Fenriz

Infobox musical artist
Name = Gylve Fenris Nagell


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Leif Nagell
Alias = Fenriz
Born = birth date and age|1971|11|28
Died =
Origin = Norway
Instrument = Drums Guitar Bass Guitar Vocals Synth
Genre = Black metal Death metal Grindcore Doom metal Heavy metal Ambient
Occupation = Musician, songwriter
Years_active = 1986–present
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Associated_acts = Darkthrone Isengard Neptune Towers Valhall Storm Dødheimsgard Satyricon
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Fenriz (born Leif Nagell on November 28, 1971 and later known as Gylve Fenris Nagell) is best known as the drummer and lyricist of the two-piece Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. However, he is a prolific musician who has been involved with a number of bands, solo efforts, and side projects spanning a variety of musical genres.

Biography

Gylve Nagell was born in 1971. His first exposure to metal music came when he was three years old and received Uriah Heep's album "Sweet Freedom" for his birthday. At the age of five, he would fashion belts for himself out of paper in an imitation of those worn by Mick Box. Later musical interests of his included rock and heavy metal groups such as The Doors and Metallica.

Darkthrone was created as a death metal band by the name of "Black Death" in 1986. At the same time, Fenriz was involved in a group called Valhall, which practiced in his basement. Fenriz has expressed that he had a passive interest in Bathory by 1986, but claims that he did not understand the "darkness" of black metal until hearing a song by the Hungarian band Tormentor in 1989 (he gives similar credit to Mercyful Fate). The same year, Fenriz left Valhall in order to concentrate on Darkthrone. He also started a solo viking metal project entitled Isengard, for Darkthrone was a band that opposed stylistic progression and change. Fenriz's solo ambient project Neptune Towers served as an example of his varied musical tastes. It was followed by another quintessential contribution to the folk metal scene with Storm.

Fenriz now claims to be apolitical, remaining non-partisan towards the events of early Norwegian black metal. In one interview, Fenriz stated that he was against the book "Lords of Chaos", comparing its hype to Oprah. Fenriz prefers to keep Darkthrone out of the spotlight; in late 2004 he turned down a nomination for a Norwegian Alarm Award. He claimed that Darkthrone had "no interest in being part of the glitter and showbiz side of the music industry". Fenriz is known for his refusal to play live and his lack of interest in the music business in general (he is not opposed to file sharing, as demonstrated through his apathy toward the very premature leak of Darkthrone's 2004 release Sardonic Wrath on the Internet).

Fenriz currently lives in Oslo, and has a record label with Nocturno Culto called "Tyrant Syndicate Productions", which is a sub-label of Peaceville Records (to which Darkthrone is signed). In late 2004, Fenriz released a compilation album through Peaceville entitled "Fenriz Presents... The Best of Old-School Black Metal", which included selected tracks from such influential artists as Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Burzum, and Bathory. He has expressed plans to release a thrash metal compilation in the future.

Musical projects

* Darkthrone (Traditional Black Metal) – drums, bass, rhythm guitar, vocals, lyrics (1986-present)
* Valhall (Doom Metal) – drums (1987-1989, 2007-present)
* Isengard (Viking Metal) – drums, guitar, bass, vocals, lyrics (1989-1995) – solo project
* Neptune Towers (Ambient) – keyboard, farfisa organ, synthesizers (1993-1995) – solo project
* Dødheimsgard (Black Metal) – bass and synthesizer on "Kronet Til Konge" (1995)
* Storm (Folk Metal) – drums, vocals (1995)
* Fuck You All (Grindcore) - bass (2000-2001)
* Eibon – drums (since 1999, band status unknown)

Guest appearances and contributions

* Satyricon – drums and lyrics for songs 4 and 5 on "Nemesis Divina" (1996), percussion on "Rebel Extravaganza" (1999)
* Ulver – vocals on the song "A Song Of Liberty Plates 25-27" from the album "Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" (1998)
* Aura Noir – additional vocals on "Increased Damnation" (2000) and "The Merciless" (2004)
* Red Harvest – additional vocals on "Absolut Dunkel:heit" from the album "Cold Dark Matter" (2000)
* Cadaver Inc. – additional vocals on "Discipline" (2001)
* Audiopain – additional lyrics on "Revel in Desecration" (2002)
* Trashcan Darlings – additional vocals on "Dehumanizer" from the album "Episode 1: The Lipstick Menace" (2002)

Discography

Note: All albums are with Darkthrone, unless noted otherwise. This does not include guest appearances.

*1988 – "Land of Frost"
*1988 – "A New Dimension"
*1989 – "Thulcandra"
*1989 – "Cromlech"
*1989 – "Spectres Over Gorgoroth", as Isengard
*1990 – "Soulside Journey"
*1991 – "Goatlord"
*1991 – "Horizons", as Isengard
*1992 – "A Blaze in the Northern Sky"
*1993 – "Under a Funeral Moon"
*1993 – "Vanderen", as Isengard
*1994 – "Transilvanian Hunger"
*1994 – "Caravans To Empire Algol", as Neptune Towers
*1995 – "Panzerfaust"
*1995 – "Høstmørke" as Isengard
*1995 – "Transmissions From Empire Algol", as Neptune Towers
*1995 – "Nordavind" with Storm
*1995 – "Kronet Til Konge", with Dødheimsgard
*1996 – "Total Death"
*1999 – "Ravishing Grimness"
*2001 – "Plaguewielder"
*2003 – "Hate Them"
*2004 – "Sardonic Wrath"
*2004 – "Fenriz Presents... The Best of Old-School Black Metal", a compilation of early black metal bands
*2006 – "The Cult Is Alive"
*2006 – "Forebyggende Krig"
*2007 – "F.O.A.D."
*2008 - "Dark Thrones and Black Flags

External links

* [http://www.takemetoyourfenriz.com Take Me to Your Fenriz]
* [http://www.moonfog.com Moonfog Productions Official Site]
* [http://www.tyrantsyndicate.com Tyrant Syndicate Productions]
* [http://www.peaceville.com Peaceville Records]
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* [http://www.dorfdisco.de/int/2003/darkthrone.phtml Fenriz interviewed by Travis Jeppesen]