Editing Darkthrone (section)

===Black metal years===  
====Early black metal years: 1991–1994====  
[[File:Darkthrone Logo.png|200px|right|thumb|The Darkthrone logo, as it has appeared on the band's releases since its first album, ''[[Soulside Journey]]''. It was designed by Tassilo Förg, Gylve "Fenriz" Nagell, and [[Tomas Lindberg]] of [[Grotesque (band)|Grotesque]]/[[At the Gates]].]]

In 1991, influenced by [[Euronymous]] of [[Mayhem (band)|Mayhem]], Darkthrone adopted the aesthetic that would come to symbolize the [[black metal]] scene, donning [[corpse paint]] and working under [[pseudonym]]s. Gylve Nagell became "[[Fenriz]]," Ted Skjellum became "[[Nocturno Culto]]," and Ivar Enger adopted the name "[[Ivar Enger|Zephyrous]]." In August 1991, they recorded their second album, which was released in early 1992 and titled ''[[A Blaze in the Northern Sky]]''. This album featured Darkthrone's first black metal recordings, although Peaceville Records was initially skeptical about releasing it due to the band's drastic shift from their original death metal style.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peaceville Artists|url=http://peaceville.com/artistbio.php?aid=11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725010237/http://peaceville.com/artistbio.php?aid=11|archive-date=25 July 2011|access-date=20 August 2007}}</ref> After the album was recorded, bassist Dag Nilsen left the band, stating that he did not wish to play black metal; he is credited only as "session bass" and does not appear in any photographs on the album.

The band's third album, ''[[Under a Funeral Moon]]'', was recorded in the summer of 1992 and released in early 1993. It marked Darkthrone's complete transition to the black metal style and is considered a landmark in the development of the genre as a whole. This album also represented the last collaboration with guitarist Zephyrous.

Following this, their fourth album, ''[[Transilvanian Hunger]]'', was released in February 1994. This marked the first album to feature only two members, Nocturno Culto and Fenriz. Fenriz was credited with all instrumentation and songwriting, while Nocturno Culto contributed solely vocals. From this point forward, the band would operate as a duo. ''Transilvanian Hunger'' was characterized by a raw or low-fidelity recording style, featuring monotone riffing with minimal melody. The album's release sparked some [[Transilvanian Hunger#Release and controversy|controversy]], as half of its lyrics were penned by the Norwegian black metal musician [[Varg Vikernes]], and the booklet contained the phrase "Norsk Arisk Black Metal," which translates to "Norwegian Aryan Black Metal" in English.

====With Moonfog Records: 1995–2004====  
Darkthrone transitioned to another independent record label, [[Moonfog Productions]], for their subsequent releases. This label was run by [[Sigurd Wongraven|Satyr]] of [[Satyricon (band)|Satyricon]].  

Their fifth album, ''[[Panzerfaust (album)|Panzerfaust]]'', was released in 1995. Its production closely resembled that of ''Transilvanian Hunger'', with Fenriz credited for all instrumentation and songwriting, while Nocturno Culto contributed solely vocals. The lyrics for the track "Quintessence" were written by Varg Vikernes. Their sixth album, ''[[Total Death]]'', was released in 1996 and is notable for featuring lyrics penned by four other black metal musicians, with none written by the band's primary lyricist, Fenriz.

During the years 1993–1995, drummer Fenriz was involved in numerous side projects. This included his solo [[dark ambient]] project [[Neptune Towers]], his solo [[folk black metal]] project [[Isengard (band)|Isengard]], recording an album with Satyr as part of the trio [[Storm (Norwegian band)|Storm]], and playing bass on [[Dødheimsgard]]'s debut album. Additionally, he resumed playing drums for Valhall, having been one of the founding members in 1988 before leaving in 1990 to focus on Darkthrone.

On 6 April 1996, Easter Eve, Darkthrone played their last live gig at "A Night of Unholy Black Metal"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.concertarchives.org/concerts/a-night-of-unholy-black-metal|title=Apr 06, 1996: Darkthrone / Satyricon / Dissection at Rockefeller Oslo, Oslo, Norway &#124; Concert Archives|access-date=5 May 2023|archive-date=5 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505080801/https://www.concertarchives.org/concerts/a-night-of-unholy-black-metal|url-status=live}}</ref> in a sold-out Rockefeller in Oslo.

In 1999, Darkthrone released the album ''[[Ravishing Grimness]]'', followed by their next album, ''[[Plaguewielder]]'', in 2001. While ''Transilvanian Hunger'' and ''Panzerfaust'' featured songs exclusively written by Fenriz, these two albums contained tracks predominantly composed by Nocturno Culto and were both recorded at Ronny Le Tekrøe's studio in Toten, Norway. This accounts for the somewhat "clearer" sound on those records.<ref>Smith, Brad. "Interview with Darkthrone".</ref>

In the latter part of the 1990s, two tribute albums dedicated to Darkthrone were released: ''[[Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone]]'' in 1998 and ''The Next Thousand Years Are Ours'' in 1999. The band also released ''Preparing for War'', a compilation featuring songs from 1988 to 1994. In 2002, the intro of their song "Kathaarian Life Code" was included in the final scene of the film ''[[Demonlover]]''.

In 2003, the band launched the album ''[[Hate Them]]''. Although this record and the following one incorporate [[electronic music|electronic]] introductions, they remain faithful to Darkthrone's early black metal style. ''[[Sardonic Wrath]]'' was released in 2004, marking the band's last album with Moonfog Productions and their final work recorded exclusively in the black metal style. This album received a nomination for Norway's Alarm Awards; however, the entry was withdrawn at the band's request. Their subsequent releases would exhibit strong [[crust punk]] influences.