In Dennis Wheatley’s infamous novel The Devil Rides Out, the main character wards off evil by building a magic circle made of a pentacle, holy water, and dried mandrake, among other things. It is described as an “astral fortress.” Darkthrone’s Astral Fortress, on the other hand, is made of doomy riffs, a touch of cosmic keyboards, and decades of mastery. It conjures snowy landscapes, vast expanses of cold, and something I can’t help but describe as cozy: tried-and-tested recipes, old metal. The devil does ride out; the (black) magic is still there, fluttering and intact.

I got the chance to talk about it with Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skjellum, the discreet and iconic voice of the band, and this twentieth album turned out to be a pretext to revisit Darkthrone’s whole, stellar catalogue: Darkthrone has its own temporality, whether the rhythm slows down or accelerates, with its loops, echoes, and almost-anachronisms. Humble, with a no-nonsense attitude and a deadpan sense of humor, the musician mused on the threads running throughout their career: punk ethics, a sincere love for metal, and a strong partnership with his accomplice of old Fenriz. And first and foremost, an unwavering way to stay true to themselves, and go against the grain.

This interview took place in November 2022 and was first published on Radio Metal.

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