Grutle Kjellson
Encyclopedia
Grutle Kjellson is a Norwegian
vocalist and bass player for the progressive
viking metal
band Enslaved
. He is one of only two founding members left in the current line-up with Ivar Bjørnson
being the other one. He is the man who appears on the cover of Enslaved's album Eld. Grutle appeared as a guest vocalist on the song "High On Cold War" on Darkthrone
's 2006 EP, Too Old, Too Cold.
his opinion on the church burning in Norway
such as the Fantoft Stave Church
.
In one interview he said "The church burning as a 'symbolic' act I can understand. I mean kind of a revenge, in a bigger historical point of view. I mean Christianity
has been one of the most violent religions of them all. So in a historical point of view a bigger picture I guess they kind of deserve it"
He said "Well black metal pretty much started with Venom
in..... What is it '81 or '82? With the album Welcome to Hell. They were actually the first act that actually called their music black metal. And that's why I have this point of view about Black metal. I mean Venom doesn't sound anything like modern Black metal bands. But you know it's still Black metal, same lyrical concept, Satan
ic lyrics and stuff. Yeah Venom sounded more like punk
than.... black metal nowadays. So black metal can be any kind of heavy metal music
."
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
vocalist and bass player for the progressive
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
viking metal
Viking metal
Viking metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its galloping pace, keyboard-rich anthemic sound, bleakness and dramatic emphasis on lyrical themes of Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the Viking Age...
band Enslaved
Enslaved (band)
Enslaved is a progressive black metal band formed in June 1991 in Sveio, Norway, and currently based out of Bergen, Norway.-History:Enslaved was formed in June 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson when they were 13 and 17 years old, respectively. The band name was inspired by an Immortal demo...
. He is one of only two founding members left in the current line-up with Ivar Bjørnson
Ivar Bjørnson
Ivar Bjørnson is a Norwegian composer/guitarist for the progressive black/viking metal band Enslaved. He is, along with Grutle Kjellson, one of only two founding members left in the current line-up, being only 13 years old at the time of the band's formation...
being the other one. He is the man who appears on the cover of Enslaved's album Eld. Grutle appeared as a guest vocalist on the song "High On Cold War" on Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
's 2006 EP, Too Old, Too Cold.
Views on Church Burnings
Kjellson clearly stated in multiple interviews including in the film Metal: A Headbanger's JourneyMetal: A Headbanger's Journey
Metal: A Headbanger's Journey is a 2005 documentary directed by Sam Dunn with Scot McFadyen and Jessica Wise. The film follows 31-year-old Dunn, a Canadian anthropologist, who has been a heavy metal fan since the age of 12...
his opinion on the church burning in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
such as the Fantoft Stave Church
Fantoft stave church
Fantoft Stave Church is a reconstructed stave church in the Fana borough of the city of Bergen, Norway.The church was originally built in Fortun in Sogn, a village near inner or eastern end of Sognefjord around the year 1150. In the 19th century the church was threatened by demolition, as were...
.
In one interview he said "The church burning as a 'symbolic' act I can understand. I mean kind of a revenge, in a bigger historical point of view. I mean Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
has been one of the most violent religions of them all. So in a historical point of view a bigger picture I guess they kind of deserve it"
Views on what "black metal" is
Kjellson stated in an interview that black metal isn't one specific genre.He said "Well black metal pretty much started with Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
in..... What is it '81 or '82? With the album Welcome to Hell. They were actually the first act that actually called their music black metal. And that's why I have this point of view about Black metal. I mean Venom doesn't sound anything like modern Black metal bands. But you know it's still Black metal, same lyrical concept, Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
ic lyrics and stuff. Yeah Venom sounded more like punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
than.... black metal nowadays. So black metal can be any kind of heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
."