DARKTHRONE's Fenriz has given a rare and characteristically candid interview ahead of the band's 40th anniversary box set "The Fist In The Face Of God," releasing tomorrow, March 6, via Peaceville Records. The reclusive Norwegian black metal icon, who famously shuns social media and once got elected to his town council via a campaign photo featuring his cat, discussed the band's remarkable evolution from their death metal origins through the groundbreaking black metal era and into their more recent crust punk-infused output.
Fenriz revealed that he and longtime partner Nocturno Culto initially considered disbanding after the controversial "Panzerfaust" era in the mid-1990s, when the Norwegian black metal scene was mired in church burnings, murders, and media hysteria. "We were exhausted by all the nonsense surrounding the music," Fenriz said in the interview. "But we realized that the music itself was the only thing that mattered, and we owed it to ourselves to keep creating." The interview touches on the duo's legendary recording process — often working in isolation, passing tapes back and forth — and their stubborn refusal to compromise their artistic vision for commercial gain.
Fenriz also confirmed that DARKTHRONE have absolutely no plans to tour, staying true to their decades-long policy of avoiding live performances. "We are a studio band. That is what we do. We make records," he stated flatly. The interview is included on a DVD packaged with the box set, alongside rare 1996 Oslo live footage from one of DARKTHRONE's only concert appearances. The conversation also covers the making of their 2024 album "It Beckons Us All" and offers a glimpse into their creative process for future material.