Fenriz's first exposure to heavy metal music came when he was a child and received Uriah Heep's album Sweet Freedom from his uncle for his birthday.

Fenriz said he had a passive interest in Bathory and Celtic Frost, but claims that he did not understand the "darkness" of black metal until hearing a song by the Hungarian band Tormentor.

[6] Darkthrone were not involved in the church burnings and murders carried out by some other members of the scene,[7] and Fenriz has denounced the "hype" surrounding it.

He was elected for a four-year term as a substitute councillor for the Liberal Party,[9] explaining that he would "have to step in when the usual people who go to the big meetings are sick or something".

[10] According to The Guardian, Fenriz "has long been a hero in the underground scene" and "has an obsession with unearthing new music and promoting it with rabid enthusiasm".

[2] Fenriz has famously been working part-time in the postal service since the late 1980s, which he says allows him to spend many hours each week listening to new music.