Fenriz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gylve Fenris Nagell
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Fenriz in 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leif Nagell |
| Also known as | Fenriz |
| Born | 28 November 1971 |
| Origin | Kolbotn, Norway |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Drums, guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, synthesizer |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Associated acts | Darkthrone, Isengard, Neptune Towers, Valhall, Storm, Dødheimsgard |
Gylve Fenris Nagell (born November 28, 1971), known as Fenriz, is a musician from Norway. He is famous for being one half of the band Darkthrone, along with Nocturno Culto. Fenriz mainly plays drums and writes songs. He also plays bass, guitar, and sings for Darkthrone and other metal bands. People know Fenriz for his huge knowledge of metal music. He loves to support new, less famous bands and believes in the 'do it yourself' (DIY) approach to music. He doesn't like the flashy, 'showbiz' part of the music industry. Fenriz was also the drummer for the band Valhall. He has worked on his own music projects too, like Isengard (a mix of folk and metal) and Neptune Towers (a calm, electronic music project).
Contents
Fenriz's Musical Journey
Fenriz first discovered heavy metal music as a child. His uncle gave him an album called Sweet Freedom by the band Uriah Heep for his birthday. When he was 16, Fenriz left school. He started working full-time to support his passion for music.
In 1986, he helped start a band called Black Death. Two years later, Ted Skjellum (Nocturno Culto) joined them, and they changed their name to Darkthrone. At first, Darkthrone played death metal. Their first album came out in 1991. After that, the band changed their style. They became one of the most important bands in the early Norwegian black metal scene. Fenriz said he liked bands like Bathory and Celtic Frost. But he truly understood the "darkness" of black metal after hearing a song by the band Tormentor.
Darkthrone's Impact
Darkthrone's second album, A Blaze in the Northern Sky, was recorded in 1991 and released in 1992. This album is seen as one of the most important records that helped define the black metal music style.
Since 1993, Darkthrone has been a duo with only Fenriz and Nocturno Culto. Fenriz played all the instruments on their albums Transilvanian Hunger (1994) and Panzerfaust (1995).
Other Music Projects
From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Fenriz also started several solo projects. These included Isengard, which mixed folk and black metal, and Neptune Towers, which focused on dark ambient music. He also played drums for the band Valhall on their three studio albums. In the 1990s, he co-founded the folk metal band Storm with Sigurd Wongraven. They released one album together.
Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have chosen not to play live concerts since the 1990s. In 2004, they were nominated for a Norwegian Alarm Award for their album Sardonic Wrath. But they turned it down. Fenriz explained that they were not interested in the "glitter and showbiz side of the music industry." Fenriz was also a main focus in the 2008 black metal documentary film Until The Light Takes Us.
Life Outside Music
In 2016, news spread that Fenriz had been elected to his local town council in Oppegård, Norway. He was chosen for a four-year term as a substitute council member for the Liberal Party. He explained that he would "have to step in when the usual people who go to the big meetings are sick or something." Fenriz said he thought he would be far down the list and not have to do much. His "campaign" was a funny photo of him holding his cat with the words "Please Don't Vote For Me."
Fenriz lives in his hometown of Kolbotn. People in the underground music scene see him as a hero. He is known for finding new music and promoting it with great excitement. The heavy metal magazine Iron Fist calls him a "walking metal encyclopedia." He works part-time as a music journalist and hosts a monthly online radio show called "Radio Fenriz" on NTS. He also created a blog called "Band of the Week." This blog helps choose bands for the Live Evil underground metal festival. Fenriz has worked part-time in the postal service since the late 1980s. He says this job allows him to spend many hours each week listening to new music. He has also appeared on a Norwegian TV show about hiking in forests.
Fenriz's Musical Projects
Fenriz has been involved in many different music projects:
- Darkthrone — drums, bass, guitar, vocals, lyrics (1986–present)
- Valhall — drums (1987–1989, 1993–?, 2007–present)
- Fenriz' Red Planet – played all instruments (1993–?) (his own project)
- Isengard — played all instruments (1989–1995) (his own project)
- Neptune Towers – played all instruments (1993–1995) (his own project)
- Dødheimsgard — bass and extra vocals (1994–1995)
- Storm — drums, vocals (1995) (with Satyr and Kari Rueslåtten)
- Coffin Storm - vocals (2024-present)
Images for kids
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Fenriz in 2005
See also
In Spanish: Fenriz para niños
