Norwegian black metal musician Fenriz is a man of multiple talents. Apart from singing, he can also play bass, drum, guitar, keyboard, and even write songs.
A die-hard black metalist, he is one of the two members of the famous Norwegian band, Darkthrone alongside Nocturno Culto. His love among the people of Norway is so huge that they have even elected him as the councilor of a town in the country.
Participated In Election As A Backup; Won The Election
Apart from his career as a musician, Fenriz has also emerged out as a successful politician in the last few years. Just like a small town in Minnesota called Cormorant has a dog named Duke as its mayor, the town of Kolbotn, Oslo, Norway, has a heavy metal artist as its councilor.
Fenriz had initially participated as a backup candidate in 2016, but eventually, he turned out the winner. For his campaign, he had used a photo of himself with his pet cat and had even urged voters not to vote for him.
Fenriz photographed with his cat for the 2016 Norway election (©: The Guardian)
However, the adorable picture of the two immediately attracted the attention of the voters, and Fenriz was chosen as the councilor of the town.
Career At Darkthrone: Albums & Songs
Fenriz has been into black metal ever since he was a young kid. He became a metalhead after receiving Sweet Freedom- an album by Uriah Heep- from his uncle as a gift for his third birthday.
Fenriz soon became a fan of the genre and started listening to other heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Steppenwolf, The Doors, and more.
Pursuing a career in music, Fenriz opened up a black metal group named Black Death circa 1986. The two-person band- which now consists of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto- was later named Darkthrone. Previously, Ivar Enger, aka, Zephyrous was also in the band but he left in 1993. Zephyrous is speculated to have left the band delving into misanthropy.
Through the band, Fenriz and Culto have released multiple studio albums, including Soulside Journey (1991), A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992), Transilvanian Hunger (1994), Panzerfaust (1995), Goatlord (1996), The Cult Is Alive (2006), Dark Thrones and Black Flags (2008), The Underground Resistance (2013), Arctic Thunder (2016), and Old Star (2019).
Some of the greatest songs of the band include In the Shadow of the Horns, Kathaarian Life Code, The Pagan Winter, Cromlech, Unholy Black Metal, The Hardship of the Scots, Valkyrie, and so on.
Collaborative & Solo Works; Black Metal University
Apart from Darkthrone, Fenriz has collaborated with other artists and even taken up several solo projects like Valhall, Fenriz′ Red Planet, Neptune Towers, Storm, and Dødheimsgard.
Further, he has run a supposed "Black Metal University," where he gives lectures on the history of the genre. He also gives lessons of the different bands that have been keeping the tradition of black metal alive.
Apart from that, Fenriz runs "Radio Fenriz," from where he picks the songs among the largest community of artists on his internet radio show.
From his career as a musician, Fenriz has also collected a substantial fortune. However, the amount of his net worth is not yet disclosed.
Changed Name Legally, Real Name, Meaning
The black metal artist was born as Leif Nagell on 28 November 1971 (age: 48) in Kolbotn, Oslo, Norway. Though he was identified as Leif in his childhood and early adulthood, Fenriz eventually changed his real name legally into Gylve Fenris Nagell in the early years of the '90s.
The musician is now primarily known for a modified version of his middle name, i.e., Fenriz. Though the exact meaning of the name is not revealed, Urban Dictionary suggests that the term implies a person who hates humanity but is not strictly against making friends.