| Gylve Fenris Nagell | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leif Gylve Nagell |
| Also known as | Fenriz Hank Amarillo |
| Born | November 28, 1971 |
| Origin | Kolbotn, Norway |
| Genres | Black metal, death metal, speed metal, punk metal, folk metal, ambient |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Drums, electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals, keyboards, synth |
| Years active | 1986 onward |
| Associated acts | Darkthrone, Isengard, Neptune Towers, Valhall, Storm, Dødheimsgard |
Leif Gylve Nagell (born November 28, 1971), better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone.[1] He has performed solo and been involved with a number of bands spanning a variety of musical genres.
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Nagell's first exposure to metal music came when he was three years old and received Uriah Heep's album Sweet Freedom from his uncle 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. Other musical interests of his 10 first years included rock and heavy metal groups such as The Doors, Grand Funk, Steppenwolf, The Byrds, Elvis, Kiss, AC/DC, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath
Darkthrone was created as a primitive punk metal band by the name of Black Death in 1986. Later, in late 1987, Fenriz formed Darkthrone and got 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 death metal, later viking metal project entitled Isengard, for Darkthrone was at the time 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, his obsessiveness about music listening, supporting other underground bands and his lack of interest in the mainstream music business in general. Fenriz is one of the focal characters in the 2009 documentary film Until The Light Takes Us (filmed in early 00s).
Fenriz currently lives in the outskirts of Oslo, and had a record label with Nocturno Culto called Tyrant Syndicate Productions, which was 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 is a Dj and has made several online music compilations.
Note: All albums are with Darkthrone, unless noted otherwise. This does not include minor guest appearances.