How Ivar Bjørnson sent death threats
The early Norwegian Black Metal scene was notorious for its uncompromising stance against “trendy” death and Black Metal bands that didn’t fit the self-proclaimed standards of the new arising Norwegian “elite”. Hate mail, death threats, even attacks (Paradise Lost, Therion) were some of the violent expressions of this radical attitude. Much of it most likely goes back to Euronymous, who — as the oldest figure and “thought leader” of the Norwegian scene — seems to have had a strong influence on the easily impressionable younger minds around him.
Ivar Bjørnson (Peersen) of ENSLAVED seemed to have been drawn into that wave of influence. Back in those years, rumors circulated that he had repeatedly sent hate letters to bands and individuals he disliked. When asked about it in ‘Skogen’ zine in 1994, Ivar (at that point only 16 years old!) responded:
“I guess I did some stupid letters to persons I didn’t like before…..All that childish crap, running around and writing threatening letters, is really something I am not proud of. I hope this will be buried by the sands of time. Anti-this, anti-that. What is it good for? If one is to dislike something or somebody, tell it face to face!”
I don’t know who else might have been on the receiving end of Ivar’s letters (if you do, let me know), but at least one such letter resurfaced from the ‘sands of time’ on Facebook a couple of years ago. Bart Smits, former vocalist of THE GATHERING, shared a funny story from 1992, involving a then-14-year-old Ivar (aka Daimonion):