Darkthrone Family Tree
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.
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.
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/