This is a project aimed at making it easy to see who inspired the bands you love or even hate. For this I try not to use any influences that the band don’t claim themselves. There will be a focus on predecessors but successors will be added as they site the band. These trees become more and more interactive as new bands are added, allowing you to click any band that has a tree and jump to it.

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

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Darkthrone are a well known and influential black metal band. They began playing death metal but moved to black metal starting with their second album and has remained rooted there since. Fenriz and Nocturno have been the only two consistent members and after the third album have been the only members. Fenriz originally was the main vocalist but that got passed to Nocturno. Him and Fenriz both write guitar parts. Fenriz is the lyricist and drummer and keyboardist where as Nocturno is on guitar and bass and the main vocalist. Zephyrous was on guitar for the first three albums and Dag Nilsen was the bassist for the first album. All members contributed to writing.

Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. Fenriz said they was listening to them more around the time of doing their first album. He said that Mob Rules was an inspiration for Arctic Thunder. He also names Vinny Appice as an influence. — Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. Fenriz said they was listening to them more around the time of doing their first album. He said that *Mob Rules* was an inspiration for *Arctic Thunder.* He also names Vinny Appice as an influence.

Uriah Heep are an important progressive rock and early heavy metal band. Fenriz has been a fan since he was a kid.

ZZ Top are a well known hard blues rock band. Nocturno named Billy Gibbons as one of his favorite guitarists.

Motorhead are hard rock and heavy metal legends. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Girlschool were an all women NWOBHM band. Fenriz said they inspired his drum sound on Hate Them. — Girlschool were an all women NWOBHM band. Fenriz said they inspired his drum sound on *Hate Them*.

Iron Maiden are one of the biggest and most influential metal bands. Fenriz is a fan and has written riffs that he said accidently sounded like Maiden.

Metallica are fathers of thrash. Fenriz named them as an influence. He says their slower stuff has always been an influence to him.

Exodus are one of the earliest formed bands to play thrash and are thrash legends. They have been an influence on Fenriz and he often brings up their first album. He says he’s drawn influence from their “slow thrash” style.

English Dogs were a hardcore and crossover band. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Naplam Death are one of the most influential grindcore bands. Fenriz said Darktrhone had a tiny amount of vocal influence from them.

Hellhammer was super important for extreme metal genres and eventually became Celtic Frost. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Queensryche are huge for the development of progressive metal. Fenriz said Geoff Tate influenced his high range.

Crumbsuckers were a crossover thrash band. Fenriz said a small amount of influence from their second album was in early Darkthrone.

Slayer are one of the biggest must influential of the thrash bands. Fenriz said they was a huge influence for him.

Dark Angel were a big thrash band in the more underground scene. Fenriz is a big fan.

Celtic Frost are one of the most influential bands to extreme metal genres. Fenriz said when he formed the early version of Darkthrone, Black Death, he was focused on sounding like Celtic Frost and that they were a huge influence for him. CF are o… — Celtic Frost are one of the most influential bands to extreme metal genres. Fenriz said when he formed the early version of Darkthrone, Black Death, he was focused on sounding like Celtic Frost and that they were a huge influence for him. CF are one of the only bands named by Nocturno.

Bathory are the fathers of the 90’s black metal sound. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Nemesis may not be well known, but you probably know them after they changed the named to Candlemass. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Death are considered the fathers of death metal by many. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Necrophagia are death metal pioneers that almost never get the credit they deserve. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Possessed took thrash to the next level and many consider them fathers of death metal, although from a modern perspective their sound is most often considered Death/Thrash. Fenriz said the vocals on Beyond the Gates are one of his all time favorites and named them as an influence for their first album. — Possessed took thrash to the next level and many consider them fathers of death metal, although from a modern perspective their sound is most often considered Death/Thrash. Fenriz said the vocals on *Beyond the Gates* are one of his all time favorites and named them as an influence for their first album.

Repulsion are an important grindcore / death metal band. Fenriz is a fan.

Although you will see Agent Steel listed as power and speed metal, their early albums are primarily thrash metal with Geoff Tate style vocals. Fenriz named John Cyriis as an influence on his high range.

Sacrilege were a thrash and later doom band from the UK. Fenriz said their album Within the Prophecy was an inspiration for Arctic Thunder. — Sacrilege were a thrash and later doom band from the UK. Fenriz said their album *Within the Prophecy* was an inspiration for *Arctic Thunder.*

Helloween are considered the fathers of pawer metal by many. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Savage Grace were a speed / traditional metal band sometimes called power metal. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Kreator are an important big German thrash band. Fenriz is a big fan, having an Endless Pain back patch and naming one of their albums Total Death inspired by Kreator. — Kreator are an important big German thrash band. Fenriz is a big fan, having an *Endless Pain* back patch and naming one of their albums *Total Death* inspired by Kreator.

Testament are bay area thrash legends. Fenriz named them as one of their thrash influences despite him saying he’s only written one thrash song.

Death Strike were an early death metal bands with their first demo in 85 although their first album wouldn’t come till 91. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Candlemass are an important Doom band. Fenriz named them as an influence and said their first album was an inspiration for Arctic Thunder. — Candlemass are an important Doom band. Fenriz named them as an influence and said their first album was an inspiration for *Arctic Thunder*.

Pentagram formed back in the 70’s but didn’t release much until they started playing doom in the 80’s. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Mayhem are among the most infamous black metal bands. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Vomit were a Norwegian death metal band that released a hand full of demos. Fenriz named them as an influence.

Sarcófago are Brazilian extreme metal. Fenriz says they were one of the few black metal bands at the time and names them along with the other few as an influence.

Morbid Angel are an important and influential death metal band. Fenriz said they were an inspiration for their first album.

Massacre are another Florida death metal band. Fenriz said their second demo was an inspiration for the first album.

Sadus are a technical thrash band. Fenriz named them as an influence for their first album.

Originally just Coven, those guys were a heavy rock/metal with a doom and goth elements. Fenriz said some of his vocal style came from them.

Dream Death blended doom, thrash and some death sounding much like Celtic Frost. Fenrez said their first album was an intentional inspiration going into Arctic Thunder.

Autopsy are an influential death metal band. Fenriz named them as an influence for their early death metal sound.

Nocturnus are a technical death band. Fenriz said their first album took inspiration from their second demo.

Nihilist might not be a super recognizable name, but you will probably know them by their later name Entombed. Fenriz named them as an influence on their first album.

Absecss is a punky death metal band with members of Autopsy. Fenriz name them as an influence.

Lifeless Dark are a new underground band that put out a demo in 2018. Fenriz said they inspired a riff for “Hardship of the Scots” He said they likely was inspired by Bolt Thrower who were inspired by Metallica.

Fenriz said crossover/thrash band Cryptic Slaughter made him realize he didn’t have to be an expert to start a band and then started Black Death. He said starting in 1989 he really started letting himself listen to a wider array of music giving examples of Lebanese singer Fairuz as well as techno, house, and trance.

When asked what heavy metal was, Fenriz said just listen to the A-side of Metal Church’s first album.

For Fenriz’s solog project Isengard, he name specific band she wanted to use influence from as Nihilist, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Necrophagia, Solitude Aeturnus, the first Immolation demo, and Candlemass. He also said he was inspired by Bathory’s Hammerheart, and Twilight of the Gods. He named Angel Ripper of Sodom as one of his favorite black metal vocalists and said the influence can be heard on the songs he did with Aura Noir but they never had Sodom inspired parts in Darkthrone.

Fenriz is a huge metal fan of many things he didn’t name as an influence; he put together an extensive list of important songs and some of his favorites here and also here.

Fenriz said the line “Into the Abyss I Fall” on their first album was a homage to the German death/thrash band Poison.

Nocturno hasn’t named influences that I’m aware besides of Celtic Frost, although he did name ZZ top guitarist Billy Gibbons as a favorite.

Zephyrous was on guitar for the first three albums. I’m unsure of his influences.

Dag was the bassist for the first album, I’m unsure of his influences.

Bands influenced by Darkthrone!

As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!

Sources:

https://www.kerrang.com/features/the-evolution-of-darkthrone-in-the-words-of-fenriz/
https://yourlastrites.com/2013/03/06/dissecting-the-resistance-an-interview-with-fenriz-of-darkthrone/
http://musicandriots.com/still-downright-essential-our-interview-with-fenriz-of-darkthrone/
https://consequence.net/2019/06/darkthrone-fenriz-interview-2019/
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2012/01/25/fenriz-isengard-darkthrone-interviewed/
http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/fenriz-darkthrone.htm
https://bravewords.com/news/darkthrones-fenriz-discusses-slayer-corpsepaint-and-the-evils-of-compression-extended-2013-metal-evolution-video-with-new-directors-commentary
http://www.radiometal.com/article/fenriz-darkthrone-the-apostle-of-the-old-sound,95650
https://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2013/04/12/fenriz-of-darkthrone-the-heavy-blog-is-heavy-interview/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Metal/comments/fuwo5j/interview_with_darkthrones_fenriz_on_the/
http://www.wormwoodchronicles.net/interviews/fenriz
https://m.facebook.com/101075189934422/photos/a.866527693389164/4451702374871660/?type=3&source=48
https://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/threads/fenriz-historical-documentation.176742/
https://www.guitarworld.com/features/darkthrones-nocturno-culto-i-would-like-metallica-to-record-on-our-equipment-what-would-they-do-to-express-themselves-through-that-gear
https://www.revolvermag.com/music/darkthrones-fenriz-picks-5-most-influential-doom-metal-albums#black-sabbath-mob-rules-1981
https://thisisblackmetal.com/interview-darkthrone/