DARKTHRONE's Fenriz has given a characteristically expansive and opinionated interview to Norwegian music publication Dagbladet, in which he has praised a new wave of Norwegian black metal bands that he believes represent a genuine continuation of the underground spirit that defined the early 1990s scene. The interview, conducted at Fenriz's home outside Oslo, sees the veteran musician recommending several younger acts to fans of traditional Norwegian black metal, while also sharing his thoughts on the commercialization of the genre and what he sees as the dilution of its core values.
Among the bands Fenriz specifically recommended are FAEN TAK DEG, WHOREDOM RIFE (from Trondheim), VEMOD, and MORBIDUM — all of whom operate largely outside the mainstream metal press and distribute their music through tape-trading networks and limited vinyl pressings in the tradition of the early 1990s underground. "These bands understand what black metal is about," Fenriz said. "It's not about image, it's not about Instagram, it's not about how many streams you get. It's about the music, the atmosphere, and the sincere intention behind it."
Fenriz also addressed the ongoing debate within the black metal community about the growing popularity of the genre, expressing ambivalence about the mainstream acceptance that has come to bands like MAYHEM, EMPEROR, and even DARKTHRONE themselves. "Success is a strange thing in this genre," he said. "The music was never supposed to be for everyone. But I also can't tell people not to love it." The full interview, including a listening guide compiled by Fenriz, will be published in Dagbladet's weekend magazine and simultaneously on their website.