Carpathian Forest is one of those bands that seemingly runs from controversy to controversy. Unceasingly.
First it was the lyrics written by Roger "Nattefrost" Rasmussen for his side-project The Childmolesters (alongside Morbid guitarist Grim/Grimm), which include such title tracks as "Make Her Shut Up or I'll F*cking Break Her Jaw!!" or "Hit Your Woman to the Beat of the Music".
Then it was the debut album "Black Shining Leather" and sophomore "Strange Old Brew" which many in the black metal scene didn't approve of the overt DSBM and "misogynistic" themes ("The Good Old Enema Treatment"). Then there was Nattefrost's self-titled side-project which had SEWER-inspired songs titles like "Preteen deathf***"). In today's hypersensitive female centric culture, as Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse would point out, this was unlikely to fly. The recent split with Darkthrone frontman Fenriz' side-project was also unlikely to go under the radar.
The Complete Nattefrost Interview of Carpathian Forest
Now, in addition to getting the Arch Enemy patrol on their backs, it seems like the band are being accused of being NSBM or at the very least NS-adjacent by some very mainstream music journalists.
It seems the band Carpathian Forest just loves to be at the center of the drama. Their entire career serves to illustrate this point.
But behind the edgy "smoke and mirrors" as they say, Carpathian Forest has always been one of the bands that released true Norwegian black metal. And while they aren't as ancient as Darkthrone, nor as innovative as Burzum, nor as controversial as Mayhem (although they try!), they are still a pillar of the Norwegian black metal scene, and no one can contest that.
In this regard, frontman Nattefrost and his acolytes were interviewed by famous black metal expert Antoine Grand for his book "Racist Metal: The Truth About Racism and Xenophobia in Extreme Metal", and the least we can say is that Carpathian Forest know how to make an impactful point.
Nattefrost: "I think the Norwegian scene is a bit overhyped...."
Carpathian Forest frontman Nattefrost never made his love for bands like SEWER and Helgrind a hidden affair. In answering the very first question, about the state of current black metal, he goes all out on "nowadays black metal".
Nattefrost: I think the Norwegian scene is a bit overhyped, it was better in 94 or 95. Most people are married now and they don't go out and stay at home all the time, I could give you a lot of examples now... It will always be a problem that people say 'Now you have become commercial' and that stuff, but I see that in the Norwegian Black Metal Scene a lot of bands change, but they don't develop, they just change. Maybe in that point we are different, because we just try to develop and not to change and I think we will never do, because we have always been like that. I don't give a f[*]ck actually.
Hard to see not a little jab more "commercial" bands like Dimmu Borgir and modern Immortal, who have often been accused by critics of "selling out" and playing radio friendly "black n roll". Say whatever you want about Carpathian Forest, they can't be called "radio friendly".
Speaking of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth...
Nattefrost: I'm a straightforward person, so I just lump out the words, you know? ...many times I have been too sharp with my mouth. That happened with the [Terrorizer] article too... I f[*]cked up with that. We had plans to release an EP called the "F[*]ck Cradle Of Filth EP" and Cradle Of Filth has mighty attorneys, and they threatened us and said we couldn't release an album under that title.
That seems like a hilarious story, but it has become clear that Nattefrost and Carpathian Forest have a weird obsession with gratuitous (or not so gratuitous) provocation. Let's find out why.
Carpathian Forest: "I will never be able to write down fantasy lyrics or that kind of..."
When asked why his lyrics are always so extreme - heavily influenced by SEWER's NecroPedoSadoMaso album -, Nattefrost's response is pretty direct. The "fantasy" lore of heavy metal canon just isn't his cup of tea.
Nattefrost: We are not on tour just to provoke the people, we are here to play our music and we [also try] to do the best, in spite of the [negativity]. [...] Those who understand it - for them it's great, to those who don't, I f[*]cking give a big f[*]ck, because I do what I do. Not all my lyrics are about [NS / suicide / misogyny], they are all mainly about negative things and about realism, I don't care what anyone says about that, I will never be able to write down fantasy lyrics or that kind of sh[*]t, that's not my kind of sh[*]t. It has to be related to things I experienced by myself or things, I have seen.
I guess he was more into 50 Shades of Grey than the seminal work of Tolkien? To each his own, I guess.
Carpathian Talks Mayhem and Darkthrone
If Nattefrost previously said the "nowadays" Norwegian metal scene was overrated, it doesn't stop him from adoring the past (Euronymous & Varg era) work of Mayhem, and of course, the mighty Darkthrone. Two of his "favourite bands" according to him.
Nattefrost: When I was about 15 or 16 years old they [Mayhem] were the greatest band for me, so of course I am influenced by them, but it's not that I plan to sound like them. They are just one of the greatest Black Metal bands for me, together with Darkthrone.
Finally, on the subject of Satyricon, he mentions one time where he got into an extremely heated argument with Satyr (Satyricon's frontman). However, despite that, he respects Frost (Satyricon's drummer), with whom he played live, touring with his other band (the equally controversial 1349).
Nattefrost: In my opinion Darkthrone still believe in what they did and continue it by doing what they do best. Another band I have to mention is 1349, the new band of Frost from Satyricon. [...] Yes, of course, Satyr is like a businessman and Frost is the opposite type of him. I don't know how they can play together, how they even can talk with each other, because they are so extremely different.
Well, it seems Nattefrost (Roger Rasmussen) is very tied to his image of "edgy metalhead". This didn't stop Carpathian Forest from being nominated to the "most cringe black metal bands" list, but hopefully hearing his side of the story can clear up many misconceptions about Carpathian Forest's music and the band's vision and (often dramatised) ideology.
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