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DARK THRONEThe Cult Is Alive – Fuck Off And Die!
Is it really necessary to introduce Darkthrone, the largest living cult in the black metal scene of today? Their 13th full-length was released in September, and the band is already working on a new album. Just before the album release, we exchanged a few words with Fenriz, which became my favourite interview ever. Real metal does live!
Hell-o, Fenriz! How are you these days?GRRRReat! Just back from work, listening to BROCAS HELM '84 lp and MYSTIQUE EP '85 So, the new, 13th (how metal, hehe..) Darkthrone album should be released in a few days…Can you tell me the most important stuff that we should know about it, how does it compare to the rest of your work? It’s important that people see the cover, think that it will be MORE punk than THE CULT IS ALIVE, but it's the other way 'round: F.O.A.D is more METAL, you can say - with heavy metal we mean slow metal and with NWOBHM we mean faster stuff, but of course not faster than anything Motorhead ever did. i think that's the maximum tempo for us. FOAD probably sounds like a black metal band playing new wave of British heavy metal, meaning that it kind of sounds likes metal-punk. And our production is crusty heavy metal. The increasing influence of Punk is notable in your music in recent years. Ted’s and your love for the style is a well-known fact, but how do you react to some people’s whining that punk has no place in black metal (bullshit, if you ask me…)? How i react is shaking my head, because from the earliest BM styles it was a mix of prog and punk and blues based heavy rock of the 70s and late 60s even, and people will know this when they grow up and are interested in music history. Black metal was free in the 80s, and so were the other styles, but marketing and trendiness destroyed all the styles in the 90s. the last 5-7 years has seen many young metal maniacs playing total old style like Sodom, Bulldozer, and everything seems to be back on track, only thing is that the metal world has become even bigger than before. it is room for everyone but DARKTHRONE is there to make sure not everything sounds modern for the kids. in the 80s we grew up with lots of strange sound qualities which was great for everyone, the 90s had a lot of modern production cuz it was easy for everyone to "buy" that modern instant-gratification sound. Even NWOBHM has a lot of punk, iron maiden is the ultimate metal band and they ran with punk bands back in the day. this is basic knowledge!!! The name of the new album, Fuck off and die (and also The Cult is Alive) is really strong, true fuck-off declaration to modern scene. I also know that the title of album is tribute to Danish Desexult (by whom you also got the name Darkthrone, back in the day… ). Also, Voivod have a Fuck off and Die song, and your last album was dedicated to Piggy. Elaborate on this a little bit… Ok, very good knowledge you have here, that warms my heart. Yeah, FOAD is WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT the most typical WORD or EXPRESSION of our 80s metal our world. There was even FOAD magazine, venom has fuck off and die song too, and we have always ALWAYS been mainly inspired by the 80s, and it's where we came from. i started playing bad trash (not thrash)-core in 86, 87, then we started playing epic thrash like English dogs and Metallica and then more brutal thrash and then death metal, but we were ALWAYS inspired by Celtic Frost and they are a band that has inspired punks, crusts and metallers throughout the years, they tie us all together. Voivod has always been there for both punks, metallers and then prog - and then the circle of Cronos' inspiration is complete!!! I have just heard your new single New Wave of Black Heavy Metal. You also had Too old too cold single last time. Are you planning to traditionally release singles before albums in the following years? No, it doesn't seem like it, these EP's have been a wish from Nocturno Culto, so i said if we must do cover songs then I should choose them. we usually use our position to honor other bands, so at least TESTORS and SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES have got some extra attention...just wait for the cover of our new album, it has a patch with young band DEATHHAMMER and we both recommend 10 albums each, that people can check out. Also you have cover of Punk band Testors on EP. I’ve seen one of your interviews from the Nineties where you stated that Darkthrone will never do covers. What made you change your mind? Do you have some wishes for future covers? Here’s a thought – Mansion in Darkness by King Diamond! King is my favorite artist of all times, and I’d love to see that song performed in primitive black metal manner by you. I don't listen to King Diamond, as i can't stand the drum style of Mickey Dee and the production they started having, i stick to MERCYFUL FATE and especially the Don't break the oath album, it's a major record in my life. I think covers only serve ONE purpose - to shine some light over the band being covered. it is disgusting to play other peoples music and sing other peoples lyrics, but in a relationship (Ted and me have been in this band together since he joined in march 88) it is GIVE AND TAKE, and these covers i had to GIVE. At least i demanded to choose which covers.... In the press release it is stated that the album will be influenced by the old cult Heavy bands such as Manilla Road, Omen, Cirith Ungol… To be honest, I can’t hear much of that influence on EP… Will the album have some more Heavy elements? By the way, I am stunned that you have decided to pay tribute to these incredible bands! Do you like some new HM bands such as some of my favorites: The Lord Weird Slough Feg, Twisted Tower Dire, Skullview, October 31…? Of these bands i will buy albums of TWISTED TOWER DIRE I think, I like their style!! also i like CAULDRON from Canada. i don't think the press statement PROMISES that we will be influenced by these bands as in ripping off their riffs, man. It’s a general force of the winds that we let our heads lean on these days. Let’s talk about song Canadian Metal. You praised some great bands such as Slaughter, Razor, Piledriver…in the lyrics. What is so special about Canadian Metal for you guys? It’s Canada-time! I just decided that this is a good idea. also, I liked Canadian thrash, as I have decided that this style is typical of this: combining US style and European style thrash! like SACRIFICE for instance. Its just a theory i have. CANADIAN METAL song is just a tribute to old great Canadian bands and a fuck off to modern metal (as usual) I have heard that you bought Necrohell II. I think that it is obvious that you guys are more relaxed with the production these days, as you new stuff is much filthier (in that good Darkthronian way, hehe…) than, for example, Hate Them. What do you think, what influence did having your own studio had on you? I think ALL, and i mean ALL our albums are filthy. the least filthiest is of course our first album SOULSIDE JOURNEY, then albums like A BLAZE IN THE NORHTERN SKY and PLAGUEWIELDER is not maximum filthy, neither is RAVISHING GRIMNESS, but i think HATE THEM and SARDONIC WRATH is fuckin filthy, at least as filthy as early Motorhead and that's enough. i don't want to be more or less filthy than early Motorhead. Too much and too little destroys a lot of things, my father always told me. The studio means having NO CONTROL for me, i haven't even turned ONE BUTTON on the studio yet - and we have recorded 2 albums on it! we don't even have soundcheck, just line check, haha! 
Who did the cover for the album? It looks very primitive and old school and creature on the cover have Cherokee punk hairstyle and spikes on hand, like symbol of unification of punk and metal in your sound. Your thoughts…Yup, just like old SLAUGHTER stuff. the cover could be symbolized as metal was dead but now it's back from the dead. the grave is VACANT, maybe a place for those who killed it? You understood the symbolism perfectly, man. #APPLAUSE# Dennis Dread did the cover, he has done many album covers and he has his US fanzine called DESTROYING ANGELS. Y’all can Google this, I’m sure. Make sure you check out Darkthrones myspace too, as we have LOTS OF exiting bands you can click on there!!!! on top friends How is your relationship with Peaceville now, as we all know about the problems you had with them in Nineties. Why did you split up with Moonfog back then? We didn't have problems with Peaceville, WE were the problem child. as we all know, I’m a LOOSE CANNON and can be very hard to work with in business terms because I’m John McEnroe angry and anti-everything. So when it comes to for instance merchandise, i have had no control since 1992 because i would have just stopped the flow, getting too angry and stressed because of stupid merch and sleeve-prints on long sleeves. As a matter of fact I have doctors orders not to get to angry and stressed! So I avoid business, stick to my day job and writing songs. Trust me; it's the best for all parts AHAHAHAHAHA I like both pizza and hamburger, Moonfog was a good burger for 9 years, but then I wanted pizza again How is Tyrant Syndicate going? I liked Abscess’ Horrorhammer, also the Obliteration album is OK. Any plans for the future? Bu the way, why don’t you release Darkthrone albums through Tyrant? Tyrant is not my label; I only chose the name and 2 bands to be released, AURA NOIR and OLD. I think Darkthrone is on tyrant, at least the tyrant logo is all over the place on the FOAD album, haha! New OBLITERATION rehearsal RULES IN HELL. Horrorhammer, what a great title. Today, albums are on the Internet way before their release, Darkthrone was a victim of it as well. What do you think about that problem? I doubt that it hurts band like Darkthrone, but it must have been really frustrating… I think some bands are "accidentally" leaking their own product for promotional values, like Madonna etc. I don't hate the leaking so much, i hate that internet is the forum of all the LOSERS, in the 80s underground one had to write to a magazine/fanzine at least to be heard. because the voices of opinion often comes from those who have a bad experience, like when the place that usually give you food gives you what you want, you don't tell anyone - but if one day the food is fucked - you tell everyone. this is internet forum in a nutshell and those who read it - will be fucked by a wrong look at the world. and no, the 3rd CIRITH UNGOL album isn't the best. So, man, 20 years of existence. Congratulations! Is anything special planned for this year to celebrate 20 years in unholy black metal? Nothing! I just love the smell of September and it was now 20 years ago since I created The name Darkthrone from a Celtic Frost lyrics and desexult guys magazine. Blackthorne....and i felt in my heart that playing music more seriously was the way for me. I kind of make music with the same mind as i did in 87 and 88 now, but I’m a little more experienced. We will not celebrate our anniversary with anything. That would be it; I tried not to bore you too much. Until the next time, take care. I can’t wait to enter the church of real Metal ;). Your last words... Support real metal, try to listen to DEMON's GATE (Australia) and ALPHA CENTAURI (Greece/Germany).
Slobodan Trifunović |
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