Gylve Nagell, AKA Hank Amarillo, also and most enduringly known as Fenriz, is a titan of modern heavy metal. As the drummer in second wave black metal icons Darkthrone he has contributed to some of the most influential albums of the genre, such as Transilvanian Hunger and A Blaze In The Northern Sky, before steering the band in a direction that would encompass more crust punk and thrash influences for albums such as Darkthrones And Black Flags and last year’s typically brilliant Arctic Thunder.
As a proselytiser for the music he loves he is second to none, with his ‘Band Of The Week’ website serving to hip modern rivetheads to all kinds of solid steel obscurities that might otherwise have fallen through the cracks, from Khthoniik Cerviiks to Infernal Curse, Salute to Blade Of The Ripper, while his NTS radio show – called ‘Radio Fenriz’ naturally – is a platform for his phenomenal taste as well as his appealingly dramatic delivery and eccentric personality.
But delve a little deeper, perhaps having taken the hint from the Plastikman tattoo located on his left wrist, and you’ll discover a different side to Fenriz. That of a lover of house and techno, turned on to the music during it’s early 90s heyday. While this love of electronic dance music might seem to be out of step with his schooling in black metal, the two genre’s deep and abiding commitments to minimalism and repetition ensures that a join isn’t too hard to spot. But whatever it was that drove Fenriz to listen to the likes Green Velvet, AJ Sound and Cheek, what’s obvious is that the man’s passion for electronic music is just as infectious as his love for more leather-clad fare and the following list of records, complete with commentary by the man himself, is an excellent indication of just how deep Fenriz’s taste goes. Click the photo of Fenriz to begin reading the Bakers.
