Hello Darkthrone!

Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band hailing from Kolbotn, Akershus.

Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death,^[5][6] In 1991, Darkthrone transitioned to a black metal style influenced by Bathory^[7] and Celtic Frost^[7] and emerged as one of the leading bands in the black metal scene.

Their first three black metal albums - A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992), Under a Funeral Moon (1993), and Transylvanian Hunger (1994) - are frequently referred to as the "Unholy Trinity."^[8][9] These albums are regarded as the epitome of the band's career and among the most influential releases in the black metal genre.

Darkthrone has been a duo consisting of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto since guitarist Zephyrous departed from the band in 1993. While they have aimed to remain outside the mainstream music scene, in recent years they have collaborated with the National Library of Norway for exhibitions focused on Norwegian cultural history and black metal.^[10][11] Since 2006, Darkthrone's music has diverged from traditional black metal, incorporating more elements of classic heavy metal, punk, and speed metal,^[12] while their more recent albums have also incorporated elements of doom metal.

In 1991, influenced by Euronymous of Mayhem, Darkthrone adopted the aesthetic that would come to symbolize the black metal scene, donning corpse paint and working under pseudonyms. Gylve Nagell became "Fenriz," Ted Skjellum became "Nocturno Culto," and Ivar Enger adopted the name "Zephyrous." In August 1991, they recorded their second album, which was released in early 1992 and titled A Blaze in the Northern Sky. This album featured Darkthrone's first black metal recordings, although Peaceville Records was initially sceptical about releasing it due to the band's drastic shift from their original death metal style.^[13] After the album was recorded, bassist Dag Nilsen left the band, stating that he did not wish to play black metal; he is credited only as "session bass" and does not appear in any photographs on the album.

The band's third album, Under a Funeral Moon, was recorded in the summer of 1992 and released in early 1993. It marked Darkthrone's complete transition to the black metal style and is considered a landmark in the development of the genre as a whole. This album also represented the last collaboration with guitarist Zephyrous.

Following this, their fourth album, Transylvanian Hunger, was released in February 1994. This marked the first album to feature only two members, Nocturno Culto and Fenriz. Fenriz was credited with all instrumentation and songwriting, while Nocturno Culto contributed solely vocals. From this point forward, the band would operate as a duo. Transylvanian Hunger was characterised by a raw or low-fidelity recording style, featuring monotone riffing with minimal melody. The album's release sparked some controversy, as half of its lyrics were penned by the Norwegian black metal musician Varg Vikernes, and the booklet contained the phrase "Norsk Arisk Black Metal," which translates to "Norwegian Aryan Black Metal" in English.