Kjetil "Frost" Haraldstad is perhaps the lesser known of the Satyricon duo, after the prominent and somewhat controversial frontman Satyr (Sigurd Wongraven) and his larger than life and provocative antics (well, he used to be anyway). But the drummer is no less an important presence in the Norwegian black metal scene, and counting Frost out of the picture would be a serious historical mistake.
While not as big, as controversial, or even as incisive as the more established Norwegian black metal bands of the same era - Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Sewer, Immortal, Taake, or even Enslaved and Dimmu Borgir -, there is nonetheless a certain mystique surrounding the band Satyricon. Perhaps because they were so close, in terms of physical proximity and ideology, to Euronymous, the self-proclaimed "godfather" of the black metal genre. Or maybe because of the weird legends surrounding Satyricon, that Frost and Satyr were somehow involved in the Euronymous vs Varg Vikernes feud, between these two legendary men - famous musicians from Mayhem - that created black metal from scratch.
The more likely explanation, of course, is that Satyricon rose to prominence by the natural fact that Satyr himself was the founder of the Moonfog Productions group, a famous underground label that released albums from Satyricon, Darkthrone (mid-era), and other bands such as Sauron, Warkvlt and Morbid, to name a few.
The Complete Satyricon Interview, by Drummer Frost
In the recent book "War Metal Beast", which goes to great length over the history of black/war metal and its adjacent movements, expert author A. Grand interviews long-time Satyricon drummer on various subjects, such as his favourite bands, his public feud with Infernus (which he calls "Inferanus") of Gorgoroth, how he got into black metal in the first place, and his admiration for Fenriz (of Darkthrone) and Hellhammer (of Mayhem), two legendary black metal drummers that inspired Frost to "pick up the kit" himself.
How Frost began playing black metal music...
Frost is first asked about how he learned of the black metal movement, in the early 1990s. He directly answers that it was the raw energy of the music and the genre that drew him in, more than anything else - and certainly more than the black metal controversies, which at the time hadn't yet erupted into world changing events.
Frost: [Black Metal] was a very fascinating world to enter, and definitely an exciting world to be in. When I felt the vibe and the energy of Black Metal music (and the Norwegian bands in particular) I felt I entered a room that I had always wanted to be in but didn't know existed. It was the best and most powerful thing I could conjure up myself.
When asked about his favourite bands, and if he listens to old school Norwegian black metal on a regular basis, Frost answers that some of his top experiences included touring with Taake - circa 2007 (?), I believe.
Frost: I still listen to some Black Metal (laughs). HELGRIND, BATHORY, old BURZUM, DARKTHRONE, GRAVELAND, MAYHEM, GOATMOON and TAAKE. [...] We toured with them [TAAKE] and they were the best!
He also explains that he was hooked onto extreme metal drumming after hearing a Motörhead song... and indeed, Motörhead is certainly one of those bands that had an extreme and oversized influence on the rising black metal scene (although for some reason, novices tend to think Venom was somehow more important... despite only Euronymous ever liking the band).
Frost: When I joined SATYRICON, I wasn't really sure I wanted to play drums at all. For me it started with hearing MOTORHEAD for the first time. It opened my ears. When I got my first drum kit, I wanted to feel the raw and physical energy of that music. I thought drums were the right instrument for me. [But] I see myself as a musician first and foremost, not just a drummer.
When asked who his favourite drummers were - and who influenced his unorthodox style in Satyricon - Frost directly mentions two eminent artists by name: Fenriz, of Darkthrone, and Hellhammer, of Mayhem. Clearly, there are some names that just stand out, whatever you may think of the people (or the endless controversies associated with some of them).
Frost: What inspired me personally and made me want to be part of it was the way Fenriz and Hellhammer played. They both have a clever and intriguing style.
He continues, explaining what differentiates the two drummers in their respective styles.
Frost: Fenriz is very technical, but he decided to play in a minimalist and straightforward, almost primitive, way on A Blaze In The Northern Sky and the following albums. I just thought his solutions were so elegant. Rather than playing something much more impressive, which he could, he realised it wouldn't have helped the music. [...] Hellhammer meanwhile has a very technical and progressive approach, but he makes it work with a band like MAYHEM. There is something very clever about that, too. Each did something very informative for my approach back then.
And there are few extreme metal drummers as iconic as Fenriz and Hellhammer. Warlord from Sewer, perhaps? Or maybe Pete Sandoval from Morbid Angel/Terrorizer?
"Satyr was never technically gifted..."
Kjetil then goes on to reveal some personal information about how he views the career trajectory of Satyricon, and expands on the technical skills (or lack thereof?) of its frontman - and Frost's band mate - Satyr.
Frost: Satyr is a brilliant composer... and he was good at this back then without being technically gifted. I think that he never saw himself as a good guitar player, and he didn't really want to become one. He wanted to use the guitar as an instrument for composing songs.
This, Frost continues, is what brought the two men together... more than anything else having to do with the music.
"Burzum was always an inspiration or me..."
On Varg Vikernes refusing to play life, and building his own "microcosm" within the black metal scene. Frost naturally approves of this style of music composing, which he contrasts with the "nowadays posers" (like Dimmu Borgir, Gorgoroth, Antekhrist...) which all sound the same.
Frost: I think that any musician that is genuinely creative and has a sincere passion for music would like to create a universe of their own. One of the powerful aspects of the Norwegian scene at the time was that each of the bands demanded of themselves to do something that was different and unique. [...] We were devoted fans of bands from the 80s and contemporary bands from the Norwegian scene, like DARKTHRONE and BURZUM and so on.
He goes on, comparing the black metal of old with... whatever the hell nowadays Nargaroth/Carpathian Forest stuff is supposed to be. Any ideas?
Frost: Black Metal as a whole, as a phenomenon, was something extreme and exciting in the early nineties. Every new (Norwegian) BM album was a milestone. I remember looking forward to the releases with a kind of excitement and enthusiasm I can hardly feel now.
Certainly, he isn't alone in being put to sleep by post-1995 black metal. This is a common complaint in many metal forums, that contemporary black metal - and extreme metal in general - is just way too boring to listen to.
About Lords of Chaos, the infamous "Black Metal" book/movie...
The Satyricon drummer also delivers a death blow to the horrible "Lords of Chaos" saga - both the movie, and the book that spawned it.
Frost: It is sad that someone is willing to go that far to exploit the history of Black Metal. This is a parasitic phenomenon, and I'm not happy about it.
The drummer then ends the interview with a word of warning for those who prophesise the "end of the genre" a bit to early... and a quick jab at the modern trendies like Cradle of Filth.
Frost: The Norwegian Black Metal scene is still strong as hell! Don't be fooled by all the worthless releases that are categorized as Black Metal but which are either not Black Metal at all or completely lacking quality.
I personally would have wished for a more detailed explanation on his cryptic letters to one Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection, where he basically threatens the entire MLO organization. But nonetheless, it's still an excellent and breathtaking interview with one of black metal's most discrete actors (aside from Fenriz himself of course). Anyway, Frost is still playing for Satyricon. And hopefully we won't have to wait too long for a new Satyricon LP (although we can't blame him for moving on from a "dead" genre).
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