
stone for yet-to-be influential black metal warriors
such as Immortal’s Abbath and Demonaz, Hades/
half of the band went to jail!”
Hades Almighty man Jørn Tunsberg, and Burzum’s
Varg Vikernes.
Tore Bratseth, Old Funeral
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 27
NORWEGIAN DEATH METAL

us, was also a friend and his big brother played a death metal movement quickly died out before it another (in this case, former) Emperor member,
part as he also had an extensive collection of harder really got the chance to achieve anything, pushed Tchort, realised they shared the same love for good
stuff, like Slayer, Sodom, Celtic Frost and so on. The over the edge by its black metal cousin all too happy old death metal and, as a result, started Blood
first time I heard ‘Hell Awaits’ was the day me and to take the spotlight in 1993/94. Red Throne in 1998. After seven full-lengths and
Abbath decided we would form a band. At first, we Apart from the aforementioned Darkthrone, a UK tour last year, they have become one of the
were mostly doing covers, like Sodom’s ‘Sepulchral other acts that had started as proud death metal country’s longest running death acts, despite many
Voice’ or Celtic Frost’s ‘Procreation (Of The Wicked)’ warriors included Thou Shalt Suffer (featuring line-up changes that left Død to stir the ship in pure
before penning our own material. And in the four future Emperors Ihsahn and Samoth) and Mortem, DIY style.
years that followed, we went from primitive thrash who soon morphed into Arcturus. The more the “I’m a very versatile musician and have played
to death metal and then black metal!” corpsepainted and black-and-white covers with all kinds of metal,” he told Terrorizer. “But I have
Indeed, it might have taken some convincing sinister figures barking at the moon became the always loved death metal and didn’t think of what
to have Tore include their 1988 debut demo ‘The norm, the less death metal – tagged as “life metal” was popular or what wasn’t when I formed the band
Fart That Should Not Be’ on ‘Our Condolences’ by its new enemies – appeared as a viable career in the late ’90s. Unlike what some might think, we
(“we were fifteen years old back then, what did you move. By the mid-’90s, in Norway at least, the didn’t get much shit from the black metal scene,
expect?!”), as by the time they recorded their next genre was, briefly, almost persona non grata, with they actually were pretty happy to see at last one
offering ‘Abduction Of Limbs’ and their ‘Devoured only a few isolated acts holding the torch. One such band finally doing that up-tempo and brutal style
Carcass’ for Thrash Records in 1991, they had turned flag carrier was the ephemeral collective The Flesh, again. Besides, we’ve always had some blackish riffs
into quite a fine-tuned death machine, inspired by formed in Drammen outside of Oslo by Funeral’s here and there, even if we’re overall more influenced
“Morbid Angel, Immolation or the Amon demos”. Anders Eek, who remembers a time when, “to my by the old school US sound.”
Overall, they played roughly two dozen gigs, but knowledge, there were no other bands playing death

W
rarely – if ever – with other death acts. And then, metal any more in the country. Maybe there was at hile it might have meant finding
“darkness crept in”, as Tore puts it himself. some point an embryo of a specific Norwegian death musicians to play with and booking
metal sound centred around Fredrikstad and all the gigs was a struggle, Hans Jørgen Ersvik,

“T
hings became very serious – almost too bands that were recording at a local studio there of the beautifully idiosyncratic Diskord, confesses
serious,” remembers Tore. “We began called Kællen studio – especially Cadaver – but by that talking to uncaring ears meant you had to
to have this ‘us against the world’ ’93/’94, most had just quit so this never came into be inventive.
mentality, became very misanthropic and planned fruition.” “Dating back to the first Darkthrone album, I
all those crazy actions. As a result, half of the band think there’s always been a kind of tradition in the

I
went to jail! The music started reflecting all that. By ronically, the genre managed to re-enter the Norwegian scene to have weird and psychedelic
1992, we had put six songs in the can, two of them picture after a few years of limbo thanks to bands popping up once in a while,” he says. “Yeah,
without any vocals, for a potential album. But we those who were the most eager to stick it six there weren’t that many bands to play with in the
quit because one of us got arrested, another one feet under in the first place. The first spark was very early ’00s, and when we did, we had to face mostly
moved to another island in Norway and I had to go symbolically provided by two members of one of black metal fans. But since we had to resort to DIY
to the military service.” black metal’s most revered national acts: Emperor. methods since no one seemed interested in us, that
In retrospect, what happened to Old Funeral is Samoth and Trym launched Zyklon in 1998 with urged us even more to do what we liked without
quite typical in a way. With a scene much smaller in their storming debut ‘World Ov Worms’. caring about what others thought. For instance, we
numbers compared to its Swedish neighbour and no Although having met while touring as session don’t look like your average metalhead. And there
actual signature sound to talk about, the Norwegian members for Satyricon, Daniel “Død” Oilaisen and are my vocals: I’m not your regular growler and I
never wanted to handle the mic and handle drums,

“Some people say the black and death but I did since no one else would…”
This fish-out-of-water mentality is probably
scenes are connected in Norway but I responsible for the utter otherness of their second

disagree – there’s no such thing as a album ‘Dystopics’, released in 2012 through Hans
Jørgen’s own label No Posers Please!. It is a record

death metal scene there to start with!” that reflects its place of birth, as it feels like it
come from both an instantly recognisable and
– Sindre Solem, Obliteration yet somehow alien place, far from the clichés of
endless forests and fjords.
“Oslo has a vibe on its own and we’re indeed
inspired by this urban hell, even if by European
standards it’s still a fairly small city,” Hans Jørgen
says. “Plus I guess we reflect everybody’s nowadays
more versatile taste, as we have a bit of everything
in our sound.”
Even if he would not call it an actual “scene”,
he would be the first one to admit that Diskord,
Execration and Obliteration are three “new” bands
that share more than just their 2010 split EP,
suitably titled ‘Oslo We Rot’.
BLOOD RED THRONE

“In a strange way, I think we do have a bit of a


sound going – all three of us – even if we’re very
distinct from each other. The early ’00s were very
lonely times,” laughs Hans Jørgen, “but we were
quite surprised to see 150 people showing up at
the ‘Dystopics’ release party. I think Obliteration’s

28 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
DISKORD
“Unlike what some might think,
we didn’t get much shit from the
black metal scene”
Død, Blood Red Throne
growing popularity has something to do with a of Norwegian extreme metal, so there’s as much
renewed interest in death metal in the country…” Burzum as there is of, say, early Darkthrone in our
sound. We wouldn’t have sounded the same if we

F
ormer Darkthrone protégés Obliteration hadn’t been Norwegian, that’s for sure.”
– their first album was released through Ironically, the 25-year-old Jonas Bye, who
Fenriz and Nocturno Culto’s ephemeral happens to be behind Mabuse and Mion’s Hill
label, Tyrants Syndicate – may be regarded as the when he’s not playing live bass for Gouge, thinks
country’s brightest hope as far as death metal exactly the opposite.
goes, especially after the great response their “If there’s anything those three bands [Diskord,
MABUSE

third full-length ‘Black Death Horizon’ received. But Execration, Obliteration], plus Reptilian for
their vocalist Sindre Solem dismisses any form of instance, have in common, it’s that we are not
categorisation, yet wears his passport with pride. influenced by any Norwegian bands – apart from
“Some people say the black and death scenes Obliteration maybe,” says Jonas. “Personally, out
are connected over here in Norway but I disagree, of all the recent stuff, only Morbus Chron from Norwegian death metal “sound”, something
simply because there’s no such thing as a death Sweden really made an impression, but apart from deepened by the fact that the scene is spread out
metal scene to start with!” he says. “There are that, I’m much more into stuff from the late ’80s all over a country two-thirds bigger than Great
good bands that support and there are bad bands, – like Autopsy or early Death – when thrash was Britain yet with only five million people living
that’s it. Even the old timers like the guys in Aura morphing into death but wasn’t there quite yet. in it. And without any actual proper focal point
Noir encouraged us in the beginning, saying they For all of us, the atmosphere is the thing that truly and a wide range variety of styles, how do you
had missed this kind of messy and raw approach matters, not the technical performance. And most draw a line in between, say, Kristiansund’s The
towards music and that it felt like a breath of of us don’t relate to ’90s Norwegian black metal Sickening (a dead ringer for Cannibal Corpse fans),
fresh air. We were all pretty young when we first that much.” Kraanium’s aggro “slam” death metal that could
started and we had no specific reference, which This exchange personifies the Norwegian be easily mistaken for a US band (down to the way
was a blessing in disguise because we just followed death metal scene’s biggest flaw – or strength, they dress and advocate love for skateboarding and
our instinct. It took us some years and some good depending on your point of view: its diversity underground hip-hop) and Excecration’s tortured
fights [laughs] to really get to know ourselves as and ability to dodge any potential categorisation. and twisted sound? You don’t. That’s Norwegian
musicians. And by then, we had digested years Unlike, say, Swedish death metal, there’s no proper death metal for you.

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 29
OSLO PUNK

THE DEBATE AS TO HOW STRONGLY BLACK METAL AND PUNK ROCK ARE TRULY RELATED HAS RAGED ON FOR
YEARS. AND IN THE MEANTIME, THE HOME OF THE FORMER GENRE HAS SEEN AN EXPLOSION OF PUNK AND
HARDCORE BANDS – INCLUDING ONE OF THE HOTTEST ROCK BANDS ON PLANET EARTH…
Words: Rob Sayce

W
hen it comes to punk and hardcore, sense of ‘us against them’. Especially when a band like the line, accompanied by a wealth of like-minded
Norway has always punched above its JR Ewing went out and did international touring. It acts. From the angular, noise-influenced approach of
weight. Tiny, tight-knit communities have felt like our little contribution to what was going on Angora Static to one man wrecking crew Snöras, the
endured in areas like Oslo, Trondheim and Stavanger, in the UK and the States, our little piece of it. Most sharp, versatile post-hardcore stylings of Desperado to
but recent years have seen a revival in international of the bands never made it out of Norway, but some the incredible intensity of Kaospilot, it was something
interest – partially due to the success of black metal/ did. It felt like a real scene at the time.” of a golden age. Sadly, very few of these
hardcore crossover titans Kvelertak. With more and Then as now, that community was producing bands made an impact away from
more Norwegian bands challenging, subverting and some incredibly powerful, diverse music. Early Norwegian shores while active;
completely overturning traditional genre approaches, pioneers like Betong Hysteria, Hærverk, So Much
there has never been a better time to explore what Hate and Stengte Dører had helped establish
the scene has to offer – or to reassess its past glories. the Norwegian hardcore sound throughout
“I’m seeing a lot more good, quality bands coming the 1980s, delivering plenty of incendiary
through in Norway,” notes Kvelertak frontman Erlend releases along the way. The dawn of the
Hjelvik. “A lot of them are doing really original and 1990s saw a diversification in the scene’s
interesting things, going their own way, and pulling aesthetic, spearheaded by the underrated
it off live. Norway’s not a big country, so pretty much Life, But How To Live It?, Blitz stalwarts who
everyone knows each other. It’s a small community, fused traditional hardcore with pop
especially in places like Oslo and Bergen.” and post-punk influences
“The younger bands coming up now are definitely to brilliant effect. Their
drawing on an older scene,” muses Larsh Kristensen, back-catalogue is
frontman of Wolves Like Us – a band who may have overdue some wider
formed in 2010, but have a much longer musical reappraisal.
history. “We feel like the granddads nowadays.” JR Ewing
Featuring members of Oslo all-time-greats like emerged a few
Amulet and JR Ewing, Wolves Like Us have an years down
unmatched pedigree in this sort of thing. Back in
the late 1990s and early 2000s, JR Ewing became
flagbearers for Norwegian punk, influential and
iconoclastic, with a considerable international
following. They were but the tip of the iceberg,
however, marking a peak in the scene that’s only
recently been matched.

“T
here’s a squat and punk club in Oslo called
Blitz,” says Larsh, “and they used to put
on a lot of punk shows… I think they still
do. It was definitely the centre of that Oslo scene.
Back in the ’90s people like me got to see bands like
Leatherface and Hot Water Music coming through
there, and it had a major impact on us. We grew up
on mixtapes, The Cure and Depeche Mode on one
side, Crass and Dead Kennedys on the other. It was
there from a very young age.
“Oslo’s a really small town,” he continues. “If you
go down to shows and hang out at the right clubs,
you pretty much know everyone. The scene used to
be made up of about 200 people! There was a lot
of jealousy and drama – all that shit – but also that

30 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
WOLVES LIKE US Pic: András György Varga

“THERE WAS A LOT OF JEALOUSY AND


DRAMA – ALL THAT SHIT – BUT ALSO
THAT SENSE OF ‘US AGAINST THEM’”
LARSH KRISTENSEN, WOLVES LIKE US
even if some would take on international cult status Crew – formed of Haust,
in the years to follow. That’s something that can’t be Okkultokrati and Dark Times
said for the current renaissance. among others. These bands
“Norway as a whole, especially Bergen and have also been fusing black
Stavanger, has a lot of interesting bands coming metal and punk influences
through,” notes Larsh. “Hardcore, punk, aggressive with often horrific (and
music, it’s all doing well at the moment. There electrifying) results, intelligently and uncompromising. acts like Purified In Blood and latter day Blood
used to be very few bands around – literally five or Others have incorporated hardcore tropes into Tsunami have drawn on the country’s punk roots; the
ten. Now I could easily name 30. The scene, from something rather more scattershot, such as the utterly walls have been torn down, and right now, anything
my perspective as an old man, is definitely worth batshit Manhattan Skyline (mathcore meets gabba goes. Many of these acts have already made inroads
watching.” meets jazz meets fuck knows), exuberant live force throughout the rest of Europe (and in some cases the
Man The Machetes, and Bergen’s Blood Command, USA too), championed by strong, independent labels

K
velertak may have helped kick start the who are among the more accessible bands in this and driven by a set of forward-thinking ethics. For
revolution with their 2010 debut, but they new wave. Meanwhile The Good The Bad And The all its past glories, the scene has never been under
certainly did not do it alone. Oslo’s Fysisk Zugly fly the flag for good old fashioned sleaze-punk, greater scrutiny, and it’s tempting to ponder how far
Format label has also been nicking Turbonegro’s (musical) shtick and running it it could ascend in the years ahead.
leading the charge, providing into ever more delirious territory. Whatever the future holds, the Norwegian
a home for the capitol’s More traditional hardcore is also going strong, punk community remains as fascinating and wide-
infamous Black Hole DIY straight-edgers Death Is Not Glamorous and dyed ranging as it ever has. It remains to be seen whether
in the wool old schoolers Haraball among the other bands can follow Kvelertak into the (relative)
current luminaries. Even overtly metal-leaning limelight, or whether they will even want to. But, as
with black metal, even if only a handful are destined
for stardom within their sphere, the wealth,
breadth and depth of music
is there.

“NORWAY’S NOT A BIG COUNTRY, SO PRETTY


MUCH EVERYONE KNOWS EACH OTHER”
– ERLEND HJELVIK, KVELERTAK
KVELERTAK

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 31
“I don’t appreciate
experimentation for
the mere sake of
experimentation”
– Cornelius Jakhelln,
Solefald

“This scene signalled a revolt”


– Cornelius Jakhelln, Solefald
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 33
LYRICAL THEMES

IMMORTAL
I
mmortal have always seemed somewhat removed from their peers in
Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum et al. The band’s imaginative lyrical style went
a step beyond many of their contemporaries. Far removed from the overtly
blasphemous stance of Gorgoroth or the Tolkien-inspired subject matter Varg
revelled in with Burzum, Abbath and Demonaz instead created the fictional
realm of Blashyrkh, a fantastical, demon inhabited world rife with epic, frosty
landscapes, endless forests and glacial valleys. Like all the best fantasy, however,
Blashyrkh had its origins in reality, mirroring the pair’s own feelings of isolation
and frustration after growing up in Bergen. The first references to Blashyrkh can
be found on the band’s 1995 classic ‘Battles In The North’, and from then on in
this mythical land would inform much of the band’s lyrical themes, featuring most
prominently in 1999’s ‘At The Heart Of Winter’ and their 2009 reunion album ‘All
Shall Fall’.

BORKNAGAR

A
fter growing tired of the standard “more
evil than thou” attitude that came to typify
Norwegian black metal, Borknagar guitarist
and founder Øystein Garnes Brun formed the band with
the intention of doing something a little different and
reaching further than the archetypal Satanic croaking
of his peers. This is reflected not just in Borknagar’s
progressive, folk tinged music, but also their lyrical
approach, which takes a more philosophical bent and
focuses on paganism, nature and the cosmos itself, as
opposed to pentagrams, goats and doing unpleasant
things to nuns. Whilst their first album was written
entirely in Norwegian, each subsequent record has seen
marked improvements in Øystein’s grasp of the English
language, penning redolent verses about mankind’s
place in the natural world in a very distinctive,
elegant style.

34 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
ARCTURUS
with odin on our side
NORWEGIAN MUSIC MAY HAVE BEEN STEREOTYPED AS
BEING ALL ABOUT SATAN, BUT THAT IS FAR FROM THE

A
s you might expect from a band named
after the brightest star in the northern LIMIT OF THE LYRICAL INSPIRATIONS…
celestial hemisphere, Arcturus gave some Words: Kez Whelan
of these individuals the chance to escape the Satanic
or occult nature of their other bands and cast their
eyes to the stars, penning a myriad of mind expanding
lyrics based around astrology, the supernatural and
mental illness. Acrturus’ literary interests gave their
lyrical style a much more refined edge than most of
the Norwegian black metal brigade, and as the band’s
music ventured into weirder and more progressive
territory, so too did their ability to weave increasingly
surreal stanzas. Just take a look at their last record,
2005’s ‘Sideshow Symphonies’; if you can find another
black metal record, nay, any other record that contains
the phrase “mongoshitfacedtabletwisters”, we’ll put
you in Terrorizer.

WARDRUNA
W
hilst Satan and Gaahl may seem like peas in a pod (not least
because of that interview in ‘Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey’), his
work with Bergen’s windswept Wardruna mines a very different,
more spiritual vein. Wardruna’s ‘Runaljod’ trilogy is based around Nordic
history & mythology and interpreting the runes of the Elder Futhark, one of
the oldest runic alphabets in recorded history. Pre-dating the Norse language,
artefacts containing its inscriptions have been found dating back as far as
the second century. The script fell out of use during the middle ages until
1865, when a Norwegian scholar named Sophus Bugge began to decipher
it, and now Wardruna are carrying the torch (albeit in a much less scholarly
manner, of course).

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 35
WARDRUNA

Multi-instrumentalist KVITRAFN is the man behind WARDRUNA, the


band behind the dark, hypnotic, beautiful Norwegian folk music that has
won over die-hard metallers. But, contrary to what you might think, they
are not seeking to recreate what the Vikings did…
Words: Tom Dare

36 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
was really surprised how well
Wardruna has been received, both
in the metal scene and elsewhere. I
didn’t expect that. I did this only because I felt
a need to do it, so basically everything after
that is a huge bonus. It’s really overwhelming
to see the response.”
You can appreciate Wardruna main man
Kvitrafn’s perspective. The metal community, in
one of its many paradoxes, can be remarkably
closed-minded – in anything relating to the
more extreme end of the spectrum, especially –
but can also accept a broad palate of sounds.
Take as an example of the latter the rapturous
reception Altar Of Plagues’ rule-bucking
garnered for ‘Teethed Glory And Injury’, and
contrast it to the small but vocal band still
wanting Enslaved to sound like they did prior
to releasing ‘Isa’.
The general principle, however, is that
if you are good enough and tapping into
something the genre’s devotees hold dear, you
have a chance. Even if you play Norse folk
instruments with not a single guitar in sight.
“It’s caused by the same reasons that black
metal in its early days was so popular,” Kvitrafn
believes. “Back when black metal was still an
interesting genre, the message was maybe
even more important than the music itself, and
the atmosphere was more important than the
technique or how fast you play or how good age or social or cultural background, and that’s often have really complex rhythms to them,
your guitar sounds, where today, the genre has partly why I think people can relate to it, even which I also use when I make the music.
become more like a technique-based thing. I though it’s packed in this Norse package.” “There are a lot of elements of which
think that’s something that you can feel when you can definitely say are authentic, both
you listen to Wardruna – that here, there is he “Viking” tag is perhaps one of when it comes to poetry and the sound,” he
more behind the music. The whole atmospheric metal’s most erroneously used terms, continues. “But of course I put it into a new
thing, the folk influences from Norwegian whether applied to the likes of Turisas, and modern setting. I think that if I were to
folk music are quite dark and melancholic and or Amon Amarth, or to ‘Hammerheart’-era make re-enactment music or try to play it like
grim. So put that in a dark surrounding and Bathory and the music it has inspired. Whatever they did back then, and make it sound old in
it’s quite related to metal, in many ways.” your opinion on what the word means when that way, that would be possible as well, but
The latter point is hard to argue. The applied to music invented in the modern era, I think it would make the whole thing less
atmosphere the Norwegian troupe create is the problem exists that we have few clues interesting, and less fruitful. What I’m trying
as dark, woodsy and mysterious as a Negură as to what Viking music really sounded like. to do with Wardruna is sow some new seeds,
Bunget album, even if it lacks the savagery. Sheet music notation did not exist at the and to strengthen some old roots. I’m making
Of course, it probably helps Wardruna garner time of the attack on Lindisfarne in 793 AD, something new. The old songs are lost. I aim to
attention from the metal public given that so exactly what the soundtrack to the arrival make new songs.”
Gaahl is in the band, and that Kvitrafn himself of that civilisation on British shores was has If you want evidence as to his success
played drums for Gorgoroth and Sahg at not survived the ensuing 1,200 years. It’s also in that regard, look no further than their
various points as well. Neither will it hurt that why Wardruna make no claim to accurately debut live appearance in the UK in October
the thematic slant is Norse mythology and, represent ancient Scandinavian folk music. last year. While Norwegians playing bleak,
of course, runes. It is a combination that taps That said, there are cultural relics that have earthy music are usually not likely to play
into a quarter-century-worth of association survived to inform their work and provide a venue more pine-scented than the dingy
with metal culture, from Bathory onwards. sufficient sources to keep Wardruna’s music a Underworld in London, Wardruna packed
It also lead to music from both their albums long distance from mere artifice, and to make out the high-culture Queen Elizabeth Hall at
being featured in the 2013 TV series ‘Vikings’ – sure no one could ever call them contrived. the Southbank Centre. But Kvitrafn believes
although the series’ name is is perhaps not one “It’s not necessarily a goal for me to make such a venue is the ideal way to experience
to associate too closely with Wardruna’s music, authentic music, but a lot of the instruments Wardruna.
as Kvitrafn explains: I use are quite limited in what you can do on “People say after seeing a show that it
“Many places call it ‘Viking music’ etc, but them, so almost whatever you do on them will, doesn’t feel like a concert,” he says. “It has a
I wouldn’t call it that, because Wardruna is not to a certain degree, be authentic,” Kvitrafn more solemn, ceremonial feel to it, almost
about re-enactment. It’s not about trying to explains. “Recreating this ancient music is like a like what you can find in classical music.
be Vikings again or trying to make authentic gigantic puzzle, so I’m really going into trying People should be allowed to expect
music, because that would be an impossible to make representative but I usually say that something different.”
task. It’s more about themes that are just as I’m creating something new with something
relevant today as they were 1,500 years ago. very old. Because knowing exactly how it
It’s about man’s relationship to nature, and sounded… we know a little, but we don’t know This feature originally appeared in
to each other, and to something bigger than all. But even in – especially the new album – Terrorizer #241
himself. These are things that most people even the poetry is written in the same poetic ‘Yggdrasil’ is out now on Indie
relate to, no matter where they are from, or metres that they used in the Viking age. These www.Wardruna.com

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 37
IMAGERY & ARTISTRY

S
ince its earliest, anarchic rumblings, heavy and languages in the shape of unintelligible screams ’95. Cementing this distinctive departure from the
metal has proved only too fertile a breeding and illegible logos. Demanding thorough, almost monochrome simplicity of their predecessors, the
ground for spectacle and excess, unruly, primal scholarly attention to liner notes and expansive album’s insanely detailed depiction of a frozen,
energies manifesting in a provocative wealth of reams of nightmarish cover art, few scenes boasted darkly fantastical nightscape opened up a plethora
satanic symbolism and leather-clad pageantry. With such intense exclusivity as Norwegian black metal’s of fresh creative territories. It may have given
every decade that passed, its practitioners sought out tightknit legions of tape-trading musicians, loyal Immortal carte blanche to adorn ‘At The Heart Of
increasingly violent, chaotic visuals as the movement followers and fanzine scribes. And, as the already Winter’ with the landscape of Blashyrkh, but that
annexed itself ever further from the mainstream’s sketchy boundaries between reality and art blurred was perhaps a concept that would have come about
boundaries. beyond recognition, their dangerously close proximity on its own.
By the 1980s, the lo-fi battery of the likes of to darkness opened scope for some of the most On the other hand, Dimmu Borgir’s daringly
Venom and Bathory had established an altogether controversial stunts known to heavy metal. experimental ‘Stormblast’, immersed in layer upon
darker sonic prototype whose visuals – along with layer of piano-laden dirges and delectably gothic

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the likes of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond – ith the iconic likes of Mayhem being among synths, walked through the gate opened by Emperor
heralded a tantalising taste of things to come. But the first to festoon their blackened altars before marching off in its own direction – visually
however much the old school’s influential aggressors with gallons of gore, putrefying sheep heads as well as musically. With its complexity of design
may have dabbled in occult theatrics, Venom’s – going far further than the gore-drenched American and brooding intensity looming extravagantly large
shock-rock accessories soon began to evolve into death metal bands ever did – and mock crucifixions, throughout the album’s mind-boggling central
something infinitely more sinister within the unique the ritual of live performance has amassed genre- image of a moonlit, medieval spire, still dizzier
creative climate for which Norway has since become defining significance since first emerging more than heights of increasingly complex arrangements lay
notorious. three decades ago. Off stage, an impenetrable haze ahead in the rapidly advancing years that followed.
Finding an instinctive spiritual home in the of darkness and grainy symbolism set the classic Progressively shedding the classic black garb of their
craggy, frostbitten fjords of its native terrain, it standard for black metal cover art, with its popular formative years in favour of fantastical headdresses
is through this volatile intermingling of youthful array of fire-gutted churches and desolate nocturnal and fur-trimmed robes, Dimmu’s dramatic visual
rebellion and mixture of Satanic and Pagan landscapes speaking volumes for the sinister audio metamorphosis goes some way to illustrating
philosophies that the savage strains of second wave contained within. the genre-bending gulf between their humble
black metal first began to take shape. With the With the genre’s ghoulish aesthetics soon beginnings and sophisticated current sound.
movement’s tremolo-picked hymns of hate targeted becoming interchangeable with an ever-spiralling In another direction entirely, Satyricon’s ‘Nemesis
squarely at the controlling influence of Christianity, catalogue of church-burning and other criminal Divina’ manipulated agile symphonic flourishes and
its destructive disciples found creativity amidst the acts, few bands revelled more thoroughly in these Nordic lyrical themes with post-apocalyptic panache,
chaos – both in visuals as well as music. dark, destructive impulses than Oslo’s controversy- expressed similarly theatrical elements just a year
Elevating themselves to the status of angry courting Mayhem. From grave-scented stage clothes later than Emperor’s debut, its flame-adorned cover
demons through a dehumanising artillery of to extreme acts of self-mutilation, enigmatic vocalist art symbolising yet another dimension of black
leather, studs and inverted crucifixes, this anarchic Per Yngve “Dead” Ohlin played a pivotal role in metal’s ever-expanding identity.
underworld quickly developed its own iconography fostering their now-iconic image, with his shotgun

E
suicide elevating the band to a towering zenith of ven among the oldest surviving legends of
notoriety. Forming the ultimate exploitation of the Norway’s genre-defining second wave, there
troubled frontman’s morbid persona, a snapshot of is no mistaking the indelible mark today’s
the subsequent crime scene famously graced the technological times have made on extreme music.
cover of 1995’s ‘Dawn Of The Black Hearts’ bootleg, But it is perhaps worth noticing that visuals seem
while fragments of Dead’s shattered skull were to be stripping down, or growing more natural,
reportedly retrieved as macabre trinkets. as a result. This is visible in multiple examples,
But however much black metal’s creative blackjazz lunatics Shining using nothing more
substance may have been all but eclipsed by the than text on an orange background for ‘One One
resulting media hysteria surrounding its ultra- One’ to progressive BMsters The Fallen Divine
violent beginnings, an increasingly atmospheric using artwork that has more to do with ‘In The
new variant was already beginning to evolve by Nightside Eclipse’ than the stark, sharp modern
the early ’90s. Adding imperial, richly bombastic look of Dødheimsgard’s ‘666 International’ or the
flesh to the aggressive barebones of bygone times, glossy presentation of earthy themes utilised by
Emperor’s ‘In The Nightside Eclipse’ gathered Enslaved.
instant, revolutionary momentum on its release in Similarly, corpsepaint has become far less en

38 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
FROM BLACK METAL’S MURKY, PRIMORDIAL ORIGINS
TO TODAY’S LEAN, STRIPPED-BACK SYMBOLISM, FEW
VISUAL DYNAMICS CAPTURE THE RAW INTENSITY OF
EXTREME METAL MORE VIVIDLY THAN NORWAY’S
ARRESTING, INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE TRAPPINGS.
TERRORIZER DELVED INTO THE ICONOGRAPHY…
WORDS: FAYE COULMAN PIC: PETER BESTE

vogue amongst younger generations.


The global black metal sphere, as it
has expanded in every which way, has
frequently seen some of the most savage,
bleak bands displaying short hair and plain
clothing, as opposed to long, raven-dark hair.
Norway has not been unaffected. While still
full of individuality and with original voices,
Norway no longer exists as a tiny, isolated
scene, and inevitably, outside influence is more
and more visible – never more so than on the
John Baizley cover of ‘Kvelertak’.
But when you have such landmarks as
Gorgoroth’s “black mass” shows, the iconography
of black metal is influenced more by Norway
than the inverse.

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 39
CONFLICTS & FEUDS
KING OV HELL pic: PETER BESTE

40 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS INFIGHTING, ITS FEUDS, ITS BITTER
DISPUTES, AND EVEN THE VIOLENCE OF SOME MUSICIANS TOWARDS THEIR PEERS. FROM ITS
EARLIEST DAYS TO ITS MODERN ERA, THIS IS A SCENE RIPE WITH STRIFE… OR IS IT?
WORDS: RICH TAYLOR MAIN PIC: PETER BESTE

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very country in the world has dark secrets; contributed heavily to the public image of the scene’s most notable feuds.
monstrous entities, hidden beneath the Norwegian black metal scene, although Varg appears

F
cursory glimpses of those peering in from to think that the enduring notoriety is more to do ourteen years and an immeasurable amount
the outside. But there are few such nasties that with the press than any culpability of his. of bands, albums and musical evolution
overshadow their host’s cultural identity quite like “Whenever I tried to tell the truth the journalists later, we came across another shitstorm in
the allegedly bloodthirsty, immoral and destructive weren’t interested,” he told Terrorizer in #194 (March the Norwegian black metal movement. This time
force that emerged in Norway in the early ’90s. 2010). “They just kept writing lies. They had invented it was Bergen stalwarts Gorgoroth who fell victim
Until then viewed by the world as a European their bugbear and didn't want me to ruin things to infighting and conflicts of interest. Although
utopia, a romantic land of fjords and mythology, for them by not being the bugbear they wanted to the band had infamously flirted with controversy
this all changed when news of murders and church write about. Their incompetence made the situation throughout theie career, with vocalist Gaahl and
burnings allegedly carried out by a Satanic music even worse, like when a journalist forgot to print the founding guitarist Infernus both serving prison
cult burst onto the media, from infamous shitstorms word ‘not’ when I told him, ‘My plan was not to kill sentences for various misdemeanours, it was Gaahl
in the music press to even TV news getting its (Euroynmous).’ So according to him my plan was to and King Ov Hell’s ejection of Infernus from the fold
knickers firmly in a twist (a comically rubbish South- kill. When they work like that, how can I not call the that set things aflame with the blasphemous band.
East England regional news scare story, featuring Varg they are speaking about fictional? And how can Speaking of events in Terrorizer #167, as they were
an interview with Candlelight Records founder I not end up being accused of self-contradiction?” ongoing, Gaahl explained that:
Lee Barrett, is still viewable on YouTube). The While Vikernes has maintained a stance of “We had a band meeting on Thursday [October
phenomenon known as black metal had arrived, and misrepresentation, he has also flaunted a blatant 18] at about 5:15pm, and told Infernus that we
the world shit its collective pants in the process. disregard for the moral implications of his actions – could not work with him any more. Although he
By now, surely all know the story. A group of an outlook that has further contributed to affirming expressed that he wanted to continue using the
young and disenfranchised outcasts began playing the amoral and bloodthirsty reputation of those name, both parties took a really friendly turn and
the most extreme music the world had yet seen, involved in the Norwegian black everything seemed to end in a
defined by its morbid fascination with death,
darkness, Satan, cold weather and viscerally evocative
metal scene.
“I don’t spend time thinking, “Euronymous professional way. On Sunday
[October 21] I sent him a message
aural barrage. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this turbulent let alone ‘feeling’, anything about threatened a saying that we would put out a
group descended into aggression, battles of ego, and
disputes – with one particularly notorious example
[the killing of Euronymous],” he
told Terrorizer in #217 (December person who press statement explaining how
things were. His reaction was that
coming to a fatal conclusion. 2011). “Some die sooner than others, didn’t give he would do the same and I said,
Two decades have passed since Varg Vikernes
committed an act that has defined his reputation and
for different reasons. Many die at
just two months old because some a shit at the ‘Of course, you should.’ Then he
changed the code on the MySpace
career ever since, and in that time we have observed
as the destructive ideals of black metal musicians
pharmacists and bankers want to
make money on dangerous vaccines.
time. Big account so King could not put out
the press statement. We captured
seemed to become a self-fulfilling prophecy for
their bands, and the scene to gain a reputation as
Many die in Iraq, Afghanistan and
Libya only because already filthy rich
mistake” the main page of course. At the
moment it’s turning into a war
being uniquely affluent in conflict and break-ups. bankers want to earn more money. – VargVikernes situation so we have to see what
From “creative differences” to death threats or even Many die because they make death happens.”
actual violence, the Norwegian black metal scene threats against others; Aarseth belonged to that What happened, of course, evolved into probably
has become synonymous with drama and infighting, group – and he threatened a person who didn’t give the most prolonged and vicious dispute in the
perhaps because of a couple of notable examples. a shit at the time. Big mistake.” modern history of extreme metal. With Infernus on
Euronymous’ death and Vikernes unflinching one side and Gaahl and King on the other, the two

O
n August 10, 1993, one young musician interpretation of that night are among the most camps underwent an extensive legal clash over the
drove to the home of another. That renowned of events in the history of Norwegian rights to use the name Gorgoroth for future musical
visit culminated in the death of Øystein black metal, beginning a legacy of conflict that has projects. With Gaahl and King arguing that they
“Euronymous” Aarseth, and a 21-year jail term for expanded and evolved with the genre. While personal ejected Infernus from the band, and Infernus laying
Varg Vikernes; one man had only recently played bass clashes did not culminate in such deadly results claim to the rights on the grounds that he founded
parts for the other’s band’s debut album – a record again within the scene, the continued presence of Gorgoroth, there was seemingly no clear conclusion
with the portentous title of ‘De Mysteriis infighting arose even in the ranks of some of the to the band’s future. Although Gaahl went on to
Dom Sathanas’. genre’s most established and reputable names; an reveal his understanding of Infernus’ gripe with how
The disastrous events of that night have element that would be instrumental in another of the the event unfolded for himself and Gorgoroth, an

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 41
CONFLICTS & FEUDS

underlying resentment and bitterness bubbled to the Ultimately, as we now know, the case went in
surface when asked how he foresaw the relationship Infernus’ favour and Gaahl and King subsequently
between these two musicians continuing. (eventually) continued writing and performing together
“This is the nail in the coffin for us musically,” in God Seed, while Infernus has remained active with
he said in #167. “I don’t think Infernus would ever Gorgoroth. Though there may have been some passing
be able to see this as a professional situation, and I similarities in the personal clashes and views of those
can understand him in this. I really doubt that it will involved in the Mayhem and Gorgoroth disputes, it
be possible to maintain a friendship and personally could be argued that the decidedly mundane outcome
I don't care. He’s never been someone I considered in the latter case exposed a chink in the mythologised
a close friend anyway. I don’t have any common narrative of Norwegian black metal – that it is not
interests with him as a person, we live on different actually all that spiteful. Indeed, in the case of
islands, basically – I’m opposed to sex, drugs and Gorgoroth, King himself observed a furore that didn’t
rock ’n’ roll, which might be a different view from reflect reality:
Infernus, so I think that should explain a lot. It’s not “I think the people around it were more emotional
like I bear huge harm for Infernus as a person. There than the three of us in the middle… It took on a very
are a lot of things I dislike but a lot of things I like as tabloid form,” he told Terrorizer in 2012 (#219). “The
well. When time passes, he may actually understand issues in question were not the same issues that were
why this has happened, it may be a lesson for him. present in the media. What we were talking about
But he will never, never play in the same band as was completely different to what the media was
me again.” interested in.”
This does not seem surprising when considering the

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hile the legalistic context of the Gorgoroth industry that has arisen around apparently trying to
name dispute, as it came to be known, understand, analyse and dissect the Norwegian black
may have differed wildly to the Varg/ metal movement – and the continuing interest the
Euronymous falling out, there is still an obvious public show in that coverage. From documentaries and
bitterness shown by the detachment Gaahl applies to books to news articles and even academic research, the
his long-term bandmate. Reflecting the inherent and fascination with this musical phenomenon has driven
fundamental individualism of black metal, Gaahl said many to try and unearth evidence of its self-destructive
of Infernus (again in #167): and murderous practice, when this does not appear to
“If people don’t follow their own rules and treat hold up to reality.
their working partners without respect, I lose interest in

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them no matter what. People who can’t stand for what hat the ‘Lords Of Chaos’-mediated narrative
they want to be… those are people I don’t respect and of Norwegian black metal has often
I don’t want to present art with those people. I don’t neglected to mention in its hysterical
respect a ‘use and abuse’ mentality. A Satanist should portrayal of murder, misanthropy and mayhem is the
grow and concentrate on his own matters and not try high level of collaboration that has occurred between
to suck the life out of others. The way I see Satanism musicians – something that seems to debunk the image
and the way Satanism should be, is elitism, and as long of a Machiavellian web of feuding factions. From the
as there’s a parasite among you… it must be removed.” interwoven roots of Emperor, Mayhem, Gorgoroth,

“Whenever I tried to tell the truth Immortal and Enslaved, to the more recent cooperatives

the journalists weren’t interested”– of I, Sahg, Audrey Horne and more there is an overt
trend of cooperation, teamwork, and fraternity. And

Varg Vikernes this without even considering that, between them,


Hellhammer and Frost have played drums for pretty
much every band not called Darkthrone.
This all belies the notion that Norway’s black
metal scene is in permanent turbulence. Terrorizer
had a long-running column – Six Degrees Of Shane
Embury – about the Napalm Death bass player having
a sprawling global metal network. Yet there are many
icons of the Norwegian black metal movement that
could lay claim to a similarly extensive personal
discography. As a case in point, take, for instance, one
of the above examples.
During Enslaved’s career they have worked with
Abbath, Nocturno Culto, and Ofu Kahn, of Immortal,
Darkthrone, and Red Harvest fame respectively.
Spreading outwards from this frosty family tree,
Enslaved’s Cato Bekkevold played drums in Red
Harvest, while Herbrand Larsen played keyboards
in Sahg (alongside ex-Gorgoroth members King
and Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik, now best known for
Wardruna), before leaving to focus on Enslaved in
2007. Additionally, guitarist and founding member
I

Ivar Bjørnson has played live with Satyricon, is on


Gorgoroth’s ‘Destroyer’, and ‘Incipit Satan’, has played

42 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
ENSLAVED
alongside ICS Vortex (Arcturus, ex-Dimmu Borgir) on Add in Shining’s Jørgen Munkeby working
Borknagar’s ‘The Archaic Course’, and most recently with Ihsahn on his solo material, Shagrath
guest featured on Taake’s ‘Noregs Vaapen’ in 2011. working with King on the Ov Hell album
Enslaved’s other guitarist Ice Dale has also played and Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (of Aura
live for God Seed, and is a full member of semi- Noir and ex-Mayhem fame) joining Frode
Immortal project I (along with TC King, aka King Ov “Grimar” Glesnes of Einherjer for Twilight
Hell, God Seed/ex-Gorgoroth – although that band’s Of The Gods, and the point becomes clear.
current status is unclear), Audrey Horne and Immortal If the notion of all your favourite black
co-founder Demonaz’s self-titled band – which also metal musicians hanging out in the studio
includes former Immortal drummer Armagedda, also rather than brooding in the dark over a
of I. glass of red wine while plotting revenge
SARKE

Moving our exploration on, the most recent surprises you, it is more than likely a quick
Taake record was particularly notable for its search through your record collection
extensive list of guest musicians, including the hard- will reveal further gems of musical
working Nocturno Culto, Demonaz, and Mayhem collaboration you never knew could have
singer Attila Csihar. The final and perhaps most happened. selective and ultimately inaccurate reputation for this
surprising guest musician on ‘Noregs Vaapen’ is The Norwegian black metal scene has had its creatively vibrant and open musical phenomenon.
Bjornar Nilsen, vocalist and programmer of avant- moments of spectacle, but just as misrepresentation As Enslaved put it, “Mind not the worshippers of
garde troupe Vulture Industries, whose guitarist and sensationalism has touched every group outside punishment, un-growers and resisters” – or you
Oyvind Madsen has incidentally played live with… of the status quo, so has hysteria cultivated a might just miss out on all Norway has to offer.
Enslaved.
The list goes on and on, from Keep Of Kalessin
mainman Obsidian playing in Satyricon before “The issues in question were not the
recruiting Frost and Attila for the ‘Reclaim’ EP to
Aura Noir’s Apollyon joining Immortal and Khold same issues that were present in the
drummer Sarke recruiting Asgeir Mickelson and (yes,
you guessed it) Nocturno Culto for his own band. media”– King Ov Hell
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 43
Pic: Peter Beste

44
Pic: Steve Brown
GAAHL

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
IN 2006, GAAHL WAS ALREADY A SUPERSTAR OF NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL. HIS BRUSH WITH THE LAW, HIS FAMOUS
APPEARANCE IN SAM DUNN’S ‘METAL: A HEADBANGER’S JOURNEY’ (“…SATAN…”), HIS PART IN GORGOROTH’S
INFAMY – MOST NOTORIOUSLY, THE KRAKOW “BLACK MASS” – AND HIS SCORCHING, INIMITABLE VOICE HAD ALL
COMBINED TO MAKE ONE OF THE MOST SIMULTANEOUSLY CAPTIVATING, FRIGHTENING FIGURES IN METAL, LET ALONE
NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL. IN YEARS TO COME, HIS FAME WOULD INCREASE YET FURTHER; WITH THE COURTROOM
SOAP OPERA OF THE NAME DISPUTE THROUGH HIS SEMI-RETIREMENT FROM MUSIC, TO HIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF
HIS HOMOSEXUALITY – HE IS STILL ONE OF THE VERY FEW PROMINENT, OPENLY GAY METAL MUSICIANS – AND HIS
ASTONISHING RETURN TO MUSIC WITH WARDRUNA AND GOD SEED. BUT IT WAS AT THIS POINT, HE GAVE ONE OF HIS
MOST REVEALING INTERVIEWS TO TERRORIZER…
Original words: Ciarán Tracey Foreword and update: Tom Dare Pics: Steve Brown

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hen this article was first published, ne of the most mysterious, necro stuff. Both of them are basically as bad as
the man staring up from these misunderstood figures in black metal, each other.
pages was in prison. This no longer Gaahl simultaneously embodies and “What you have to do, what all artists have to
possesses the dangerous excitement it once did refutes his media portrayal. In this interview, do if you even want to be an artist, is to make
in a genre now littered with the jail sentences of he was polite, considered and courteous, but sure to put yourself into it,” Gaahl said. “It’s
arsonists, murderers and outright deviants, but almost impenetrably silent. Quiet to the point about more than just putting your personality
few in the scene today can claim the mystery of isolation, Gaahl has an otherworldly bearing, into it, you have to somehow speak, and make
and compelling ghostliness of then-Gorgoroth with his piercing blue eyes, rock-hewn face and the music serve you. That’s basically the one
vocalist Gaahl. sheer physical build. Black metal was supposed reason I like David Bowie, for example. It’s
The reasons for his incarceration have been to be frightening for reasons we could not because I can hear his personality, and you can
bandied round the metal gravy always understand. So too is this hear his soul and total individuality. You can
train for a decade now, having
gained exhaustive comment. For “When man. His delivery is slow, well
articulated, and a full octave lower
hear it grow across all the music, and I really like
it. His albums are fantastic, especially stuff like
those just back from a sojourn Odin sought than comfort. ‘Outside’, which I think is incredible.”
on Mars, the bare facts are as
follows: on the night of February
knowledge, he “Black metal has developed
much more into simply a musical
‘True Norwegian Black Metal’ is a tag that
bequeaths credibility, mystique and a treasure
23, 2002, a 41-year-old man was always entered style than into an ideology,” he chest of metal history. Not everyone can rightly
kept against his will and seriously
beaten at Gaahl’s apartment,
the chaotic; affirmed, slowly but definitively.
“For me it has always been the
use it. Gorgoroth – both before and after the
name dispute – embody the term, in sound,
convinced he would die at the never the ideology. There are bands that attitude and aesthetic. With the donning of that
hands of his captors. He alleged
that threats were made to drink his
stable” care far too much about their
merchandise rather than their
wraithlike make up, they became as much a
paradigm, a message and a personification of the
blood, and has vividly recounted music. But then again on the art themselves.
what he endured as horrific before managing to other hand you have all the bands that pretend “I don’t know that I’m in corpsepaint when
escape and flag down a passing car. to be as underground as they can, which is even I’m onstage,” he countered when probed as
On the other side of the coin, Gaahl has more ridiculous. They think that by putting out to why he uses it at all – a point particularly
stated that this individual was uninvited to something with a bad sound that it somehow important eight years on, when he is the only
his house, and initiated aggression. He had no makes them even cooler within their idea of member of God Seed to perform with it. “But
choice but to defend himself, and only collected black metal. So I’m opposed to the musical it’s a very important thing, even though I
the man’s blood in a cup to save the ruin of development of black metal, but also the forget when I’m wearing it. It’s a question of
his carpet. Believe what you wish. Based on intentionally poor sounding and supposedly understanding. Yes, it’s a mask, but it’s probably
a previous encounter with the law however,
a Norwegian court has chosen to believe the
prosecution, and in so doing has fined the “The one reason i like David
singer 190,000 Norwegian Kroner in addition
to sentencing him to fourteen months penal Bowie is because I can hear his
detention.
personality – you can hear his soul”
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 45
GAAHL

“Black metal
should be
moral”
Pic: Steve Brown

46 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
easier for the audience to see me with that subtle, but it was the right thing to do after our is admittedly minimal. It is art. It is expression.
mask, to help their understanding of what I say. last album. ‘Twilight Of The Idols’ was about Gaahl’s sense of inherent morality does not
It gives them something. Black metal for me is the fall of false gods. But when the false gods deviate from his sterner artistic outlet.
based very much on what in many ways are very have been… dealt with… then I feel that my “Black metal should be moral,” he said.
chaotic forces. When Odin sought knowledge, Shamanism became my true god, in nature, and “Every individual is born with morals. But then
he always entered the chaotic; never the stable. in the individual that makes me who I am.” what happens is that within Christianity, or any
But he brings the chaos out, and makes it Silence is not his only tool with which kind of religion that is based on stolen books,
possible for us to understand it. He is one of to interpret the world. In those same sparse the morals of the self are denied. People are
the figures that is an originating force for me.” interviews and statements, he frequently raised taught, ‘This is right, this is wrong,’ when they
the theme of teaching, and of his own empathy know these things inside anyway.”

A
t this point in time, Gaahl had lived his with this role. Let us not beat around the bush: As such, Gaahl neither apologised nor
adult live in near solitude, shunning defending his actions in committing what has excused the actions that saw him incarcerated
Norway’s larger centres of population for been classified as torture-like behaviour, Gaahl for the next nine months.
the solace and peace of a comparatively remote offered nakedly that he sought to “teach” the “If I was in the same situation again… I
valley, three hours north of Bergen, bearing individual that intentionally crossed his personal would still have done the same thing,” he said.
his familial name. His rural home is basic, but borders. A court however has decided that in “I have to do what is right. In that situation
conducive to his way of life, allowing a oneness light of this teaching, Gaahl himself has some I can’t consider the consequences, because
with the rugged terrain with which he has learning to do. then I would be being false to myself. That is
formed a deep bond. The results of that bond It is an uncomfortable thing to suggest dishonourable. I would rather go to prison again
have clearly shaped his worldview. In both his that this could be accurate to a man seated than let something like that just fuck my way
lyrics and scarce statements, Gaahl has come inches away, and delicacy was exercised when of life up.
routinely to the metaphor of whispering: a suggesting that perhaps he can indeed learn “It was nothing for them to worry about,
curious ideology for one famous for fronting as from his second spell in prison. Despite the because I have no problem being honest,”
extreme and visceral entities as Gorgoroth and room’s immediate increase in temperature, he noted of the effect all this has had on his
God Seed. he was however gracious and philosophical family. His mother had testified on his behalf
“I have always been seeking silence, and I in taking the question. He mused on how in court, dismissing his alleged threat to drink
have always sought solitude,” he elaborated on the enforced company of strangers not of his blood by highlighting his strict vegetarianism.
this allusion. “The most silent choosing will conflict with his “It is the court that has a difficulty coming
thing I know is a waterfall. It is quiet erstwhile life. to meet you and forming a view of who you
an amazing rumble, but at the
“I would “We are always learning,” actually are. I have nothing to hide and that is

rather go
heart of it is silence. Water is he measured. “Part of teaching very straightforward.”
basically something that gives is to learn as well; the pupil
me silence. With the water
running from a waterfall, the to prison should seek out his teacher,
and the teacher should also
T
he metal and tabloid media’s lust for
the Gorgoroth story – even before the
stronger and higher it is falling,
the more silence it releases, and again seek out his pupil. What is
most important for a teacher
legal dispute between the two camps,
and Gaahl’s “coming out” – most especially in
the more power it holds. That
than let is to learn how their pupil the wake of the Krakow fiasco, saw a constant

something
gives me calm, and that to me responds. But it was the same fixation upon their then-vocalist. True to
is whispering. It makes you pay when I first went on tour with form however, the man’s focus upon repose
attention to the things that are
there, but that you can’t hear. fuck my Gorgoroth. I thought, ‘There is
no way I am going to manage
and solitude took priority over the chit chat,
conjecture and outright fabrication he had
The potential. What makes
way of life this, staying on the road with endured from the press. Though unconcerned

up”
music good are the things in so many people.’ But you learn. for idle chat, he would not call the media
between, the bonds that work “You know, I have kind of parasites.
together; the silences. It’s become a foster father for a “I would say that the only parasite in
something that’s very difficult fifteen-year-old,” he confided that Polish video episode was the idiot that
for me to explain, but that is how I feel it. at this point. “It was almost by accident. I was produced the film. He was in it for the money,
“Nature is definitely a huge influence on me, asked for help, and we connected. I would never and all I can say is that if you’re going to play
and that shows especially on this album,” he have expected it, but it has taught me so much. with the devil then you have to take what
continued as ‘Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam’ My foster son sees me as a teacher in many comes.
was being finalised. “Although of course the ways, and he has taught me more than he could “I never read any magazines, and I can’t
lyrics are generally an attack on the world, and ever have expected. be bothering myself with stuff like that,” he
Christianity, this time it is much, much more “Responsibility toward others in a much continued. “It’s shallow. I can’t allow myself
personal, in every sense. They’ve been based on different and bigger way,” he said when asked to waste time worrying and becoming irritated
my own ideas of Shamanism, its symbolism and what he had learned. “It has been very strange, about being quoted and misquoted in the
knowledge. There is one song on the album that but it has taught me how to deal with the media. I can’t concentrate or spend time
was written very much in the old Gorgoroth different things that cross my path in life. For focusing on it. It’s completely meaningless. As
way, but I feel that we’ve done all that before. him it has probably been the biggest thing in for being misunderstood, it’s not something
That’s why this time I have allowed myself to a long time as well, and that has taught me a I can influence. If people decide to believe
release and expose a lot more than I ever would great deal.” 100 per cent something that they hear
have in the past. without caring to know any different, it’s just

I
“I think the role of Shamanism in the album n music and ideology, black metal is indicative to me of the shallowness of their
is very direct, in many ways,” he continued. “It usually a rebellious, chaotic and macabre own humanity.”
feeds your mind, and there are many different force. How many of those that make this
directions it can take you. It isn’t necessarily music actually practice such values themselves www.Facebook.com/GodSeedOfficial
ww.Satyricon.no

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 47
FENRIZ: IN PROFILE

OF ALL THE ICONIC FIGURES IN NORWEGIAN EXTREME MUSIC, NONE HAVE BEEN
INTERVIEWED SO OFTEN AND REMAINED SO MISUNDERSTOOD AS FENRIZ. TERRORIZER
SOUGHT TO GET TO THE TRUTH BEHIND THE DARKTHRONE PIONEER…
WORDS: KEVIN STEWART-PANKO MAIN PIC: PETER BESTE

“T
his was a very pleasant experience,” only six-packs of Frydenlund and stacks of ’80s It has probably been a long time since
reveals Fenriz, with the sounds of vinyl (original pressings only!) for sustenance. Fenriz was on the receiving end of the
bucolic rural Norway and the clomp Sure, his record collection, by his own estimation, proverbial, “when are you going to grow up,
of hiking boots on thawing forest paths echoing is “ridiculous, takes up too much space, cut your hair, put on some decent clothes and
in the background. “Usually, I’m pretty good at sometimes looks ugly and is a pain in the ass to get a real job” diatribe that the majority of
mundane tasks, like doing interviews – I did 104 move, even though I have a system,” and he is young metalheads and their parents often find
for the last album alone – but to do one while partially responsible for some of extreme metal’s themselves on polar opposite ends of. Beaking
hiking through the woods was different; almost most notable recorded moments since the 1980s, off in the manner you would to a rebellious
fun! And the [phone] reception has been better but he is also a long time employee of Norway’s teen to a 42-year-old man isn’t going to cut
than I get when I’m inside!” postal industry, former outdoors correspondent for nearly as much mustard, especially when that
It is fitting that Gylve Fenris Nagell is talking a national newspaper, former co-operator/owner 42-year-old man has carved out an honest
to Terrorizer from one of the many forested areas of Tyrant Syndicate (with Skjellum), DJ, operator and respectable living while becoming an
dotting the outskirts of the small town he was of the famed Band Of The Week international icon, despite all
born and raised in, Kolbotn. On the surface, it blog and is juggling all that with his hesitancy and reluctance,
may seem like an odd location to be responding still being in the honeymoon
“I’m useless for playing and listening to

in family
to a list of metal magazine queries, but our plan stage of married life (he and his music. Plus, it is like Fenriz
when arranging this satellite-aided meeting of the wife tied the knot on December says:
minds was to eschew the orthodox. As indicated 13, 2013) and his love of the sorts
of movies you would not expect
situations. It “This is for life. I was born

seems like
above, there are at least 104 interviews out there to worship music. That much
in print and online for you to wade through on anyone with Repulsion’s logo and was very apparent from when
the topic of Darkthrone’s last offering, 2013’s ‘The
Underground Resistance’. If you want to know
Banzai Records’ “speed metal
swirl” tattooed on their person I’m really I was a kid… wait a second?
Have we started the interview?
about the songwriting process, who played what to love. uninterested Are we on topic?” he says with
on which song, how the album was recorded,
what collection of ’80s albums was influencing
‘The Underground Resistance’?
Great album. What happened in other a laugh between bursts of
laboured breathing (remember,
Fenriz and long-time associate Ted “Nocturno
Culto” Skjellum, about the fourteen-minute epic
during black metal’s murderous
second wave? Tragic. Darkthrone,
people” the hiking). “I did a lot of
interviews for the last album
‘Leave No Cross Unturned’ or hear yet another with Fenriz at least, playing live and have done a lot over the
exasperated “No!” in response to whether any time soon? Still a big nope to that. But years,” he continues, after being assured in
Darkthrone are going to play live, we are sure there’s more to the man, including a tenuous being off-topic, he’s actually on topic, “and
you can find that info somewhere out there. And connection to Dustin Hoffman. I started to think ‘What the hell does being
remember, ‘The Underground Resistance’ is album interviewed this frequently do to the human

“W
number fifteen; 104 doesn’t even scratch the ell, I haven’t got a lot of family psyche?’ I’m thinking it turns you into a
interview surface when you consider that Fenriz left and they know this is for selfish, narcissistic dude and you can’t even
has handled most of Darkthrone’s press duties life anyway. My mother doesn’t help it because you’re so used to other people
since their 1986 inception. really care any more, as long as I have enough asking, so you don’t ask questions yourself. It’s
Terrorizer’s plan was to shatter the myth about food to eat. And my brother helped out with his got to where I’m useless in family situations
our man being obsessively dedicated to metal to new wheelbarrow, so to speak, when me and my and stuff like that. I have no questions, I’m
the tune of his living like a hermit in a one room wife moved from Oslo back to where it all started, just answering and it seems like I’m really
cabin halfway up the Glittertind mountain with Kolbotn.” uninterested in other people.”

48 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
“I was born to
worship music”
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 49
FENRIZ: IN PROFILE

“I’ve never
moved much
more than ten
kilometres
from where I
was raised.
I’m sort of
like Rain
Man in that
way”
Pic: Ashely Maile

50 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
HALL OF FAME: IMMORTAL

There Norwegian bands – or bands of any other description – as instantly recognisable


are no
as IMMORTAL. Crucial in defining the second wave of black metal, and yet always with
their own distinctive personality, they have become heavy metal legends. Terrorizer spoke to
ABBATH and DEMONAZ to chart the history...
Words: Gunnar Sauermann

I
mmortal are the spitting image of black metal. and that I would get there one day.” that they are equals and Immortal cannot be
With their characteristic face paint, these At the age of six Abbath was watching his without one of them. Back in the day, both shared
blizzard beasts from Bergen have become favourite music programme broadcasted every a vision to make their music more spectacular,
icons of the Norwegian scene. Yet there is more Friday on Norway’s sole TV channel at the time. atmospheric and even spiritual following the
to Abbath, Demonaz and Horgh than what meets And this time it was Kiss. ‘Love Gun’, ‘Shake Me’ examples of Bathory. Lyse Abbey, an old Cistercian
the eye. Classic albums with catchy sinister tunes and ‘Rockin’ In The USA’ had a profound effect on monastery close to Abbath’s home at Lysefjord
and headlining slots at the largest metal festivals this kid in the north. near Bergen, and its surrounding woods became
worldwide mark them for a high seat among this “The guitars, the fire, the blood spitting – they the focal point of their activities and an important
style's greatest. had me on that day”, continues Abbath. “That was places of inspiration. “The pictures for our first
Meeting Abbath always means a reception with all I wanted to do and I did it.” album ‘Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism’ were taken
the ambassador of Blashyrkh, that frosty realm of He was utterly hooked and there was more to there,” says Abbath, before adding. “That nowadays
eternal winter covered in ice and frost, roughly discover. In the years that followed, the Norwegian really funny-looking video for ‘The Call Of The
located in a parallel dimension encompassing became a die-hard fan of Motörhead, Slayer, Celtic Wintermoon’ was also filmed around those ruins.”
the Norwegian province of Hordaland with the Frost, Bathory and Venom – all of which have

A
ancient Hansa harbour city of Bergen at its heart. influenced Immortal musically. At the end of the t that time, Immortal constituted a four-
His avalanching raven-throated bass voice will ’80s, Abbath had picked up the guitar, but also piece. Abbath and Demonaz were joined by
drone catch phrases like “forget about it”, while knew how to play the drums and had joined a local Hades Almighty guitarist Jørn Inge Tunsberg
enthusiastically telling of his latest vinyl catch or Bergen band called Old Funeral. As rumour has it, and Armagedda on drums. This line-up recorded the
reminiscing a meeting with Motörhead’s Lemmy he is supposed to have introduced Kristian (aka ‘The Northern Upins Death’ demo, which took its
Kilmister. He is a metalhead to the core, always Varg) Vikernes into metal back then. title from a drawing that Mayhem singer Dead had
larger than life and a most likable person that “That is not true,” Abbath dispels that myth. sent them before his suicide.
Silenoz once described in a nutshell: “We only jammed a few times together in Old “We changed everything after that demo”,
“Abbath is the biggest rock star, who isn’t Funeral. Rehearsing with him was a bit weird. He Abbath points out. “We needed to have more of
one,” the Dimmu Borgir guitarist mused in praise just stood there and looked through his hair, but he Venom’s glamour and were intrigued by the artistic
of his surprisingly down-to-earth character and was not the reason I quit the band.” aspect of Mayhem.”
unwavering loyalty as a friend. And indeed it all Demonaz describes the earliest period as a

A
began with rock… bbath had met Varg at a party of another “magic time”: “We were in our favourite places
musician, Demonaz, who at the time played around the Lysefjord, drinking whiskey, putting

“U
nique we are, but about ‘big’, I don’t in a death metal outfit named Amputation. on warpaint and breathing fire,” he remembers. “I
know,” grunts Abbath, on being Both were becoming dissatisfied with the musical could share my ideas with Abbath and we knew
informed of Immortal’s inclusion in course of their respective band. right from the start that we had something special
Terrorizer’s Norwegian Hall of Fame. “We just have “Demonaz introduced me into his favourites and going that would grow big.”
such dedicated fans.” I got him to listen to mine,” says Abbath, recalling Abbath, Demonaz and Armagedda recorded
That statement could not have been more the beginning of a lasting friendship. “When I first the ‘Immortal’ EP in 1991, which was their first
clearly verified than at Wacken Open Air in 2010. met him in 1988, he had Morbid Angel’s ‘They encounter with the now legendary producer Pytten
Tens of thousands were following the headlining Kingdom Come’ demo in his car.” at Grieghallen studios in Bergen.
Norwegians on the main stage. Aerial pictures The two blood brothers, although not related “Pytten is a man of enormous patience,” laughs
showed that they were quite close to filling the are quite alike in their appearance. Both are of Abbath. “We gave him a hard time as we knew
field to the same extent as Iron Maiden on the strong body frame with long black hair and speak what we wanted, but not yet how to get it.”
previous day. Who would have thought that this in that unmistakable loud, chopped mode they Yet the rock producer, who the scene in
could happen, when the band formed back in invented for Immortal. Yet, while Abbath takes to Bergen with amused love and deep respect call
around 1990. the front of the stage, Demonaz happily resides a “hippie” continued to work with Immortal. In
“Of course I knew,” states the huge frontman behind the scenes writing all lyrics, still contributing 1992 ‘Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism’ was released,
with absolute conviction. “Since I was six years old, musically despite his injury, and advising the course with its raw, harsh sound and rasping raven vocals
I knew that I wanted to be on the biggest stages of the band. Both have made it abundantly clear joining other forces such as Darkthrone and

52 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
“Since I was six
years old, I knew
that I wanted to be
on the biggest stages
and that I would
get there one day” –
Abbath

Pic: Peter Beste

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 53
HALL OF FAME: IMMORTAL

“Our winter concept set us


apart from the rest of the black
metal scene” – Abbath
54 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
“We Were In Our Favourite Places Around
The Lysefjord, Drinking Whiskey, Putting On
Warpaint And Breathing Fire” – Demonaz
for us, until Horgh joined us,” sighs Abbath. “Then the label, the shows, the sales. 2000 album ‘Damned
Emperor in shaping the early Norwegian black
everything fell into place and the future finally In Black’ reportedly broke the sales-line of 100,000
metal-style – yet critics struggled.
looked bright.” copies and ‘Sons Of Northern Darkness’ (2002)
“We were naïve enough to believe we would
continued their success story. Yet fame comes at
become rock stars overnight,” Abbath bursts out

A
ll seemed perfect. Then the “curse”, as the a price. A nd once again, when all seems to be
laughing again. “Luckily being young meant we
band call their permanent undercurrent of going well with Immortal, something went wrong.
did not fall apart when the album did not sell
bad luck, struck back with a vengeance. “We On July 18, 2003 they shocked their supporters by
much at first.”
were rehearsing for our next album when Demonaz announcing the band were to split. Touring had
Immortal had found their formula, but they
suddenly got stuck and could not continue,” the taken a heavy toll, especially on Abbath.
were driven by an impulse familiar to most young
vocalist returns to a still painful memory. The “Well, in our hearts we knew that Immortal
musicians. They wanted to become more extreme,
guitarist, in his ambition, had ignored a growing would come back again, but not when,” reveals
faster and harder. Armagedda did not like this
pain in his shoulder for far too long. Abbath and explains: “If we had just called it a
direction and had to leave, which marked the
“I got a medical examination,” tells Demonaz. “I break, we would never have been left alone.”
beginning of a constantly revolving drum-stool.
wanted to play again, but was told that the problem Without the pressure to deliver a new album
Kolgrim from Old Funeral stepped in, but found no
had gone too far and become impossible to cure.” or to play shows, Abbath was able to recharge his
taste for blastbeats either.
At first this message did not sink in. “Horgh and batteries. The vacant bass position was also filled
“I took over the drums in the rehearsal room
I continued to rehearse and waited for Demonaz with an old personal friend, Apollyon of Aura Noir
and in studio”, explains Abbath. “During the
to return,” Abbath continues. “It never happened. agreeing to join. On the symbolically charged date
mixing of ‘Pure Holocaust’ we were joined by Erik
He just came one day and told us that we had to of June 6, 2006 (06/06/06) Immortal announced a
and as we wanted to be a real band, he appears on
continue without him under one condition: I should headlining show at the Wacken Open Air 2007 and
the cover.”
take over the guitar.” confirmed the rumours of an imminent reunion.
After the release of their second album Erik
“There was no way, I would have allowed And in 2009 their latest album ‘All Shall Fall’
“Grim” Brødreskift stayed on the drum-stool for
Immortal to fall apart,” stresses Demonaz. “We followed, demonstrating that the Norwegians were
two tours, but not for the recording of the next
were always prepared to sacrifice everything for serious when they announced they were “to take
album. Meanwhile 1993’s ‘Pure Holocaust’ had left
this band.” their own time outside the hectic rhythm of the
a large impact in the underground scene and critics
Obviously Immortal were not in the best frame metal circus”.
started to catch up – yet not all reactions
of mind when they recorded their fourth full-length The dreams of Abbath and Demonaz have
were positive.
‘Blizzard Beasts’, released in 1997. become true. Their band are legends of black metal
“Some people got the title completely wrong
“We bit off far more than we could chew by and Immortal are stars, performing in front of tens
and associated it with the Nazi crimes, which we
trying to produce this album by ourselves,” admits of thousands with their name on the billings next
never intended,” sighs Abbath. “We just thought it
Abbath. “We had toured with Morbid Angel, which to their idols. And their followers? They eagerly
was cool. Mayhem had ‘Pure Fucking Armageddon’,
inspired us to play faster and faster, but although await the next album, which may just be ready this
but we did not want to call our record ‘Pure
we saw ourselves as world champions, we were not year…
Mayhem’ instead.”
Germany especially reacted allergically, and the ready for it.” The band quit working with Pytten
at Grieghallen and rented a posh place in Bergen. www.ImmortalOfficial.com
band had some friends from Blasphemy act as
bodyguards at a Berlin show. Once again reduced “It was a nightmare,” adds
to a duo, Abbath recorded the drums on the 1995 the Norseman. “Some girl
album ‘Battles In The North’ too – something engineered and we played
reflected in the cover art. too fast without using a
“My father took Demonaz and me to a glacier click-track.”
and took the pictures,”, he elaborates. “It was Immortal learned from
-15°C up there and we had to keep the car running this experience. For their
in order to warm up during short breaks.” next effort ‘At The Heart
Posing barely dressed in the snow proved Of Winter’, the Norwegians
well worth it, when the band found the cover of went to record for the first
‘Battles In The North’ in the window of one of time with Peter Tägtgren in
London's largest record stores. his Abyss Studio. “We had
“We were damn proud of our album at that noticed that Dimmu Borgir
moment,” recalls Abbath fondly. “Our winter had done the right thing
concept also set us apart from the rest of the black to work with Peter, but he
metal scene.” would have probably just
Immortal chose to let the forces of nature laughed at us kids if we had
dominate their lyrics from the beginning as asked him before”, Abbath
opposed to the usual Satanic approach. This grins. The more relaxed
concept was neatly wrapped up in a name: musical approach and the
Blashyrkh, a fictional realm of eternal winter, ice massive sound created by the
and black ravens circling on storm swept skies. Swede catapulted Immortal
With ‘Battles In The North’, Immortal had climbed upwards, as the band now
a new peak and perfected their formula. In 1996 also appealed to a wider
the duo finally became a trio once more. “To find metal audience.
a suitable drummer had been a constant problem Everything got bigger –

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 55
HALL OF FAME: SATYRICON
Pic: Peter Beste

56 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, HUGELY POPULAR, FREQUENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD. SATYRICON HAVE HAD QUITE
A CAREER. FROM THEIR EMERGENCE IN THAT LEGENDARY SECOND WAVE, HELPING PIONEER FOLK MUSIC IN
BLACK METAL, THEY ENDED UP SIGNING TO A MAJOR LABEL AND RADICALLY PROGRESSED STYLISTICALLY.
FRONTMAN SATYR TELLS TERRORIZER HOW WE GOT THIS FAR…
WORDS: TOM DARE PICS: STEVE BROWN

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE Venom the least. I later on got heavily into all inspired and trying to replicate what they have
TO FORM YOUR OWN BAND? three of them but at the time I was more… I done, but there is nothing that sounds like this
Satyr:“That’s complicated! The easy version of liked a few Venom songs. Bathory I enjoyed for band. Maybe it was the fact that I did enjoy the
it is, I started playing drums at the age of eight. its extremities – I considered it to be surpassing drivenness of bands like Dead Kennedys that
We lived in another part of the country at the anything I’d heard before. made me enjoy the punk-like attitude of some
time, and when we moved my parents decided “I remember very well hearing Bathory for of the Celtic Frost riffs and drum beats combined
to give away all my drums, and I didn’t go to the first time – it must have been around ’87, with the dark sinister vibe from the vocals and
music school any more when we moved to the and I was listening to the only metal show at lyrics even if I didn’t understand a quarter of
Oslo area, so that was very disappointing to me. the time on the radio. I guess at the time it them. The cover art… the whole package just
And then I lost all my interest in playing after wasn’t very hard to get on the radio – if you was so unique to me so that was something that
a period of busyness, and then I picked up the played metal, you just sent it to the radio and really inspired me on my way.”
guitar and started taking classical guitar lessons, they would play it. I remember it was even like
and then moved on to the electric guitar, playing that when Satyricon started and we were doing WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS ABOUT
in local bands. Someone was looking for a singer demos; metal radio was so extremely small that THE ‘NEMESIS DIVINA’ ALBUM THAT
for a band playing mostly death, if you had something it would HAS KEPT PEOPLE INTERESTED TO
thrash, black metal covers. I was be customary to play it on the SUCH A DEGREE?
saying to my friends who saw this,
‘well I play guitar, I don’t sing, so I
“A LOT OF radio even if it was just a demo.
So I remember someone saying
“There must be something about these songs
that make them timeless. When I listen to that
don’t know why I would do that’, THE ENGLISH ‘yeah, we got this record from a record, when you hear the way it sounds, you
and they said, ‘well to be a part
of a group that plays music that
PRESS Swedish band called Bathory and
we’re gonna play it for you’, and
hear in the production that it’s eighteen years old
and on a smaller budget, but to me the songs do
is closer to your heart’, so I said THOUGHT I thought ‘what the fuck is this?’ not sound dated and I think that helps. If you
‘all right, yeah, good point’ and
I started playing with these guys EVERYTHING It was so intense and so extreme
compared to anything that I
want to try and make something which is going
to be a timeless piece of good music, you try to
and we were the group of people
that eventually became the band
WAS A JOKE” had heard before and I would portray whatever is going on inside of you, as
always tape this radio show, so I opposed to trying to do something which is ‘hot’
Satyricon. kept playing that song from my at the time. I also think what makes a record
“We didn’t even have a name at the time, we cassette player again and again, and I was very become like a milestone is the way it's perceived
just played music with a few guys. We took drawn to the extremity of that song. I think when its released, and I think that at the time
on various names and then ended up with the that’s a key word; it was the extremity itself there were things about this record that we take
Satyricon name. Before we even got to the first which was appealing to me. for granted today but we didn’t at the time.
record [1994’s] ‘Dark Medieval Times’ I was the “What I really like about Celtic Frost was, “You can say that, in many ways, for the time
only one left out of that group of people that I had never heard anything like it, and that it was quite an ambitious art project. I was
started playing together in 1991.” applies to this day. In the aftermath of Celtic thinking thoughts like ‘OK instead of having
Frost’s classic era, there have been bands heavily friends do our band photos with pocket cameras,
WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE
VENOM, BATHORY AND CELTIC
FROST/HELLHAMMER SUCH BIG
INSPIRATIONS FOR YOU, AND FOR
“THERE ARE SO MANY BANDS OUT
YOUR COMPATRIOTS? THERE THAT YOU WILL COMPLETELY
“Well for me out of the three at the time, Celtic
Frost was the most appealing to me and perhaps
FORGET THAT THEY EVER EXISTED”

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 57
HALL OF FAME: SATYRICON

why not try using a good art photographer’ and And when I saw like the wheels in motion I knew in somewhere, he takes whatever he learned there
things like this, and ‘quite simply we don’t know this is going to be a little bit different. Between and experienced and he brings it to a new place.
what we’re doing when we are putting on our the ‘Rebel Extravaganza’ record and ‘Volcano’, He’s done that literally moving around all the time.
stage make-up. Why not use make-up artists that we had been touring extensively as a headlining With me, it has been in music; I go to one place
are working on movies’ and stuff like that; ‘these band on club level, and then we had been musically, I enjoy myself while I’m there and then
guys at the manufacturing plants know nothing announced supporting Pantera playing arenas, I take the things that I’ve learned and go to some
about graphic design – why don’t we try and and I think a lot of the English press thought other place, and if I don’t do that I feel bored,
see if we can find someone who specialises in everything was a joke at the time – apart from uninspired, unmotivated. That’s why I would be
album covers?’ Of course everyone takes that for Terrorizer – they could no longer make silly terrible in being part of AC/DC, because as much as
granted today, but remember this is a different remarks like church burning and this and that, I love AC/DC, I can never imagine myself sticking to
time and pretty much no one did this at the time they actually had to take this a little more more or less the same formula for decades. Then I
– or at least very very few.” seriously. When you get some major label behind would be a car salesman, not a true artist.
you and you get the press behind, you’ve got “It’s the attitude really that defines Satyricon, I
WHEN YOU WERE WORKING ON to understand as an artist that things are gonna think that Satyricon’s defiance to a large degree
‘VOLCANO’, DID YOU HAVE ANY change. But I have to emphasise that when I defines who we are. Talking strictly musical, I guess
INKLING THAT THIS MIGHT BE A wrote, recorded and mixed the record we weren’t we were the first band to introduce folk music into
RECORD THAT WOULD BRING YOU there [with EMI], and I had no reason to believe black metal and that just comes from my love of
TO A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE? that this record was going to take us where it folk music. Folk music is very minor [key] oriented,
“Not when I wrote it, but when we put it eventually ended up taking us.” not major [key] oriented, just like black metal,
together, I think so. Not when we wrote it, and and to me it gels in really well with Norwegian
not when we recorded it or mixed it either, but ALL THE NORWEGIAN BLACK black metal, so to some degree you always hear
when I understood the possibilities, that was a METAL BANDS FROM A SIMILAR it in Satyricon. You hear it a lot on the first two
different game. Coming in there with an EMI TIME TO YOU HAD VERY DISTINCT albums, a little bit here and there on the third and
Norway boss that had just taken over and was SOUNDS. WHAT CHARACTERISTIC the fourth, but you also hear it beyond that, you
saying ‘OK, I see that my predecessor has signed WOULD YOU SAY MOST DEFINES hear it in the middle section of ‘Mental Mercury’
you up for Norway, but I started my career SATYRICON? on ‘Volcano’, you hear it on ‘To The Mountains’ on
during the day and age of punk rock, and I used “Throughout our career, I think Satyricon’s ‘Now, Diabolical’, you hear it on ‘Den Siste’ on ‘The
to play in a punk band, and to progression is one of the things Age Of Nero’ and you hear it on ‘Natt’ the last song
me black metal is what punk that defines us. I’ve noticed that on the new album, so that’s just part of who we are
and a part of what defines Satyricon.”
“WITH
rock was to me in the ’70s. I fans and media have said from
think this is really good, and year to year that with Satyricon
I think it could do really well.
Why can we only release this in SATYRICON you don’t know what you’re
gonna get, you just know it’s
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THEN IS
SATYRICON’S LEGACY AT THIS
Norway?’ I said ‘Well, because
you signed us for Norway.’ He
YOU DON’T gonna sound like Satyricon,
and I think that, to me, if we
POINT IN YOUR CAREER?
“Well, I’d like to think that we are a band that
said, ‘so what’s going on in the KNOW play ‘Walk The Path Of Sorrow’ makes a difference and that fills our minutes,
rest of the world?’ I said, ‘well
I don’t know, we’re probably WHAT [from ‘Dark Medieval Times’], or
if we play ‘Mother North’ [from
hours, days, weeks, months, years of work with
purpose. The fact that what we do makes a
gonna go to someone like
Nuclear Blast or something like
YOU’RE ‘Nemesis Divina’] or ‘Hvite Krists
Død’ from ‘The Shadowthrone’,
difference. There are so many bands out there
that you will completely forget that they ever
that.’ And he said, ‘Well have
you done that?’ I said no. He
GONNA to me when we play that today,
it doesn’t sound like a band
existed. There are many bands that people are
fully aware of and people acknowledge their
said ‘well, there are many metal GET” trying to play some more classic existence and what they do, but they don’t make
people out in the EMI/Virgin tunes to please old school fans, a difference – the world would be the same if
system that have worked for to me that sounds like the band they weren’t there. And hey, if they are having
metal labels throughout their past, some of them that wrote these songs and stands behind them, fun then good on them. But to me, it would be
even have taken part in labels like Roadrunner mean it, and know exactly how to do it with the nice, being here doing what we do, if we would
and so on and I think they would love to be right feel. influence music fans, would influence other
involved “The fact that the band has been constantly artists within our own scene, in other scenes,
in this. Would you let me have a go at it?’ I on the move forward has been so deeply that people would feel that, whether they like
said, ‘sure!’ misunderstood by a lot of people out there as if the us or not, they can say that the fact that we’ve
“A few days later he came back and pretty band is trying to venture out and reach new fans been around does actually make a significant
much all of the European EMI offices wanted and this and that. It’s nothing to do with that. It’s difference. And I’m hoping that we have achieved
to release the record, so it went from being like in the band’s nature. It’s probably the same gene some of that.”
a domestic release to becoming the first black as my father. He has always moved his whole life,
metal record on a major label all across Europe. he’s been living all over, and as soon as he settles www.Satyricon.no

“THE FACT THAT THE BAND HAS


BEEN CONSTANTLY ON THE MOVE
FORWARD HAS BEEN SO DEEPLY
MISUNDERSTOOD”
58 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 59
HALL OF FAME:TURBONEGRO

Oneof Norway’s most accomplished, enduring and passionately followed bands


are a denim-clad horror punk troupe that look like The Village People gone
wrong. Love them or hate them, fancy them or fear them, you can’t talk Norway
without talking to TURBONEGRO…
Words: Adrien Begrand

2
5 years ago, a group of young Oslo misfits than happy to talk us through his band’s early
decided to form a punk band. Their days, the classic music they made in the late- What was it like creating music in Norway
career has seen them blend shock rock, 1990s, their renaissance in the 2000s, and what that sounded genuinely fun while all that grim
hardcore and metal to create something called Turbonegro are up to today. underground black metal was percolating?
“deathpunk”, hire a singer with a predilection “Those guys were our friends. We grew up in
for shoving lit Roman candles in his rectum, How did you guys come up with the band name? the same suburbs. We had more of an American
scare off the “kvlt” crowd with straight-faced Rune Rebellion: “Nobody really knows! West Coast hardcore inspiration, and those guys
homoeroticism, break up, return again, break up [laughs] The myth is it’s our guitarist, the legend were more into thrash metal, that’s where they
again, and return with a fourth singer. That band Pål Pot, he was really drunk one night, took came from. There were lots of crossing interests,
is Turbonegro, and they have, incredibly, become a taxi back to the suburb where he lived, fell we were hanging out in the same places. Partly,
one of Norway’s most enduring bands. We at asleep on the stairs outside the door of his Boy the reason why we chose to do our homo image
Terrorizer got permanent erection for these Scout leader, and on his way in the taxi, he saw back in the day was that it would be the only
raucous, outrageous innovators, and founding “Turbonegro” graffiti on a concrete wall. I don’t thing that would scare those guys off. That
guitarist Rune “Rune Rebellion” Grønn was more know, but that’s his take on it.” [laughs] would mean we were more evil than them.

60 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
[laughs] But yeah, the guys from that scene were and one of these houses was just around the it’s just recording whenever you had the chance.
good friends. We still share a lot of the same corner from Peter’s house. We had no idea what It’s got that energy that debut records often have,
influences. We were influenced by classic thrash this was about, we were just walking by. These which makes it a good album. Most of it was
metal too, like Venom. But our approach to it, guys came over, ‘Hey guys, how you doing? Got recorded in a public studio, situated next to a
our way of expressing it was different, more a cigarette?’ Then schmack. They ambushed us, kindergarten. We had to smuggle beers into the
ironic. Having a little more fun with it.” totally. Blind violence. Hello, USA. So that meant studio in our guitar cases.” [laughs]
the rest of the tour my head was twice the size
Is it true that on the US tour in 1990 you of what it should be after getting kicked in the Do you think the fact you didn’t have the means
wound up in the hospital? head for half an hour. But I managed to play the to record hardcore or metal properly helped
[laughs] “Yeah, that was my first night in the shows. I remember one show in Oregon, I was so create your own unique sound?
States ever. We were staying at Peter Davis’ house full of painkillers and booze I even fell asleep on “Yes. The circumstances create the sound. It’s
– he was a Minneapolis-based promoter and stage during the show.” [laughs] a mix of the idea of how it should sound, but
editor of Your Flesh magazine, one of the main there’s no chance in hell it’s going to sound
fanzines for the alternative music scene in the What can you tell us about the making of 1992 like that. But you try, and on the way it turns
States. We were innocent Norwegians hanging debut ‘Hot Cars And Spent Contraceptives’? into something that sounds totally your own
out, getting drunk and wasted, I think we were “The way things were done back then was you and unique.”
just going to the store to get some more beer, released 7”. Our first album, basically our first
and it turned out this neighbourhood wasn’t the two albums, are compilations of the 7”. We spent What compelled you to make a much more
best neighbourhood in Minneapolis. And this also whatever money we had to be in the studio, for polished rock opera with 1994’s ‘Never Is
coincides with when crack cocaine was beginning a day, maybe two days. We’d save up money, and Forever’?
to be established, it was being exported to the go back in the studio a couple months later. It’s “Again, that’s another important influence,
smaller cities where they set up crack houses, not like it’s deliberately setting up for an album, more American classic rock like Fleetwood Mac

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 61
HALL OF FAME:TURBONEGRO

and Boston. We wanted to do a bigger, more contrary… that’s why our band started to get whether or not you were insulting to them?
classic sound. Plus it would be a statement some traction over the years.” “Not really. When we were confronted, which was
on the scene, because part of our approach often in Germany, it wasn’t the gay community but
to the existing punk/hardcore scene was that By the time ‘Ass Cobra’ was released, you had the politically correct punks. They didn’t get the
to us they were conforming. Everyone dressed adopted that denim, sailor-hat image which message. But in Oslo we had really good relations
the same, everyone listened to the same music. toyed with homoeroticism. What brought on with the transvestite scene. The punk scene in Oslo
So we did that to piss off our small punk rock that whole image makeover? was very small, and anybody who was an outcast
scene.” [laughs] “It kind of developed over time where we was part of it. That’s the game of punk rock, to
used a lot more provocative imagery. We used provoke but at the same time try to display the
Is there a part of you that likes to be a lot of artwork for t-shirts and singles by a double moral of the society around you. That was
contrarian, to just annoy people by going Finnish artist called Tom of Finland, a classic our method of doing that. It was all innocent and
against the grain? gay, homoerotic artist. This then developed heartfelt. You wouldn’t think it looking at the album
“I think that’s part of the secret with the band. into a full-blown, Village People of hardcore cover, but it kind of was the age of innocence as
We never did things the right way. It’s almost punk thing. When we got into that full- far as our career went. Just doing it for all the
like a childish, contrarian approach to being in a on, everything fell into place. Nobody had right reasons.”
band. Now everybody who’s in a band puts up done that before, this was our thing, it was
a Facebook page to get big, everybody does the something everyone can notice. And it’s very How did the Turbojugend start, and how did it
same thing, everybody becomes invisible. But confusing.” [laughs] become such a big thing?
when somebody does something different and Were you ever confronted by the gay crowd “Good question. The whole Turbojugend idea
started as a joke like so many other things with our
band. We started this in the mid-’90s by writing on
the back of our 7”, ‘Turbojugend Fan Club, write
to this address and get the diploma.’ [laughs] The
joke was, this was a fan club for a band without
any fans. There were probably twenty people in
Europe who had heard of us. But in ’98, when the
band first started to get a little bigger, then the
band broke down, Hank [von Helvete, singer] had

62 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
to go to rehab, we had a period of four years where when you go on tour all the time, everybody Sylvester was your new singer. How did he
the band was defunct. We basically thought the depends on each other, there’s going to be get the job, and how has the dynamic changed
band was over. And in that period a couple guys friction, and everyone needs to pull their share within the band since he joined?
in Germany picked up on the idea, and they had of the load. So over a period of time, the band “He was was president of the London
some infrastructure for record distribution and mail dissolved again. We recorded three albums Turbojugend chapter. So he was a big fan long
orders, so they started to organise the whole fan from 2002 to 2007, and in 2008/2009 it got before we met him, and he’s also been working
club. In the absence of the band, the whole thing pretty clear that Hank wasn’t doing very well. as a music writer and a publicist, so he actually
blew up. It hit a nerve, especially the ‘Apocalypse He ended up going on a hiatus again, and we did the promotion for Party Animals in the UK.
Dudes’ album, the band got a lot bigger without found a new singer. We wanted to play rock ’n’ So we knew him from that angle, and he’s been
any touring. So this coincided with these guys roll, and if he can’t do it, we want to do it in singing in hardcore bands all his life. When we
cultivating the Turbojugend idea, and by the time another way.” were sitting around waiting for Hank to get his life
we got back together again in 2002, we were so sorted out again, we were discussing if we should
surprised when we did our reunion shows. We did When the band finally blew up, you were all a lot just continue with a different singer. [Happy-]Tom
three festival shows, and we had gone from small older, so how challenging was it churning out those [bass] coincidentally met Tony in Oslo in 2011 and
clubs to headlining festivals, from nothing to three records and touring as much as you did? had a great time with him. First he wanted to ask
everything in a really short time, and a lot of that “Everything was way more professional. We got Tony who he would recommend for singing in
was thanks to the Turbojugend. Obviously, as a budgets, we could go to proper studios, we could Turbonegro. [laughs] A couple of weeks after that,
musician and a band, it’s a dream to have devoted take a road crew to go on tour with us. So in he came up with the idea, ‘Why don’t we just check
fans like that.” that sense everything made us be able to be more out Tony?’ Two songs into the first rehearsal we
focused on playing and writing and recording. It looked at each other and went, ‘Yeah, this works.
How healthy was the band situation when you made that part easier than it used to be. But then This is it.’ That was three years ago, and it’s still
put together ‘Scandinavian Leather’? again, you’re older, people have kids and families, going on. It’s worked out great. And we don’t have
“That was a fresh start for everyone, so those so it’s a totally different balance of things, and you the drug problem anymore. [laughs] Everything’s
were good times. But then over a period of have to learn to plan your life in a totally different a lot easier and relaxed. Good vibes all over the
time it got basically that Hank wasn’t totally way than when you were kids, when you didn’t place.”
over his problems with illegal substances. But think of tomorrow. This happens with any band.
that’s the reality of a lot of bands. The band It’s called life.” [laughs] www.Turbonegro.com
situation is a very unique situation, especially Not only did you return in 2011, but Tony

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 63
THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

EMPEROR
‘In The Nightside Eclipse’
CANDLELIGHT, 1994

Cited by many as the greatest black metal album ever made – Norwegian or otherwise – EMPEROR’S
debut full - length ‘IN THE NIGHTSIDE ECLIPSE’ was a definitive moment in Norwegian extreme
music – although not quite as is sometimes told …
Words: Tom Dare

T
he overriding characteristic of death, was recorded in ’92 and ’93), Immortal’s its guitar sound as to be audible only as a blast
Norwegian black metal is that the ‘Pure Holocaust’ and Darkthrone’s ‘Transilvanian of noise rather than as easily determinable riffs,
overriding characteristics only lasted Hunger’. The latter record (also released in 1994 ‘Emperor’ sits alongside the above three records
about eighteen months. after a 1993 recording) arguably marks the with ease, even twenty years later.
If we count Darkthrone’s ‘A Blaze In The last point before the scene shot off in so many The signs were there, however, that change
Northern Sky’ and the Thorns demo Fenriz and different directions, and the term “Norwegian was coming. The (actually fairly well produced)
Satyr cite as so influential as its true beginning, black metal” became more a geographic term keyboard parts, and the vague hints of Ihsahn’s
1992 and 1993 saw the recordings that would than a definition of sound. more progressive than chaotic sense of both
go on to define the genre. It is a sound perhaps Emperor’s self-titled EP in 1993 was firmly rhythm and structure, made it clear new
best encapsulated by the unholy trinity of part of that definitive sound, however. Raw, ideas were bubbling to the surface. That first
Mayhem’s ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’ (which, recorded in a manner that made it sound both recording of ‘I Am The Black Wizards’ hinted
although released in 1994, after Euronymous’ far away and worryingly close, so fuzzed out in at an epic, majestic quality yet to be realised

64 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
– and, with the advantage of hindsight, was There are perfectly valid arguments for both seductive danger.
the first indication that black metal’s future 1997’s ‘Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk’ and But it is surely for the iconic songs that ‘In
lay in more directions than you could fit in the 2001 swansong ‘Prometheus – The Discipline Of The Nightside Eclipse’ is best loved. From the
Grieghallen. Fire And Demise’ to be held in higher esteem harrowing opening blast of ‘Into The Inifinity Of
than ‘…Nightside…’. ‘Anthems…’ is decidedly Thoughts’ through the evolved version of ‘I Am

I
f that EP nudged at the door of new more accessible and, while horrendously The Black Wizards’ and the hymn to the Horned
territories, ‘In The Nightside Eclipse’ badly mixed, has much more in the way of a One none have matched since – not even by
kicked the gate wide open in its opening narrative structure to it, while ‘Prometheus’ is so bands far more Satanic than Emperor – at the
atmospherics. By the closing chord, it had spectacularly warped, twisted and challenging end, this is one of the finest collection of tunes
conquered all that lay before it. And in doing so, that it remains ahead of the current time, let ever penned in metal. From Norway or elsewhere.
drawn in a new era of black metal. alone its own time of release. But it is ‘In The Black metal would never be the same again
To anyone whose first experience of Nightside Eclipse’ that seems to capture the after this. As the progressive, the melodic,
Norwegian black metal released before 1998 imagination the most. the folky, the avant garde and the downright
or so is ‘In The Nightside Eclipse’ (and many Of course, it might help this fact that the batshit insane all sailed their own courses
newcomers to the good ol’ stuff do indeed start album carries a mystique only matched by across black metal’s turbulent seas, the original
here), Emperor’s debut still sounds rough as ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’. With Samoth, starting point was slowly abandoned. Far from
fuck. Compared to previous albums recorded by Tchort and Faust all going to prison – for destroying it, however, this made black metal
Pytten in the Grieghallen, ‘…Nightside…’ seems arson (of churches, predictably), assault and stronger: the more heads the beast had, the
to surround the listener, rather than menace murder respectively – shortly after its release, ‘… harder it was for them to be cut off.
them from the edge of the Nightside…’ retains an edge
small circle of light you take to it that cannot harm its www.Facebook.com/EmperorOfficial
refuge in. Compared to some
contemporary extreme metal
records – Bolt Thrower’s ‘…For
Victory’, for example, which “EMPEROR CRAFTED SOMETHING
came out the same year – it
still sounds like it emerges
NEVER REPEATED SINCE ON ‘IN THE
from a significant distance,
however. Add in the almost
NIGHTSIDE ECLIPSE”
non-existant bass drum sound,
the complete unintelligibility
of Ihsahn’s shrieks and the
cheap keyboard sound, and to anyone who
has not heard ‘Det Som Engang Var’, ‘In The
Nightside Eclipse’ is almost impenetrable noise.
But this was quite clearly a huge evolution
for black metal. Even looking past the sonic
improvements, the level of musicianship was
almost unacceptably high for a true black metal
Emperor’s first masterpiece, song by song
band. The use of compound time – the one-two-
three-one-two-three rhythmic backbone of much ‘Into The Inifinity Of Thoughts’ ‘Towards The Pantheon’
of ‘The Burning Shadows Of Silence’ and, most After the 50-second intro track, the Upping the tempo and the degree of viciousness
famously, ‘Inno A Satana’ – marks an injection of first blast of guitars makes abundantly on display, some of Venom’s punky rhythms
something much more composed and considered clear this was not going to be just a somehow manage to filter through strongly
than the bestial, instinctive feel of Mayhem, continuation of their earlier sounds – possibly because of the best drumming
the almost autistic repetition of Darkthrone performance Faust gives on the album
or the earthy, natural darkness of Burzum. It ‘The Burning Shadows Of
also carried much more melody, both through Silence’ ‘The Majesty Of The Night Sky’
Ihsahn’s clean singing and the keyboards. Sweeping keyboard parts that hark The track that hints most at the direction
slightly of (whisper it) Morbid Angel, Emperor would take on ‘Anthems…’ and ‘IX

E
mperor crafted something never this was nonetheless one of the more Equilibrium’, this increasingly challenging
repeated since on ‘…Nightside…’, conventionally Norsk BM songs – at composition is heavy on the keyboards, but
however many bands clearly took least until the compound time signature proves less accessible as a result – although
inspiration from it, or took their own inspiration kicks in certainly not less evocative
in a similar direction. Cradle Of Filth may have
superficially similar qualities in their older work, ‘Cosmic Keys To My Creations ‘I Am The Black Wizards’
and the infamous tour together (which attracted And Times’ Thunderously aggressive at the opening, even
a mighty fifteen people to a gig in Scotland) back One of the album’s more wilfully odd before the first blizzard-like blast of riffage kicks
int’ day, but the English band always carried a tracks, this is where Emperor’s otherwise in, ‘I Am The Black Wizards’ is Emperor at their
sense of gothic romance (in the proper meaning concerted march wandered off for a most savage – and yet retains that anthemic
of the phrase) at odds with Emperor’s pomp. sinister adventure in a snowy wood quality they excelled at
Similarly, Dimmu Borgir carry far more structural
chaos – even now, with their symphony orchestras ‘Beyond The Great Vast Forest’ ‘Inno A Satana’
and vast production qualities – than Emperor’s Upping the progressive feel yet more, So devotional it remains powerful enough
much more composed songwriting style. Even exemplified by its slower middle section, to inspire adoration of the “mighty Lord of
Seth, the French band who arguably came the this one bore some of the woodsy feel of the night” in even the hardest non-Satanists
closest to Emperor with 1998 album ‘Les Blessures its title, yet carried the magisterial feel twenty years on, the album rounded off on its
De L’Âme’, never came close to replicating of Emperor front and centre best song
Emperor’s one-off 1994 masterpiece.

WWW.TERRORIZER.COM 65
THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

FROM ALL THE SHADES OF METAL THROUGH TO PUNK, PROG AND NEO FOLK, TERRORIZER PRESENTS
YOU WITH YOUR GUIDE TO THE ESSENTIAL RECORDS TO COME FROM THE NORSE LAND

DARKTHRONE THORNS
‘Soulside Journey’ This ‘Trøndertun’

demo
PEACEVILLE, 1991 SELF-RELEASED, 1992
Despite its unnecessary Swedish coating – it Alongside the guitar-only ‘Grymyrk’ demo,

was too
was recorded in Stockholm, with Entombed’s Uffe the ‘Trøndertun’ demo belied its difficult
Cederlund granting guitar sound tips – and even if gestation (primitive recording conditions, line-

kvlt for a
you put aside everything that happened afterwards, up problems) by delivering a series of songs
‘Soulside Journey’ is still one bona fide eerie whose influence on the burgeoning second

cover
death metal record, with a strong emphasis on wave cannot be understated. With inspiration
technicality without overdoing it. And its opening from a series of unlikely sources, this demo
track ‘Cromlech’ remains one of Norwegian death remains as unique and prominent as many of
metal’s most everlasting classics. [OZB] the recordings it influenced. [GS]

CADAVER BURZUM
‘…In Pains’ ‘Det Som Engang Var’
EARACHE, 1992 CYMOPHANE, 1993

During their troubled lifetime, Cadaver made four Although recorded a few scant months after the
albums (counting ‘Discipline’, released as Cadaver debut, ‘DSEV’ displays a heightened sense of
Inc) and none sound alike. Like their gore-drenched depth and maturity greater than that gap would
debut, ‘…In Pains’ was performed as a trio with a suggest. Coupling razor sharp guitars with icy
drummer also serving as vocalist. But recorded in screams, the entire album is a majestically
England with Cathedral’s producer (Paul Johnson), its vivid and haunting soundtrack to the blackened
Voivodian bizarrely angular riffs and straightforward paradigm that Varg created, each song’s
yet progressive vibe unveiled a surprising finesse darkness delivering an ambience that shifts
and class that was sadly lost on most. [OZB] between the sinister and the forlorn. [GS]

MAYHEM
Pic: ESTER SEGARRA

‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’


DEATHLIKE SILENCE, 1994
The legacy surrounding Mayhem’s debut album affirms the record’s place as a pivotal moment in the
development of heavy metal, even before considering the unforgettable music contained within. From
the moment ‘Funeral Fog’ kicks in, ‘De Mysteriis…’s primal immediacy showcases why Mayhem were
seen as the most extreme of the extreme, from Euronymous’ signature guitar sound that every black
metal band since has tried to emulate, to Hellhammer’s barbaric yet razor-sharp work behind the kit.
The maniacal snarls of Attila lend the album a thoroughly psychotic atmosphere that would infamously
become manifest in the fate of this incarnation of the band. The events of the band’s early days have
ensured that the record has gone down in infamy, and the unremitting intensity and morbid obsession
of these songs continues to be as genuinely punishing now as twenty years ago. [RT]

GORGOROTH DARKTHRONE
‘Pentagram’ ‘Transilvanian Hunger’
EMBASSY, 1994 PEACEVILLE, 1994
Hailed by purists as Gorgoroth at their most ‘Transilvanian Hunger’ is the ultimate effort in raw,
atmospheric, melodic and broodingly raw, lo-fi, minimalist extremism. Darkthrone have turned
‘Pentagram’ is an album greater than the sum of into a (equally amazing) sort of amalgamation of
its parts. Infernus’ riffs hurtle along at breackneck the best metal subgenres have to offer in latter
speed, carried by Goat’s aptly bestial drumming. years, but this record, while as uncompromising
While the mysterious Hat may not have been the in attitude as ‘The Underground Resistance’, is
most versatile of vocalists, his shrill, demonic the absolute opposite of that musical approach.
screech lends ‘Pentagram’ a chillingly authentic Generator of a million clones, it’s 100% bone-dry,
grimness that has stood the test of time. [RT] chilling black metal, and nothing else. [JCS]

66 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
words: Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin, Adrien Begrand, Faye Coulman, Tom Dare, Connor Kendall, Hannah May Kilroy, José Carlos Santos, Rob
Sayce, Kevin Stewart-Panko, Guy Strachan, Rich Taylor, Kez Whelan

BURZUM IMMORTAL
‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’ ‘Battles In The North’
MISANTHROPY, 1994 OSMOSE, 1995
Treading the subtle line between Burzum’s Following the ice cold battery of ‘Pure
earlier, more directly savage works and Holocaust’ was never going to be easy, but
the nightmarish atmospheric style of the then Immortal aren’t exactly known for half
legendary ‘Filosofem’, ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’ measures. Not only did ‘Battles In The North’
took black metal in the opposite direction it drop the temperature and up the beats-per-
was going at the time in Norway – eschewing minute rate, riff count and amount of liberally
complexity and savagery for four long, applied warpaint, it also marked the point
uncluttered, inwards-focused hypnotic where Demonaz’s lyrical style began to weave
movements. [JCS] its own self-contained universe. [KW]

FUNERAL ULVER
‘Tragedies’ ‘Bergtatt – Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler’
ARCTIC SERENADES, 1995 HEAD NOT FOUND, 1995
If their demo-turned-debut ‘Tristesse’ made its The fact that ‘Bergtatt’ translates into English
point by its epic scope alone, the Drammen boys’ as “Spellbound” is a remarkably appropriate
first proper album added some welcome textures coincidence. Combining the harsh and unforgiving
and almost excruciating melancholic female black metal of their contemporaries with
vocals that only deepen their extreme sense of transcendent melodies, folk interludes and
dread. Back in 1995, only Thergothon had dared harmonious choral vocals, ‘Bergtatt’ managed to
to let the rot set in at such a slow and painful transform a genre that had barely emerged, and
tempo. At nearly 15 minutes, ‘When Nightfall paved the way for the plethora of melancholic,
Clasps’ is funeral doom embodied. [OZB] melodic black metal bands that would follow. [RT]

ISENGARD IN THE WOODS…


‘Høstmørke’ ‘Heart Of The Ages’
MOONFOG, 1995 MISANTHROPY, 1995
Even if Fenriz is utterly dismissive of the Simultaneously weird and accessible, palpably odd
album, there’s no denying that ‘Høstmørke’ is a and yet somehow completely comprehensible, the
cornerstone of the folk metal movement. Although start of In The Woods…’s all-too-short trip into
proffering comparatively loose structures and originality was marked by this underappreciated
a clean, sometimes jarring vocal style, it’s the gem. Misty, beautiful and yet not lacking in
medieval atmosphere of tracks such as ‘I Ei Gran savagery when called for, this was an early indicator
Borti Nordre Åsen’ (and the comparative inability of how many different directions black metal was
for many successors to come close to matching going in, and evidence of how quickly the Norwegian
it) that makes this album memorable. [GS] scene was splintering stylistically. [TD]

LIMBONIC ART VED BUENS ENDE


‘Moon In The Scorpio’ ‘Written In Waters’
NOCTURNAL ART, 1996 MISANTHROPY, 1995
Compared to their early demos, Limbonic Proving that black metal could be a starting
Art’s debut full-length saw the duo embracing point for far stranger music, Ved Buens
the symphonic side of black metal. To young Ende are one of very few bands to justify
contemporary ears, this deluge of synth arrangements the pompous “avant-garde” label. Keeping
and stiff drum machine might sound passé or overly Norwegian BM’s harshness, ‘Written In Waters’
pompous but that’s precisely why, back in the freshly is otherwise a total deconstruction of every
post-‘In The Nightside Eclipse’ days, this voyage aspect of the genre, discordant, jarring riffs
offered by Morfeus and Daemon was too tempting to alongside ghostly moans and passages of
be refused. [OZB] eerie, unlikely beauty. [JCS]

SATYRICON
‘Nemesis Divina’
MOONFOG, 1996
By 1996, the second wave of Norwegian black metal was on the wane. The daringly experimental,
then-young duo of Satyricon were part of a revolutionary new phase of extremity. Intermingling the
movement’s battering, primordial origins with a spellbinding array of wintry atmospherics wildly
different to that of Immortal or Burzum, this infamous work of musical alchemy engulfs the senses at
every hyper-blasting turn. From Frost’s insanely paced trademark battery to the serpentine fretwork of
visionary frontman Satyr and Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto (who was in the band at the time), theirs is
an imperial calibre of carnage. With a vital and timeless resonance that’s since outlasted many a fickle
modern fad, ‘Nemesis Divina’s legendary influence on the genre is difficult to overstate, and remains
one of the moust outstanding black metal records from any nation at any time. [FC]

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THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

BURZUM
‘Filosofem’
MISANTHROPY, 1996
It is impossible to delve deep into Norwegian music without coming across Varg
Vikernes and BURZUM. The man is controversial, to say the least, and his actions and
motivations constantly discussed. It would be easy to overlook the classic albums like
‘FILOSOFEM’ that he made – were it not for how influential they have been…
Words: Guy Strachan

B
y January 1996, black metal was beginning eighteen months, convicted of the murder of distributor Plastic Head recalls shipping the record all
to make its presence felt in the wider Euronymous and his involvement in several church over Europe to meet a demand that local distributors
paradigm. burnings in May 1994. Still a lightning rod for scene refused to satisfy), and would prove itself to be
Emperor and Darkthrone had reached a certain ire (as evidenced by several of the statements in significantly influential, both in the immediate and
level of notoriety within the scene, and Cradle Of Filth 1995’s ‘Nordic Metal’ tribute album to Euronymous the longer term.
were shortly to release their ‘Vempire…’ EP, a release and Darkthrone receiving abuse and threats for The likes of Judas Iscariot and Abyssic Hate had
that would up their profile considerably, and lay the allowing Vikernes to contribute to both ‘Transilvanian long been keepers of the Burzum flame; their post-
groundwork for their ‘Dusk… And Her Embrace’ album Hunger’ and ‘Panzerfaust’), he was maintaining a high 1996 recordings bearing an ever-creeping influence
to propel the band towards mass media acceptance media profile and pushing ever more controversial of ‘Filosofem’ over the rest of the Vikernes catalogue.
and levels of sales previously unheard of. Also of opinions in interviews. Such was his pariah status Similarly, the so-called “Isolationist” black metal (one-
note was the thawing of more mainstream elements within the wider circle that his albums remained man) bands such as Xasthur, Leviathan and Striborg
towards the genre; big label players were signing difficult to obtain in many countries; Misanthropy, can all trace roots directly to the album, as can artists
bands, high-circulation magazines were beginning to his label, was continually plagued by distribution such as Alcest, whose overall style may have moved
write rave reviews of albums. Black metal generally, problems and boycotts of their entire roster. ever further away from a blackened template, but
was enjoying a favourable reception from almost all whose construction of monolithic, impenetrable sound

U
quarters. With, that is, one notable exception. pon its release (promoted by a video for stages belies a decent debt.
When ‘Filosofem’ (taking its name from the opening track ‘Dunkelheit’), ‘Filosofem’ It was also this album that effectively birthed the
Norwegian for ‘philosopheme’) saw the light of enjoyed stellar reviews and healthy sales “depressive black metal” genre, with bands taking
day, Varg Vikernes had been imprisoned for around (Steve Beatty, the owner of Misanthropy’s UK the grim and sombre sound of the album and its

70
68 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
The Track-By-Track Guide To Varg’s Magnum Opus
‘DUNKELHEIT’ (‘DARKNESS’) ‘GEBRECHLICHKEIT I’ (‘DECREPITUDE I’)
Originally titled ‘Burzum’, this was The first of the ambient tracks comprises a sombre
apparently the first track Vikernes wrote piece that uses minor progressions between chords
for Burzum, and was originally slated to to ominous effect, with Varg managing to depict
be on ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’. This track has a similarly cold and bleak outlook without the aid
served as a blueprint for almost every of metallic fury
suicidal/depressive black metal outfit
ever since ‘RUNDGANG UM DIE
TRANSZENDENTALE SÄULE DER
‘JESUS’ TØD’ (‘JESUS’ DEATH’) SINGULARITÄT’ (‘TOUR AROUND
Perhaps the track that comes closest THE TRANSCENDENTAL COLUMNS OF
to Burzum’s earlier albums, this is a SINGULARITY’)
near-nine-minute transcendental blast Taking the prize for Varg’s longest track to date,
of scything guitars. Distortion rules the this ambient piece is split equally between two
roost here, with vocal and guitar chords minimalist keyboard pieces; simplistic they may
spectacularly fuzzed out both be but this piece, like the following track,
channels the spacey, kosmiche world of Tangerine
‘ERBLICKET DIE TÖCHTER DES Dream into a cast-off of a Vangelis soundtrack
FIRMAMENTS’ (‘BEHOLDING THE
DAUGHTERS OF THE FIRMAMENT’) ‘GEBRECHLICHKEIT II’ (‘DECREPITUDE II’)
Marking the last of the pure black metal The closing piece is effectively an instrumental
tracks, Varg’s guitar work provides perhaps song of ‘I’; here the vocals are stripped away to
the coldest moment on the album, reveal a floating ambience that cloaks the listener
something that is no mean feat in itself in a final, desolate veil

“Filosofm is a perfect album. It doesn’t


even need any words as it’s so perfect
it’s beyond belief” – Niklas Kvarforth
Nasenbluten who, despite “not knowing or giving a sound that dripped with clarity that for ‘Filosofem’,
shit about black metal” selected the album as one the guitar amp had been abandoned for his brother’s
of the ten records that defined him in an article for hi-fi amplifier and a knackered distortion pedal. For
Cyclic Defrost in 2006. the vocals, to obtain the harshest sound possible, he
requested the cheapest microphone in the studio, and

T
protracted use of repetition to ever-bleaker realms. he prodigious results of Vikernes’ recording thus used the mic out of a headset to capture his
Niklas Kvarforth of Shining is one such person drawn sessions held over fifteen months during 1992 screams.
to the album, and describes it thus: “Filosofem is a and 1993 had been released in dribs and drabs The result was an album that, even if it wasn’t up
perfect album. It doesn’t even need any words as it’s over the following years. ‘Filosofem’ was the result of to the standards of ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’ in the eyes of
so perfect it’s beyond belief. You can’t believe that a the last of these sessions in March 1993 and, in many its creator, has gone on to frequently be named as
human being has been capable of carving that out of respects, took the individualistic sound that Varg had one of the defining albums of the genre. Many might
nothing, it’s amazing.” achieved on his previous recordings to an even greater cite ‘Hvis…’ as the best Burzum album. But ‘Filosofem’,
As well as being something of an iconic album extreme. Conceiving the music and style of Burzum with artwork that abandoned the previous black and
for many corpsepaint-sympathetic souls, ‘Filosofem’ as the antithesis of the “death metal trend”, with white imagery for something that invoked a more
was also to find an audience outside of the (black) “trend” in this instance a reference to the conveyor traditionally Norwegian style (‘Op Under Fjeldet
metal realm; indeed there have been a number of belt of productions emanating from Morrissound in Toner En Lur’ (‘Up Under The Mountains A Clarion
musicians far removed from Satan and spikes who Florida and Sunlight in Sweden. With that production Call Rings Out’ by Theodor Kittelsen)) and music
have cited Burzum, and particularly ‘Filosofem’ as line’s output becoming increasingly formulaic and coupling minimalist, repetitious and distorted riffs
one of the (few) albums of the genre they own and homogenised, he forsook the use of “standard” with bleakly melancholic keyboard work, has quite
like. Wolves Of The Throne Room are noted fans, as is metal guitar and opted for out-of-favour equipment probably proven itself to be the more influential and
fabled musician and recording engineer Steve Albini, (a used Westone guitar through a Peavey combo mournfully atmospheric of the two.
who has name-checked Burzum as one of the few amplifier and cheap microphones), from which any
black metal outfits he enjoys. A similar view is held by death metal musician worth their salt would recoil.
Mark N(ewlands), late of the industrial techno outfit Such was his desire to keep away from a polished www.Burzum.org

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THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

DIMMU BORGIR TURBONEGRO


‘Stormblåst’ ‘Ass Cobra’
CACOPHONOUS, 1996 AMPHETAMINE REPTILE, 1996
It’s easy to forget that, before the gloss and Metal and hardcore collide crazily on Turbonegro’s
pomp, Dimmu Borgir made this profoundly third album, the influences – ranging from Poison
odd, frigid little masterpiece of darkness. Idea to Alice Cooper – coalescing into what the
Possibly more by happy accident than design, band deemed “deathpunk”. Toss in the straight-
the distant, thin production lent a drape of faced use of homoerotic imagery and wildly
graveyard gloom to the foggy guitar tone, outrageous lyrical themes – most notoriously ‘The
twisted song structures and lo-fi symphonics. Midnight NAMBLA’ and ‘I Got Erection’ – and you
And yet the trademark ear for a hook was have a record that confused as many people as it
apparent even back then. [TD] enthralled. [AB]

AURA NOIR EMPEROR


‘Black Thrash Attack’ ‘Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk’
MALICIOUS, 1996 CANDLELIGHT, 1997
Mostly performed by the infernal duo Aggressor Arguably both Emperor’s most accessible record
and Apollyon, with Blasphemer (then in and the best black metal opus of them all. Despite
Mayhem) only pitching in here and there, Aura ropey production, a Tupperware drum sound and a
Noir’s first proper album was a declaration of mix that renders Ihsahn’s voice almost inaudible
intent. Here they took early Teutonic thrash, at times, the sheer mastery of the songwriting,
sent it to Satan’s gym for a year and sped it from the portentous intro of ‘Alsvartr’ through the
up to the max while cursing the gods, creating iconic, Euronymous-penned first break of guitars
a whole new sub-genre in the process – to the mournful outro ‘The Wanderer’, the superbly
naming it with the album’s title. [OZB] arranged wrath and majesty conquered all. [TD]

ENSLAVED OLD MAN’S CHILD


‘Eld’ ‘The Pagan Prosperity’
OSMOSE, 1997 CENTURY MEDIA, 1997

Ever associated with lengthy songs and Viking Galder’s increasingly important role in Dimmu Borgir
aesthetics, Enslaved outdid themselves with third has seen his old one-man project sink further into
album ‘Eld’. The zenith of their first era, it melds the background in recent years, which is a shame
blackened fury with triumphant synths, and the especially since OMC records, best exemplified by
mournful wail of Grutle Kjellson. The 16-minute ‘The Pagan Prosperity’, provide a hell of a rush.
behemoth ‘793 (Slaget Om Lindisfarne)’ is the Dissection-ish, sweeping, bitterly melodic black
ultimate expression of this, encapsulating the spirit metal, its fast pace and Galder’s nasty shrieks allow
of medieval epics in its alternating celebration, and for infuriating, irresistible catchiness to exhale from
lamentation, of times past. [CK] every windswept riff. [JCS]

ULVER
EMPEROR

‘Nattens Madrigal – Aatte Hymne Til Ulven I Manden’


CENTURY MEDIA, 1997
To the surprise of many, Ulver celebrated their move from Head Not Found to Century Media by
unveiling an album that, far from building on the folk-fuelled works of their first two albums,
turned out to be one of the harshest and most acerbic black metal albums not made by Ildjarn. With
a massively stripped-back sound that wasn’t so much icy lo-fi as a treble-fetishist’s delight, so
bright are the guitars that the effect is akin to having sulphuric acid poured directly into the ears. A
scorchingly hateful album it may be, but dig into it and ‘Nattens Madrigal’ actually has a sizeable
quantity of melodic and memorable riffs under its skin – even if getting through the spiteful and
venomous anger is a task in itself. Hearing this probably answers the question as to why Ulver’s mix
of ‘In The Nightside Eclipse’ was rejected. [GS]

ARCTURUS IN THE WOODS…


‘La Masquerade Infernale’ ‘Omnio’
MUSIC FOR NATIONS, 1997 MISANTHROPY, 1997
Remarkably ambitious, ‘La Masquerade Virtually incomparable to any other band before
Infernale’ goes from circus music to Poe’s or since, even the ones usually lumped together in
poetry, from drum ’n’ bass to blastbeats, from the Norwegian avant garde movement. Relinquishing
star-gazing orchestration to operatic solemnity. the last aspects of black metal that still remained
It’s a miracle Arcturus not only pulled it off, but on ‘Heart Of The Ages’, ‘Omnio’ is like a free-flowing,
made one of the best records of the ’90s while beautifully sinister dream, alternatively soothing and
at it, but that’s what happens when you join rousing in its thick, chamber orchestral atmosphere,
people like Kris Rygg, ICS Vortex, Sverd, Skoll punctuated by an unrepeatable vocal performance by
and Hellhammer in one band. [JCS] Jan Kenneth Transeth. [JCS]

70 WWW.TERRORIZER.COM
words: Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin, Adrien Begrand, Faye Coulman, Tom Dare, Connor Kendall, Hannah May Kilroy, José Carlos Santos, Rob
Sayce, Kevin Stewart-Panko, Guy Strachan, Rich Taylor, Kez Whelan

KAMPFAR CARPATHIAN FOREST


‘Mellom Skogkledde Aaser’ ‘Black Shining Leather’
MALICIOUS, 1997 AVANTGARDE, 1998
Despite being largely eclipsed by the sensationalised Black metal doesn’t come more rough ’n’
media circus surrounding Norway’s nascent black ready than Carpathian Forest, and this
metal scene, this deft intermingling of frostbitten delightfully ramshackle debut is their finest
vitriol and folk-drenched majesty would later be hour. Striking a perfect balance between eerie
lauded as a genre-defying cult classic. Translating atmospherics and riffs so sleazy you’ll probably
loosely as “Between The Wooded Hills”, Kampfar’s want a tetanus shot after hearing them, this
rare talent for infusing knife-edged fretwork with debauched classic helped the genre reach
the stirring battle chants and epic melodies of old is new levels of filth and depravity. For that, may
nothing short of spellbinding. [FC] Satan make us eternally grateful. [KW]

IMMORTAL
‘At The Heart Of Winter’
OSMOSE, 1999
There’s no denying the craftsmanship of Immortal’s early records, but the creative leap taken
on their fifth record – particularly, coming as it did, after the frostier-than-all but ultimately
divisive ‘Blizzard Beasts’ – is astonishing. The grim, chilly atmosphere remains; the instruments
are still capable of hitting warp-speed; Abbath still croaks abrasively. And yet, the songs are
melodious, twin-guitar epics worthy of arena-size crowds, harkening back to black metal’s roots
in thrash and heavy metal. It was also a clear sign that the distinctive production style of the
Norwegian second wave was firmly at an end. ‘At The Heart Of Winter’ sounded like a snowstorm
hitting you in the face, but it felt like you were out in it, rather than it coming at you from the
end of a tunnel like on the genre’s early albums. A new era of black metal had begun. [CK]

DØDHEIMSGARD WINDIR
‘666 International’ ‘Arntor’
MOONFOG, 1999 HEAD NOT FOUND, 1999
At one point, it looked like Moonfog and its With all the melodious instinct and obsessive
futuristic, industrialised black metal bands were attention to detail of a classical composer,
going to be the next big thing, a lot due to this the late Terje “Valfar” Bakken steeped his
disorienting album. Boasting a truly all-star line-up, colossal black metal in Nordic folk influences.
featuring Czral (again), Vicotnik, Aldrahn, Apollyon As a visionary songwriter whose every note
and a certain Mr. Magic Logic (Svein Hatlevik from resonates with the angular, glacial beauty of
Fleurety), the Voivod-ian ‘666 International’ and his beloved homeland, Valfar’s untimely death
its most crucial highlights (‘Shiva-Interfere’, ‘Ion by hypothermia in 2004 carried with it no small
Storm’) still feel jarringly alien today. [JCS] amount of tragic irony. [FC]

EMPEROR ZYKLON
‘Prometheus – The Discipline ‘World Ov Worms’
Of Fire & Demise’ CANDLELIGHT, 2001
CANDLELIGHT, 2001 Released in the shadow of the final days and
So Samoth-less in its songwriting that many dissolution of Emperor, long-time members Samoth
claim it shouldn’t have been an Emperor album and Trym seemingly vented their “Well, what now?”
at all, ‘Prometheus’ is as essential a work as confusion and frustration, channelling it into
its predecessors. Even Ihsahn’s solo material ‘World Ov Worms’. While Zyklon experimented with
hasn’t returned to this mixture between the a colder, more mechanised approach in later years,
bombastic, symphonic aspect of Emperor and their debut was a cathartic explosion of rapid-fire,
the lingering harsh, killer riffs that populate modern death metal played with passion and
this swansong. [JCS] precision. [KSP]

BORKNAGAR 1349
‘Empiricism’ ‘Hellfire’
CENTURY MEDIA, 2001 CANDLELIGHT, 2005
After discovering just how much a decent Could 1349 have picked a more appropriate title
vocalist can add to a growing band’s growing for their third record? Traditionally associated
sound, band leader Øystein Garnes Brun with frosty sounds, ‘Hellfire’ inverted the black
drafted Vintersorg’s steady, silky baritone into metal cliché, evoking a raging inferno with their
the frontman position. This, and Øystein’s ever- wall-of-sound – helped in no small part by
expansive writing style, put even more distance Frost’s almost inhuman, relentless blastbeats.
between them and black metal, drawing them There are moments of eerie, dread-inducing
closer to psychedelic prog and acceptance by a respite here, but ‘Hellfire’ is at its best when it’s
broader palette of metal fan. [KSP] out-pacing most grindcore. [CK]

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THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?


HOW CAN WE TOP THIS?”

DIMMU BORGIR
‘Death Cult Armageddon’
NUCLEAR BLAST, 2003

Eleven years ago, DIMMU BORGIR released a record that should be classed
as a genuine landmark for metal. Not only did it advance its craft,
it even brought Norwegian black metal to Hollywood…
Words: Tom Dare

oll the clock back little over a decade, of bands how well this could work. That it was other bands booked in the studio after us. We had
and the use of orchestration in metal an absolutely killer array of grandiose black metal to rush the mix and we were really unhappy with
was fairly primitive. It had mostly tunes probably didn’t hurt, either. the final result of that album sound-wise. After
been achieved using synthesisers, and when real “It was definitely a groundbreaking record in that release the next time around this has to be
ensembles were used, it never sounded quite as many ways for us,” vocalist Shagrath acknowledges. much better.”
massive as you would hope – for evidence, see “If we go back to 2001, when we did the A goal they clearly achieved. The band
the enormous amount of time, money and effort ‘Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia’ album, today, enlisted the orchestration skills of composer and
Blind Guardian expended on ‘And Then There Was that album sounds… I’m very proud of that album conductor Gaute Storås to help make the Prague
Silence’ on 2002 album ‘A Night At The Opera’ in the musical sense but everybody was unhappy Philharmonic Orchestra, whose sinister strings,
to achieve a production value that now sounds so with the production. We spent a lot of time in the wind and brass you can hear on the recording, as
dated, the band have actually rerecorded it. studio trying new things, and the time was flying. effective as possible. Recorded in early 2003 at
Dimmu Borgir’s distinctive, evil majesty moved We basically ended up having, after one-and-a-half Fredman Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, ‘Death
it forward immensely barely a year later. ‘Death months of recording, only a few days to mix the Cult Armageddon’ ended up an imperious, vast-
Cult Armageddon’ was a genuine evolutionary step album. There was pressure from the label, pressure sounding and thoroughly modern beast of a
for metal in that context, showing a generation from release dates and everything, and there were record – one that has aged extremely well.

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Of course, this being a black metal band we’re
talking about, those descriptions are breaking
all kinds of rules. If you play black metal, a style
that started out as lo-fi filth and sounded like
it was recorded using a three-track mixer and
Tupperware for drums, making a record of the
highest fidelity is guaranteed to be divisive. ‘Death
Cult…’ made Dimmu Borgir a much more popular
band – arguably the biggest black metal band in
the world, with the probable exception of Emperor,
and possibly Immortal – but it made them a target
for shit-talking in the process.

immu Borgir’s always been a band


that tried to push boundaries and
we’ve got a lot of bullshit from
that,” says Shagrath. “Some people don’t like it,
and some people like it – it’s a lot of back and
forth with everyone. What we’re trying to achieve
on each record is to not repeat ourselves too
much, we want progress, we want a reason to
continue to make music. We want to be a band
where you expect the unexpected in a way. Using
orchestration was a natural progression. We had a
small orchestra on ‘Puritanical…’ for a few songs,
and we wanted to make it bigger, better, push
ourselves and push the sound.”
It worked. ‘Death Cult…’ was an album no one
else would – or probably could – have made. It is
the album every symphonic black metal band to
“WE WANTED TO MAKE IT BIGGER,
follow in the Norwegians’ wake gets compared to,
and includes some of their most popular songs.
BETTER, PUSH OURSELVES AND
Perhaps most notable amongst these is the now-
trademark ‘Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse’,
PUSH THE SOUND”
which featured guest vocals from none other than
Abbath Doom Occulta of Immortal. Armageddon’, you start with a blank page and army for whom it was not just their entry point
That song marks just how high their profile you think ‘where do we take it from here?’ into the band, but black metal as a whole, its
rose. Not only did they get to play it as part of because that album has basically everything,” tenth anniversary, which passed in September,
the 2004 Ozzfest tour, playing the main stage says Shagrath. “We wanted to take it in a more marked the birthday of a genuine modern classic.
right before Slayer, and appearing on the same extreme or brutal direction, and I remember The songs had punch – no small thanks to Nick
bill as Judas Priest and an original line-up Black starting [2007 follow-up ‘In Sorte Diaboli’], there Barker’s blasting presence behind the drum kit
Sabbath, but it brought them to the attention was a lot of pressure – like ‘what the fuck are – they were varied and infectious, the riffage
of an audience well beyond metal’s borders. we going to do now? We just did ‘Death Cult…’ much more biting than is usually credited and the
Guillermo del Toro’s big screen adaptation of – how can we top this?’ But after a few songs it production was nailed.
‘Hellboy’ was advertised using a trailer that falls into place naturally.” Unsurprisingly, it’s one the band look back
featured not just ‘Progenies…’ but another ‘Death Whatever the difficulties of following it may on fondly.
Cult…’ song, ‘Eradication Instincts Defined’. The have been – note that Dimmu Borgir have only “It was a really great time for the band –
unthinkable had happened – a Norwegian black released two full lengths in the decade since, good vibes and everyone was focused to get the
metal band had appeared in connection with a not counting the ‘Stormblåst’ rerecord in 2005 best possible result for this record,” Shagrath
Hollywood blockbuster. – ‘Death Cult Armageddon’ remains, however summarises. “The final result speaks for itself. It’s
It did however create one small problem; after divisive, a high point in their career. For those an album that I’m very proud of, both sound-wise
a record that sounds that massive, where the fuck who don’t like their black metal too theatrical, and everything it represents.”
do you go next? It’s a quandary the band seem or prefer it with a lot more dirt, it may well
aware of. mark the point at which they and the band went
This feature originally appeared in Terrorizer #242
“When you do an album like ‘Death Cult separate ways. But for many, including the small
www.Dimmu-Borgir.com

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THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

TAAKE GORGOROTH
‘Hordalands Doedskvad’ ‘Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam’
DARK ESSENCE, 2005 REGAIN, 2006
From Hoest’s opening scream of “HELNORSK It might have all gone horribly wrong after this,
SVARTMETAL!”, ‘…Doedskvad’ is an attack on but the last King/Gaahl Gorgoroth record was an
the senses. Taake employ the familiar tremolo infernal masterclass in fiery destruction. With
and blasting techniques to produce an emphatic, some simultaneously brutal and captivating
mercilessly threatening sound. ‘…Doedskvad’ is a riffage, and the frontman’s inimitable,
raw experience, dropping jarring time signatures and otherworldly demonic shriek, Gorgoroth seemed
harshly evocative melodies into brash, swaggering to have ripped open a void to the place below,
BM so capriciously that only the unpredictable Hoest tapped off some of the conflagration and forced
could have orchestrated it. [RT] it through your speakers. [TD]

SAHG ULVER
‘Sahg I’ ‘Shadows Of The Sun’
REGAIN, 2006 JESTER, 2007
Led by singer/guitarist Olav Iversen and ‘Shadows Of The Sun’ is one of the most
featuring members of Gorgoroth, Sahg made poignant and affecting opuses in Ulver’s
a splash in 2006 with their debut, which impressive oeuvre, unfolding with such a
bridged doom metal and classic heavy metal sombre and graceful elegance that even a
in a way that felt fresh. Bolstered by strong cover of Black Sabbath’s classic ‘Solitude’
melodies, great hooks and a psychedelic fits perfectly within the record’s flow. A work
element that predated the occult rock of breathtaking beauty that is as emotionally
revival, it holds up exceptionally well to exhausting as it is spiritually nourishing, this
this day. [AB] is a mandatory listening experience. [KW]

MAYHEM KEEP OF KALESSIN


‘Ordo Ad Chao’ ‘Kolossus’
SEASON OF MIST, 2007 INDIE, 2008

‘Ordo Ad Chao’ continues to polarise The second album since KoK rifflord
opinion seven years on, with its suffocating Obsidian reformed his band following his
atmosphere and almost unbearable sense of stint playing live for Satyricon, ‘Kolossus’
tension pushing Mayhem’s sound into ever broke one of the three core tenets of black
more abstract and suspenseful climes. If you metal – it was actually fun. Hooky, full of
can brave it, this claustrophobic masterpiece draconic riffs and with a thunderous display
will chill you to the bone, make your skin of drumming from Vyl, this is an album
crawl and fill your stomach full of butterflies that is simultaneously accessible yet
– just like good black metal should. [KW] remains authentic. [TD]

IMMORTAL IHSAHN
‘All Shall Fall’ ‘After’
NUCLEAR BLAST, 2009 CANDLELIGHT, 2010

If there were any doubts about Immortal’s first It’s difficult stepping out of the shadow
album in seven years, they did not last beyond of a band as influential as Emperor, and
the opening blast of signature icy riffage. Epic it wasn’t until his third solo album that
as ever, frosty as you could ask, uncompromising Ihsahn found his own niche. ‘After’ found
and honest and brilliantly musical, Abbath and him finally sounding comfortable in his own
Demonaz had built a masterpiece that touched on skin, the black metal still present, but more
all the hallmarks of the classic Immortal sound, experimental ambitions surfacing, setting
but took it forward and honed it to an even more the stage for his current incarnation as a
razor-sharp edge. Mighty. [TD] progressive metal auteur. [AB]

SHINING ÅRABROT
‘Blackjazz’ ‘Revenge’
INDIE, 2010 FYSISK FORMAT, 2010
The jazz metallers made serious waves with the ‘Revenge’ is drenched in negatives. The sound is harsh
2007 album ‘Grindstone’, but that was nothing and unforgiving. Mainman Kjetil Nernes’ vocals are
compared to ‘Blackjazz’ three years later, a cut from a similar cloth and regardless of whether
maniacal experimental metal opus that combined he’s singing about ‘The Wretched Child’, ‘The Most
the ferocity and dexterity of The Dillinger Escape Sophisticated Form Of Revenge’ or some obtuse inside
Plan with Jørgen Munkeby’s experience as a jazz joke – the band is named after a garbage dump, after
artist, his free-form saxophone wailing a strange all – he sounds agonised in the process. ‘Revenge’
but fitting bedfellow for such psychotic, jarringly isn’t an easy listen; it’s painful, emotionally taxing and
intense arrangements. [AB] requires endurance. It’s also fucking awesome. [KSP]

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words: Olivier ‘Zoltar’ Badin, Adrien Begrand, Faye Coulman, Tom Dare, Connor Kendall, Hannah May Kilroy, José Carlos Santos, Rob
Sayce, Kevin Stewart-Panko, Guy Strachan, Rich Taylor, Kez Whelan

ENSLAVED VIRUS
‘Axioma Ethica Odini’ ‘The Agent That Shapes The Desert’
INDIE, 2010 DUPLICATE, 2011
A masterpiece of incredible depth and potency, The 21st century Ved Buens Ende, with post-
Enslaved’s eleventh album cemented their place accident Czral and other former VBE cohorts
in the Norwegian metal pantheon once again. (Einar Sjursø and Plenum, though the latter didn’t
Vast yet eerily immediate, it saw the five-piece play on this record) driving recklessly on the left
moving ever further from their black metal roots, lane of leftfield road. Even more eccentric than
incorporating nods to ’70s prog while remaining its ’90s equivalent, Virus is jazzy, dissonant
utterly cohesive. Viking metal has rarely sounded and disorienting. Led by Czral’s creepy operatic
so soulful, the windswept call to arms of ‘Ethica croon, ‘The Agent…’ is their finest, craziest
Odini’ signalling genius at work. [RS] exploration… so far. [JCS]

GOD SEED PURIFIED IN BLOOD


‘I Begin’ ‘Flight Of A Dying Sun’
INDIE, 2012 INDIE, 2012
God Seed’s origins may have divided opinion, but ‘Flight Of A Dying Sun’ goes down as one of
unless you have a problem with suffocatingly dense the most intense and insane records of recent
atmosphere and excellent production when it comes Norwegian history. An unholy collision of
to black metal, their first offering was vindication metalcore’s groove, black metal’s relentless
enough for Gaahl and King’s new project. Sprawling, fury and some fascinatingly warped song-
maniacal, and titanic in power and aggression, the structures (with thrash riffs thrown in for
dynamic and eerie ‘I Begin’ took the King/Gaahl fun) it’s a festering, ferocious riot of an
Gorgoroth blueprint and added much needed vitality to album. Nothing’s off limits, and it’s heaps of
produce an unexpectedly exceptional debut. [RT] fun as a result. [RS]

DISKORD WARDRUNA
‘Dystopics’ ‘Yggdrasil’
NO POSERS PLEASE!, 2012 INDIE, 2013
Performed by three short-haired dudes with Wardruna may not have metal in their music, but
a fretless bass player, a punk/grind activist they certainly do in their blood. Featuring former
drummer and a guitar player who surely plays King Gorgoroth pair Kvitrafn and Gaahl, Wardruna’s
Crimson covers in his spare time, ‘Dystopics’ is Nordic folk is as hauntingly eerie as it is
as unclassifiable and colourful as its psychedelic mesmerisingly beautiful. With the band’s concept
cover, despite its somehow abrupt approach. But based around the runes of the Elder Futhark,
as the track ‘Ambisinistral’ goes, “Mindless death ‘Yggdrasil’ is the second album in their trilogy,
metal equals salvation”. And that song is actually and we can only hope that they continue to make
an instrumental… Beautifully weird. [OZB] music once the trilogy is complete. [HMK]

IHSAHN AUDREY HORNE


‘Das Seelenbrechen’ ‘Youngblood’
CANDLELIGHT, 2013 NAPALM, 2013
The former Emperor maestro’s fifth solo effort After a series of good but not great albums,
was his most personal, experimental, distinctive the band decided to focus more on making
and brilliant piece of work under his own name. music like the music they listened to as
Ranging from his trademark magisterial extreme kids, and hit paydirt with ‘Youngblood’.
metal through gentle, almost heart-wrenching A paean to the days of Rainbow, Deep
self-exploration and occasionally crashing into pure Purple and UFO, it’s a spot-on exercise in
noise, ‘Das Seelenbrechen’ was nothing short of a heavy metal revivalism, the hooks coming
work of genius. Ihsahn’s creative prowess shows no naturally, its sense of joyous energy
sign of dimming whatsoever. [TD] palpable. [AB]

DARKTHRONE OBLITERATION
‘The Underground Resistance’ ‘Black Death Horizon’
PEACEVILLE, 2013 INDIE, 2013
The equation for Darkthrone album number This Kolbotn quartet’s third album is packed
fif-fucking-teen, went like this: thrash revival with twisted, riotous old school death
becoming passé + everyone having had enough metal that resembles ‘Scream Bloody Gore’
of power metal = the perfect time for Fenriz in a funhouse mirror. Even Fenriz himself
and Nocturno Culto to drop a thirteen-plus is a fan, and it’s not hard to see why; if
minute combination of those elements into the Darkthrone had never strayed from the
laps of fans. But when you’re this into what you death metal path, this is exactly the kind
do, the result, of course, was quality, heartfelt of record you imagine they’d be putting out
material. [KSP] these days. [KW]

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THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

“IT WAS LIKE BACK IN THE EARLY


DAYS WHERE THE FOCUS WAS
ON THE JOY OF BEING ABLE TO
RECORD YOUR MUSIC”

ENSLAVED
‘Isa’
TABU, 2004

Not only one of Norway’s greatest records , ENSLAVED’S eighth outing ‘ISA’ was hugely
important , turning a corner for the band and inspiring a generation of musicians with
their unique mixture of Viking black metal , prog and the band ’ s own distinct character .
Terrorizer spoke to guitarist IVAR BJØRNSON to discuss the watershed album
Words: Rich Taylor

T
here are few artists still going that can through an ever-developing blend of styles. that by just staying in the moment and trusting our
boast of the kind of legacy that Enslaved While this stylistic diversity has had varying instincts, the band would take on a life of its own.”
have built over their twenty-plus year degrees of prominence throughout Enslaved’s history, This liberated atmosphere and clairvoyant
career, and equally few that have undergone such guitarist, founding member and songwriter Ivar confidence of the band’s eventual success could
a drastic musical transition while gaining fans and Bjørnson looks back on 2004’s ‘Isa’ as the moment not have emerged at a more unlikely time. After
simultaneously maintaining credibility. Whether in the band’s career when they truly embraced their concluding a nine-year partnership with Osmose
with the progressive compositions of ‘RIITIIR’, the desire to pursue their own path. Productions, Enslaved found themselves lacking
tentative stylistic experimentation of ‘Mardraum’ or “‘Isa’ was the moment when all of our creative not only a record deal, but also a full-time guitarist
‘Frost’s pitiless early ’90s black metal vibe, it is likely worry just stopped,” Ivar reveals. “It hadn’t been and drummer.
that somewhere along your extreme metal journey a real problem before, but we had definitely been “After ‘Below the Lights’ , Dirge [Rep, drums]
you have found something to enjoy within Enslaved’s looking over our shoulder and thinking to ourselves, ended up leaving the band,” Ivar recalls. “So at that
approach to expressing esoteric subject matter ‘should we have a plan?’ We realised at that time transition time leading up to ‘Isa’, we were effectively

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a two-piece again. The difference was that this time,
the guys leaving felt invigorating. Not because we
felt Dirge had done his best work, but because that
no matter what happened, the core of the band was
still there with Grutle [Kjellson, bass/harsh vocals)

“WE FELT WE HAD


and myself. We felt that we now had this wonderful
choice of what we could do and who we could
play with.”

THE WORLD’S BEST


E
nslaved’s sense of a revitalised faith in their

TUNE BOX”
trajectory, and the dismissal of creative
qualms regarding the band’s constantly
shifting musical focus, led ‘Isa’ to go down in
heavy metal history as the album that solidified
what made Enslaved, Enslaved. Whereas they had
previously dabbled with experimentation by adding on guitar, and Herbrand Larson on keyboards and focus was on the joy of being able to record your
progressive elements to their heavily black metal- clean vocals] that could do all these new things. The music and take all the little dreams you had and see
centric sound, ‘Isa’ saw Enslaved firmly bridge the elements they brought in felt compatible with the those happen in the studio,” Ivar recalls.
gap between these two areas of inspiration. From main foundations of Enslaved, so this new sound

I
how the individual tracks often ran seamlessly into emerged very organically.” n a final act of destiny, ‘Isa’ also became
one another, and the way that jazzy chord segments It certainly seemed like Enslaved’s stars had symbolic for Enslaved’s enlightened approach
and harmonious vocals sat alongside black metal aligned, and as everything fell into place and they to viewing the band’s career and objectives.
blasting, tremolo riffery and Grutle’s distinctive rasp, cemented their own inimitable sound, even the Echoing their ongoing fascination with Norse
‘Isa’ laid out the sound that became synonymous recording process put another special stamp onto mythology and ancient runology, ‘Isa’ not only
with Enslaved. this pioneering work. related to the band’s traditional subject matter, but
“When it came to writing for ‘Isa’, we felt we “We were recording around the time of the 2004 also came to reflect their time, place, and attitude.
had the world’s best tune box available,” says Ivar. Hole In The Sky festival, so we ended up taking all “The rune Isa is one of the few runes that isn’t
“We had the history of the band, from the sludgy, these guys that were around for the fest into the about change, and which in its esoteric sense can’t
almost stoner rock of ‘Monumension’, to the studio,” Ivar recalls. “Abbath from Immortal did some be turned on its head,” says Ivar. “It symbolises the
traditional black metal of ‘Blodhemn’. With Enslaved guest vocals on ‘Lunar Force’, and Ofu Kahn from idea of hindering change, and taking care of what
being a bit [of an] old house, we felt like we had Red Harvest popped over too and is on ‘Ascension’.” is already there. That for us really went back to the
explored every filthy artistic corner of the house, With Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto also featuring on idea of not trying to change things, and knowing
and became pretty confident on what resources ‘Isa’, the record sleeve almost reads like a Norwegian that the moment will move along when it is time to
we could draw on musically. Also we had these Heavy Metal who's who. “We got to do all this fun move along. There was a sense of derailment from
three new guys [Cato Bekkevold on drums, Ice Dale stuff. It was like back in the early days where the the period between ‘Frost’ and up to ‘Isa’ where a lot
of external factors were disturbing the force field, so
to speak. We came through that period and fell back
into seeing things become more like they should be.”
It is an almost unbelievable scenario in which a
band still only in their twenties were able to draw on
an already extensive back catalogue and take their
career in a new direction, yet ‘Isa’ not only helped
Enslaved “begin a period more attuned to our ideas”,
as Ivar puts it, but also break into a run of albums
frequently cited as their best. ‘Isa’s poignancy has
clearly stayed with Ivar, and by taking the album’s
free-thinking philosophy to heart, Enslaved have
been able to cement their place in the heavy
metal pantheon.

www.Enslaved.no

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THE ESSENTIAL NORWEGIAN ALBUMS

“THOSE ARE THE SONGS THAT


MAKE PEOPLE GO NUTS”

KVELERTAK
‘Kvelertak’
INDIE, 2010

As a new decade dawned, a new group of Norwegian extreme bands came to the
attention of the wider world. While bands like Shining fucked with minds, six
hairies from Stavanger made music that sounded like a naked party in the dark.
And they quickly became one of the hottest bands in the world…
Words: Rob Sayce

F
ostering some of the world’s most original and people were into metal, so when you did meet them, “We never really put much thought into the
uncompromising heavy music, Norway finds itself you stuck together. At the early shows we’d cause sound,” Erlend continues, “it just came about naturally
in the midst of a creative boom unequalled since chaos, because we were so shitty at actually playing. from playing shows together and having fun. I
black metal. This movement celebrates new fusions of Anything to distract people from the actual music!” think that’s why the first record sounds a bit more
style and intent, and its catalyst to global attention Despite their less than perfect beginnings, the unfocussed. We’ve pushed our limits a lot since, but
arrived courtesy of six owl-obsessed outsiders from group’s sound began to evolve at a rapid pace. it’s all rooted in the sound of that first album. It set
the town of Stavanger. Their self-titled debut album Deriving inspiration from their country’s rich heritage the precedent with heavier songs and more slow paced
tore up the rulebooks, and neither the band – nor of black metal and hardcore punk, Erlend and co. set songs, having that variety in there.
those they have inspired in the short time since – have out to fuse the two in a manner that no one had ever “I quit my job just before the first album,” he
looked back. fully pulled off. 2007’s blistering ‘Westcoast Holocaust’ continues, “there was really nothing to lose. We were
“There was never any great plan,” laughs frontman demo caught the attention of Indie Recordings, and working odd jobs to make ends meet, so it made sense
Erlend Hjelvik. “Around where I grew up not that many they began work on a full-length… to put our lives on hold and throw everything into the

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“I QUIT MY JOB JUST BEFORE
THE ALBUM. THERE WAS REALLY
NOTHING TO LOSE”
their belts, they made their way with any existing trend. An early appearance on a tiny
across the Atlantic. The following weeks would prove a stage at Sonisphere 2010 began with half the crowd
baptism of fire. standing still, arms folded, and ended with a heaving
“Working was Kurt was great,” recalls Erlend. “We knot of devout converts 25 minutes later. By the time
were definitely nervous to being with, because at that they headlined a Ja Ja Ja night above the Lexington
point we’d never even been in a proper recording pub in London with Thunderstone and Sólstafir (a
studio. It was all new and we were recording with strange bill if ever there was one) a few months later,
someone from a band we were all fans of… it took a the momentum had begun. But not as quickly as it
while to get used to. But Kurt made us feel confident had across the North Sea.
about being there and about our music, so in the end “We ended up supporting Foo Fighters at this huge
it was pretty painless. Still, there are some things you show, in front of thousands of people. Our album
can only learn from being on the road. went gold in just over a year,” says Erlend. “In Norway
“While we were recording the album, we lived in a all kinds of people come to our shows, all ages and
house an hour outside of Salem, where Kurt’s studio is. audiences. It’s gotten really out of hand! It’s crazy
There was a lot of cabin fever, because we weren’t used how big the band got so fast; we’re considered part
to being packed together in one house. It was kind of of the mainstream these days. I never thought that
like a ghost town there in the winter. One night there could happen with the kind of music we’re playing. It’s
was a hurricane and a lot of trees went over, the lights never bothered us what we’re labelled as, mostly we see
all went out… it was pretty interesting. [laughs] It felt ourselves as a rock band, but obviously we have a foot
a bit like we were living in a horror house. It’s funny in the metal world too. I like that we can play with all
now, but not so much at the time!” kinds of bands, and it still feels right.”
Upon release, word of the record began to spread The album left an indelible mark on Norwegian
through the European underground and won the music. All over the nation more and more bands began
six-piece some high-profile support tours. Norwegian to challenge traditional genre confines, embracing
audiences took to it rather more immediately, the their musical heritage while pushing into new territory.
band’s following growing by the day. In a shockingly Today Norway can boast more iconoclastic and
short space of time they were hitting the headlines, innovative bands per capita than almost anywhere else,
playing theatre-sized venues, and even appearing on many of them inspired in ethos – if not always sound
daytime radio. Seemingly overnight, Kvelertak were – by Kvelertak. Erlend is characteristically understated
a phenomenon. on the matter.
band. The main difference between our two albums is “With that record, in Norway people got it “In Norway there are a lot of younger bands who
that with the first one, we just recorded pretty much right away,” recalls the frontman. “But it took us sound like us, but that’s how it goes,” he laughs. “I
all the songs we had up to that point. It’s a complete a few European tours to get where we wanted to think we’ve made it a lot more normal to blend music
mixture of stuff really, all over the place. The oldest be there, and even more so in the US. We never styles. We weren’t the first ones to do it, but I think we
song on there, ‘Mjød’, came from all the way back had much distribution in a lot of places, so people took it one step further. I can’t listen to the first record
in 2007.” are still struggling to get hold of our first record! myself, nowadays at least, but I’m pretty proud of what
But fortunately people caught wind of our name. we achieved with it. We play a lot of songs from that

A
mong the first to realise Kvelertak’s potential, Everything seemed to come together quite naturally.” record, and they’re still the biggest hitters. Those are
Converge guitarist/super-producer Kurt the songs that make people go nuts.”

T
Ballou invited the band to record with aking a few European tours was still remarkably
him at GodCity Studio, Massachusetts. Still relatively quick progress for a band doing something that
inexperienced and with minimal recording time under sounded so new, seemingly not fitting instantly www.Kvelertak.com

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“Anger rideth with the one that
knows no fear,
Who’s eyes like fire, who’s hearts
like ice
Spirits rideth with the ones that
knows no fear
They are the Sons of northern
darkness”
– Immortal

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