Satyricon & Munch (2022)

You could see Satyricon & Munch as the second half of the experiment they started with Live at the Opera, but while the former was a direct interpretation of the band's black metal sound into some choral and grand, this is instead an attempt to translate the works of expressionist Norwegian painter Edvard Munch into a dark musical context. This is far less accessible, granted, though there are some parts with acoustics or other softer moments that make for perfectly acceptable background as you're browsing through the deceased collaborator's artwork. It's a curious mash-up of mediums reminiscent of Metallica's Lulu with Lou Reed, only this isn't so tragic, poetic and vocal, but rather minimalistic and sees Satyr and Frost branching out into new styles themselves.

LOTS of ambiance and noise here, and I can honestly say that they do a decent job getting their feet wet in that genre, and in fact some of those brooding moments are the most immersive of the experience. There are a few drones which grow obnoxious as drones do, and some light industrial-feeling percussion that often breaks out in the distance to cool effect. Orchestrated keys, slight dissonant or distorted guitars and rolling percussion often give the record some martial qualities, and there are also some very minimal, spacious synth parts which are quite absorbing when they arrive deeper into the track. Oh yes, this is just one track, almost an hour long, and I think that presents the biggest hurdle towards appreciation, since you have to take the more somber or soothing moments along with the bizarre and annoying all in a single sitting, but if I'm being completely honest with you, I'd say there are probably 30-40 minutes here which I found to be a pleasant or perturbing escape, and the rest is chaff that does little more than extent out the length of the album.

Of course, I'm not standing at a museum exhibit while hearing this in the background, I can only sift through online images of Munch's works, so the maximum impact might be one you had to witness at a particular time and place, and I can forgive the audio work that much. However, I can't at all find fault with the willingness of these longstanding black metal mavens to involve themselves in these sorts of cultural projects which not only open the minds of others who might have a dim view of black metal, but also can expand Satyricon's own portfolio of sounds they can integrate into their future material, and I hope to an extent they will. This might be the most 'outside' thing Satyr has worked on since he was in the folksy Storm, and though I can understand while few will enjoy it, and I myself even had a negative reaction the first few times I listened, it has a few moments of sublime impact like the art it is providing tribute to and accompaniment for. A very Ulver move, gentlemen, and if anyone was into Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell they might want to give this a try.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

https://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Deep Calleth Upon Deep (2017)

Deep Called Upon Deep, the ninth full-length from Satyricon, is one I struggled with a little upon release. It brought back the full on black & roll of Now, Diabolical, and the Age of Nero, but for whatever reason it didn't immediately hook me like those. That said, it's grown on me through the years because of the newly 'progressive' ideas it brings into that style, and the emotional depth and maturity it harbors. This isn't some brazen record loaded with ear candy that will stick to your lobes on the first couple listens, but something with a more laid back, mellow vibe that you can eventually lose yourself into. That's not to say its elements are all that different from earlier releases, but the tunes just don't seem to stick it straight to your face like the evil of "K.I.N.G." or "The Pentagram Burns". There are choices here, like the title track, which almost seem like they have been drafted over from those earlier sessions, but even here you get a little more.

Examples are the use of the proggy melodies and harmonies in "Blood Cracks Open the Ground", which even has a bit of a clinical vibe cutting through the more expected rocking rhythm guitars and the truly nihilistic barks of Satyr, thanks to the mellotron. Or "The Ghost of Rome", with that slight operatic vibe hovering just above the harshness. There are unexpected instruments all through this album, from cello and violin to saxophone and bass clarinet, and while a lot of purists and gatekeepers might cringe from the idea, I rather enjoy it especially when such things don't intrude upon the core sound. Satyr's riffs here aren't individually all that impressive, but they perfectly suit the direct but gloomy atmosphere, and when taken as a whole they keep the record just varied enough to maintain its compelling nature. Frost's drums are intense as they ever need to be, by far the most 'extreme' part of the recording, yet they are likewise serviceable onto to the song structures and don't sound like the guy is about to fly off the handle and escape the less intense style of composition.

In fact, the kick drum and fills sound pretty awesome and organic along with the sparser dissonant riffs in tracks like "Black Wings and Withering Gloom". The rhythms in general seem more experimental than The Age of Nero, with choppier timing and no interest in strictly repeating themselves beyond that obvious black & roll stylistic disposition. The lyrics are pretty good, some recalling the earlier epic natural majesty of albums like Nemesis Divina, and others the more recent personal diabolism on the handful of records running up to this. Production is again straightforward, with all the atmosphere being cultivated through the guitar tones and additional instruments, clean but not entirely polished, and adding an air of mysticism and ritual to the flow of the 44 minutes. Deep Calleth Upon Deep might be a 'grower' more than an initial 'shower', but in the end it definitely inspires me more than the previous s/t and just as much as the last few I had enjoyed...and does so in a way that shows an appreciable level of evolution that doesn't alienate the direction they had been headed in past their purer black metal years.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Live at the Opera (2015)

It is the hubris of many a rock or metal band to perform with an opera or orchestra in either a live or studio setting, to record it for posterity (or bragging rights), and lucky are the few who get to do so. Whether it's through financial ability, or knowing the right people, it's hardly a rare occurrence, and when Satyricon got their chance they decided to do it with style, the product of which is a DVD and double audio CD along with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus, as part of a cultural series that I assume other acts got to participate in. I'll be honest, I'm a little envious, not because I want to do something like this for any of my own music, but because I only dream that a lot of North American extreme metal bands would get to try it. Imagine Cryptopsy or Cannibal Corpse playing alongside an orchestra? I'd love to hear it.

But it's an even rarer occurrence that such a mash-up of musical mediums actually manifests into something as interesting as this effort, one that transforms material from across the Norwegian duo's career into something more multi-dimensional without losing all of its original characteristics. The material has been elevated into a dark-lit escape, a "Carmina Burana" dosed with black & roll guitars, Frost-ian thunder drums and Satyr rasping. I think a lot of the band's slower material off the 4-5 studio albums just before this one lend themselves pretty well to the layering in of the choirs, which is where so much of the content is drawn, with the earliest albums pretty much untouched. Something like "Den siste", which already had choir vocals and such on The Age of Nero, isn't terribly different, but it sounds much more epic in this setting, whereas tracks from the middling eponymous album from 2013 actually are quite elevated..."The Infinity of Time and Space", "Phoenix", "Tro og kraft", all take on new life and I wonder if I just would have preferred that album had it been all orchestrated...

The big one for me, of course, was hearing "Mother North", and this also sounds cool, how the choir voices lift through the faster tremolo riffing. I don't know if it's ultimately necessary to bolster such an already-impressive piece, and the drums feel a bit subdued and mechanical here and elsewhere on the track list, and it does seem a little cluttered as they're trying to weigh down each moment with the added chorus, but when Satyr shouts 'Oslo...' you can tell the audience is into it and this might be the very number the audience was also waiting for. But I think the better uses of this accompaniment come with some of the simpler tracks where it's applied more subtly. As for the video itself, this might be the better way to experience it all, since it's more or less a standard Satyricon live show only with the choir looming behind them, so the obvious passion of the performance makes up for any of its overbearing qualities, especially the more contemplative, evil moments. All together, though, a cool project that isn't wasting anyone's time or money, and one best left to a solitary product like this one.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Satyricon (2013)

Man, when people tell you that the intro piece to this album, "Voice of Shadows", sounds like a laconic, snakier twist on the old gospel hymn "When the Saints Go Marching In", they really aren't kidding. That is exactly the impression it leaves, and not a very exciting one. Suffice to say I was shocked, then, that the rest of Satyricon's eponymous 8th full-length is nearly as lazy and drained sounding as this one song. It's essentially a 'mellowing' of the black & roll techniques adopted for the last pair of records, attempting unsuccessfully to generate a more evil, occult ebb and flow to the riffing progressions. Now, as usual, I've got no problems whatsoever with what they aim to achieve here. I'm by no means some closet troll expecting Darker Medieval Times or Nemesis Divina Mk. II, and unwilling to accept any deviation from my parameters of underground acceptability! Not happening (possibly ever). I've long appreciated Satyricon as an evolutionary entity, uninterested in putting out the same record twice, and though they've made a few missteps here or there, I was actually on board for Now, Diabolical and Age of Nero, their 'Black Album' phase. Revolutionary? Fuck no, but the nihilistic Satyr-barks, stripped-out complexities, and concentrated, rock-like grooves sounded fantastic on my car speakers, and I found a lot of the songs memorable enough to continue visiting them for years to follow.

Satyricon is not a particularly shitty album by any means, nor is it void of ideas, some of which breathe new air into the Norwegians' canon; but for a good number of spins I just haven't had the hooks sink into me. I feel like it takes quite a few cues from its predecessors, with a load of simplistic grooves in tunes like "Our World, It Rumbles", and perhaps a wider spread of riffs than either of the last albums. Not only because there are more songs, but most of them possess a greater degree of internal variation than those found on Age of Nero. Guitar progressions are performed spaciously and patiently, relying quite strongly on their ability to captivate the audience but only occasionally doing so. Transitions are often quite overt with the percussion dropping out, and in general I'd say that Frost's presence on the record is entirely laid back and he's playing well beneath his ability. Not that I expect every madman drummer to be jocking it on every record, and certainly the guy wasn't pushing his limits for the last decade, but the performance just doesn't possess much personality to distinguish him from anyone else. I guess it takes some tact to reserve oneself like this, but I just didn't find most of the individual beats interesting. They simply seem sublimated to the more prevalent guitar patterns, almost like the guy was playing on one of Opeth's prog rock records with no metallic content in sight. The kicks and snares in pieces like "Natt" are steady but powerless, so much is left to the atmosphere above...only a few cuts like "The Infinity of Time and Space" show that the guy is even thinking about flying off the hook.

Naturally, the tunes here seem to lend themselves to more vocal diversity than the prior outings, and yet Satyr sticks to his bleak barks exclusively. He'll emphasize and sustain certain rasps for a more dramatic, throaty effect, but there aren't a lot of meters or lines here which deviate from the structures he's been spitting since Rebel Extravaganza or Volcano, only the music itself is far less explosive or exciting. He'll also do some spoken word stuff ("The Infinity of Time and Space") when they switch to a segue of cleaner guitars, or some tuneless clean singing ("Phoenix"), but both are admittedly pretty boring. Shimmery choir toned keyboards are placed sparsely throughout the record to enforce that angelic laxness inherent in the songwriting, but they rarely add much accept to stress the spiritual longitude and latitude being committed. I'm also not too impressed with the moody, clean sections where a few basic chords are strummed as if this were some minimalist Pink Floyd cover band. Really, this shit is child's play! You don't get a pass just for incorporating lowest common denominator blues or psychedelic rock elements into your songwriting, you've got to ensure that they're just as interesting as anything else going on, that the atmosphere they manifest is an effectively compelling contrast to the harder hitting rhythm guitars...there have to be a half-dozen instances on this album where such bland breaks in the action appear, and add nothing to the sum experience.

In the end, a WHOLE LOT of weight rests upon the rhythm guitars themselves to maintain the listener's attention span, and while they're infinitely better developed than anything else on the disc, painfully few of them have those morbid hooks I enjoyed from their recent works. At its most energetic, Satyricon feels like a replay of material off Now, Diabolical being performed at the predicted mid-pace with guitars that simply seem to be paraphrased off other songs and marginally tweaked. Granted, these are imbued and alternated with more shining, atmospheric phrases and a few straight black metal charges ("Walker Upon the Wind"), but the dry mix of the drums, and the creatively bankrupt, might-as-well-be-absent bass lines just leave Satyr with far too much room for his riffing to breathe. Where simple tracks like "K.I.N.G.", "My Skin is Cold" and "Commando" rocked my toes off, even the best material here like "Nekrohaven" seems to scrape at my socks and then give up for a cigarette break. It just feels like Satyricon are hanging out, rolling tape and laying out any cohesive riffs that come to mind, with little thought to their emotional impact or the overall strength of the performance. The lyrics, while appropriately minimal in accordance with the music, don't seem so capable of that poignant efficiency you'll find on some of the Darkthrone records.

Satyricon is one of those eminently frustrating experiences, because while I reaped little enjoyment out of it, and think it's easily the nadir of all their full-length efforts, I certainly can see where they were going and might have really enjoyed this contemplative, lackadaisical version of their style...if the songwriting had just been stronger, and the atmospheric components more resonant, weird, and in tune with the personalized, arcane philosophy of the lyrical themes. I almost felt like this was their attempt to tune into the whole psychedelic 60s/70s occult prog rock thing trending so heavily these days, only accessing that realm from the black & roll momentum they had been building over the previous decade. Oh, it can be done. Unfortunately, it's just not an intriguing transformation when you compare it to something like Tribulation's The Formulas of Death, which was this 180 degree shift from a hyper Swedish death/thrash band into something entirely different and unexpected. Satyricon have manage to string together an album here which is simultaneously more intricate and less compelling than those decisions leading up to it, and I really wish there had just been more to like about it. There SHOULD be more to like about it. As it stands: a handful of near-ragers and a bellyful of soon-forgotten, background black metal valium.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10] (summon the unwanted)

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Now, Diabolical (2006)

After spending a few years and albums batting around various ideas and directions, Satyricon seemed to have finally settled in on what they were seeking with their sixth full-length Now, Diabolical. This album is the culmination of stripped down black metal aesthetics cast in a rock formula, and it has a drier tone to it than either of its neighbors (Volcano and The Age of Nero). I admit to being apprehensive once I heard that the band signed with Roadrunner records, and then upon seeing the lame rock star video for "K.I.N.G." I was terrified for what had become of this Norse duo. Thankfully, the song itself had a few clever hooks in it, and upon experiencing the album in its entirety, I felt that it was far more cohesive than the two before it. I can also say that Now, Diabolical is a 'grower', which is unusual, since I generally place that trait with albums of some complexity, or at least an impenetrable mix or atmosphere.

No, this is all around accessible from the get-go, sufficiently streamlined for their major label jump, but hypnotic nonetheless, and it helps a lot that the first three tracks are among its best. "Now, Diabolical" itself has a mildly Slayer vibe to it, with some slower thrashing riffs and a mild escalation, though the chorus feels obvious, repetitious (as it will with many of the songs). Then comes "K.I.N.G.", which is played at a steady, mid-pace with this excellent, mesmerizing chord sequence and a traditional rock structure that culminates in a killer groove around 2:20. The vocals here are quite representative of the album: very dry and even monotonous, but the means by which each line of imagery is delivered with an almost laconic amount of effort only adds to the effect. This was a personal hurdle in slowly warming up the music, but nowadays I doubt I would have wanted it any other way.

"The Pentagram Burns" is another track that deserves some mention, as it's got my favorite riffs on the album, in particular the verse itself, given a shining, diabolic radiance. This track goes one further to introduce horns into Satyricon's sound, but here they are used more for a pump up of the guitars in the end. They'll be used again in songs like "The Rite of Our Cross" and the closer "To the Mountains" to greater effect. The duo also experiments more with atmospheric, melodic passages further along the course of the album, like the chorus of "A New Enemy", and acoustics are also implemented through "The Rite of War Cross" and the intro to "Delirium". Probably the best song on the latter half of the album would be the 8 minute monolith "To the Mountains", with a lot of lurching doom riffs, precision double bass, and a well developed escalation towards the sweltering horn-driven climax. I almost wish the band had decided to use the horns for more of the songs, though I doubt they wanted to alienate their audience entirely.

But that's really what it all comes down to: do you mind an established band moving off into new territory? Satyricon had been down this road for years, and I think with Now, Diabolical and the ensuing Age of Nero they've made a damn fine show of it. Sometimes you've got just got to take the music for what it is, and in this case it's very riff-centric, with basic patterns that might not hold an appeal to those seeking endless tremolo streams and blast beats. If the guitars were awful, then it absolutely would not work. And yet they're pretty good licks, at least the best that Satyr had written for going on a decade. Now, Diabolical is a good time. Just try to ignore that damned video...I know I wanted to impale my eyes on a spiked armband after that stinking, narcissistic tattoo party. It couldn't have been any worse if you had Frost sport a pink dress and attending some ladies' high tea idyll.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (we entered this world and thought nothing)

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Volcano (2002)

Whilst Rebel Extravaganza might have seemed the most 'undecided' album in the Satyricon canon, Volcano is for sure the strangest. In what sparks of a minor identity crisis, the band had decided to shift almost entirely into a new, black & roll terrain which relies heavily on catchier grooves and simpler song patterns than one would ever have heard on a Nemesis Divina or Dark Medieval Times. Naturally, with this decision came the parting cries of horror from some segment of their fan base, who could no longer categorize them into some safe, compartmental mold, but then most of these folks had already been flaking off from the previous album or even before that. Yet, what's even more unique and unexpected about Volcano is the use of small ambient and electronic tweaks, female guest vocals and more overtly the fact that, for all of its mutations, Volcano is not entirely committed...

I'm of course referring to the opening track, "With Ravenous Hunger", which seems like another straight black metal track circa Rebel Extravangaza, flourished with a brief industrial intro, Gladiator quote, and some straight bursts of blasting that cede to slower grooves. Ironically enough, I found this to be the least interesting tune on the entire disc. There are no hooks here which caught me, just cycles of hostile riffing so bland that if the name Satyricon were not upon them, they'd rate no greater than some random underground derivative. The atmospheric break hovering around the 4 minute mark introduces some ghostly synthesizers, but the guitars are still quite predictably boring. It also introduces us to the newer, more monotonous Satyr, who has seemingly lost a little of the character of his voice. I can only imagine that the desired effect was a sort of numbing, maniacal hypnosis, but throughout Volcano I found they were not quite up to par with some of the earlier or later efforts.

However, I say: if they wish to rock, let them rock. Provided that they rock well. And with the onslaught of the second track, "Angstridden", Satyricon shifts into an industrial rock territory which frankly was a lot more fun than the first. Note that the drumming is organic here, and Frost does well to emulate the mechanical nature of the song with his hi-hats and double bass, but the real strength of the song is that central groove. Those fearing that the Norwegians had completely lost their mind here, fear not, there's a black/thrash segment of the song in the center which is palpably exciting, some electronic noise infused as it escalates towards a total freakout riff 2:00 in. This is also where they introduce us to Anja Garbarek's ethereal, sparse vocal lines, which sound quite a lot like earlier Portishead. Normally I balk at crass attempts to incorporate female vocals, but in Volcano's case they're tastefully and briefly implemented.

Sure enough, it's the slower, grooving tunes here that caught my attention far more than their occasional steps backward. "Fuel for Hatred" functions off a few leaden, simplistic guitars that use harmonics as percussion while Frost drives the party from below. "Suffering the Tyrants" is a moodier, more atmospheric piece with lots of thick double-bass, curving serpentine riffs that often recall Celtic Frost, and spikes of debilitating higher register melody while Satyr sort of narrates the affair like a bitter, decrepit specter. Then there's "Possessed", which explodes into a black/thrash direction, the excitement elevated due to its placement after "Suffering...". Riffs here are decent, if nothing distinctive, and the doubling of the verse guitar gives it a clinical motif that sets up the concrete thrash breakdown rather well. Other standouts are "Repined Bastard Nation", a spectrum of tremolo lines, grooves and industrial/ambient overlay, and perhaps 50% of the 14+ minute saga "Black Lava", which lurches along much like its titular matter might.

It was the new Satyricon. It wasn't for everyone, and in truth I feel that this album, and its direct predecessor kicked off a little bit of rock star narcissism in its pair of constituents. Never a welcome thing, but not at all anomalous. Band grows more famous, gets on bigger tours, is placed in a position where they are often surrounded by the 'beautiful people', and what else can you expect? The fact that Satyr and Frost kept their grisly vocals and barbaric, thoughtful lyrical imagery among their new found windfall speaks that they had no intention of letting it all get to their heads. Because of that, Volcano is honestly a pretty good record, with a brooding mix and a good portion of pent up anger. It stumbles on occasion, in particular where the band decides to regress into more familiar, stock black metal terrain ("With Ravenous Hunger", parts of "Mental Mercury") and neglect to incorporate the quality riffs that made the band in the first place. But as a 'whole' experience, it's certainly a full step above Rebel Extravaganza.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10] (how can one disclose a darker night)

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - The Shadowthrone (1994)

It's a curious twist of fate that Satyricon's sophomore, in its quest to come off as a more cohesive effort than the album it closely trails, ends up the inferior of the pair. Not that The Shadowthrone is by any means a reproachable attempt at maturation, just that the flow of riffing here seemed inherently predictable even when there were so few bands of this sort in the field, when second wave black metal was still a relatively novel undertaking. Gone might be the juvenile cover art, but its minimalist, oblique replacement is none the better. Gone might be the somewhat disjointed songwriting of the debut, but this more consistent material is hardly all the rage. 1994 was not to be the year of Satyricon, not even with two full-lengths, as the masterworks of Emperor and Darkthrone, and strong releases from Burzum, Gorgoroth and Enslaved would seem to preclude that possibility...

That macro-reality aside, however, The Shadowthrone is essentially a good album, just not one that can stack up song for song with its nearest siblings Dark Medieval Times or Nemesis Divina. As I hinted, the album is quite consistent in its pacing and structure. Where there were moments on the debut that felt hammy and slapped together, all the joints here seem better oiled, and the transitions pulled off more smoothly, even if they're not that exciting. Like its predecessor, the band incorporates lush passages of acoustics and a lot of synthesizers to create a grandiose, epic atmosphere, best felt in the bridge of "Woods of Infinity", the closing moments of "The King of the Shadowthrone", or the pompous martial barrage that inaugurates "Dominions of Satyricon". Stand-out riffs are few and far between here, though I favor the mid-paced might prevalent on the middle of the album ("Vikingland", "Dominions...") to the faster, more emptied gait of "In the Mist by the Hills" and "The King of the Shadowthrone".

In fairness, most of the songs have at least one compelling riff. The 8-9 minute duration of tunes like "Hvite Krists Dod" and "In the Mist by the Hills" doesn't create the same one-two combo of "Walk the Path of Sorrow" and "Dark Medieval Times", but they're competent enough, and the symphonic elements are far better matched to the charge of the guitars. Frost turns in a solid foundation, though I wouldn't dub it his most impressive drumming by a long shot. The vocals and lyrics also seem to be more cohesive and enduring than those of the first album, and of course the production is a step beyond in clarity and consistency. But honestly, this just wasn't and never will be one of the better Norwegian black metal albums of its era, and I'd place it alongside Gehenna's Second Spell or Dimmu Borgir's debut For All Tid in terms of lasting impact and total quality. It lacks the screaming, nocturnal ambition of Emperor's opus and the infinite, raw appeal of a Burzum; The Shadowthrone just sort of meanders along, providing a good landscape for the imagination, but few of the ambitious characteristics located elsewhere in Satyricon's scene.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10] (and time led to destruction)

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Rebel Extravaganza (1999)

If Rebel Extravaganza seems a mite fragmented in its intents, that fact rests solely on its shoulders as the 'transitional' period for the band. No longer simply content with haunting the isolated, winter shadows of some fantasy northern clime, Frost and Satyr made the decision that they'd modernize their lyrical focus and pursue a more straightforward, rock-inflected path of black metal, sort of a newer take on the ghastly Hellhammer without resorting to most of the same riffing patterns and vocals. Surely there were hints of changes with the prior album, Nemesis Divina, but where that stood at upon some glorious precipice with its brazen production values and epic, absorbing composition, Rebel Extravaganza takes us down from the mountains and into the yearning, sinful caverns of human spite.

Yet, at the same time, it is unwilling to throw away some of the bloated, burdensome structures that characterized the band's earlier, breakthrough tracks like "Dark Medieval Times", "Walk the Path of Sorrow", or "Immortality Passion". In fact, this album is book-ended by two rather enormous sonic sculptures: "Tied in Bronze Chains" and "The Scorn Torrent", both well over 10 minutes in length and sadly in need of a clipping. The former actually has some great riffing, like the dire swerve at the 2 minute mark which foreshadows a lot of their writing for albums like Now, Diabolical and The Age of Nero; the latter is something I might completely forget if not for some of the warmer bass-lines alongside the faster paced, melodic tremolo guitar passages, or the creepy lush bridge which dazzles for at least a few measures. In either case, though, there is clearly about 4-5 minutes of interesting content and then a lot of filler riffing and tedious shifts in tempo that never come off exciting or remotely necessary.

There are also several ambient/filler tracks here which don't really add a lot to the album, with the possible exception of 'hey, look at us, we're really esoteric'. "Rhapsody in Filth" is interesting for approximately 10-20 seconds with its sheen of sparse guitars, while the ringing distortia of "End of Journey" feels an entirely baleful experiment that should have just been snipped on the cutting room floor. "Down South, Up North" at least has a nice, percussive backbone to it, but the music itself is just fuzzy chugging that does no service to the 10 minute plus leviathan to follow. I might listen to this when traversing some sewer level in a survival horror video game, but there is nothing nuanced, subtle, enticing or enduring about it. And it's this very disjointed coalition of having long, fattened tracks in need of compositional calisthenics, and pretty boring interludes that make the entire 60+ minute experience of Rebel Extravangaza play out like an album in some desperate identity crisis...

But what of the rest? Well, to be completely frank, the 6-7 minute tracks on the album provide almost all of its thrills, even if a few of these could also be passed on. "Filthgrinder", for example, is a fast-paced, vicious explosion of extremity that utterly fails to hook the ears until possibly the thrashing bridge/breakdown, which in of itself is not so great. "Havoc Vulture" has this solid, grooving undercurrent which I found amusing, but despite its tinny, unnerving production and the copious, curving bass-lines it did not leave me much of an impact. "Prime Evil Renaissance" is once again a song which measures off some vapid, dull charging rhythms with an impressive, evil and atmospheric mid sequence that seems so much better than what led into it. And then there are two admittedly great songs: "Supersonic Journey", which has the best balance of riffs and blasting out of all the speedier writing, and "A Moment of Clarity", which is another tune that hints at the direction of the band for their next three full-lengths. Steady, dark and twisted groove rhythms accented with intense double bass sequences.

If this were an EP with those last two tracks I mentioned, and perhaps half of "Tied in Bronze Chains", It'd probably amount to one of their very best releases. Alas, there is all the rest of the sodden mire to trudge through, and even while nothing here is actively 'bad', it's the one album by Satyricon I feel bored in listening to. As a fan of both their earlier body of work, and their later, divisive black'n'roll sound, I feel that Rebel Extravaganza's just not able to commit itself. From a production standpoint, the metal tracks are certainly consistent, with a raw and organic edge to the guitars, a humble drum mix and audible bass, vocals and effects, but the songwriting often feels like a bunch of scrap that the band had sitting around as they mulled over their next choices in aesthetics. The cover of the album reeks of the narcissism that the band would later include in their fashion video "K.I.N.G.", even if they're going for ugliness over glamor here. The vertical/horizontal text mash-up is a gaudy attempt at looking swank.

That said, I like the lyrics here, which explore various human vices and shortcomings with a more personalized resonance than their past recordings. And, well, there are at least a few good songs here...if you care to dredge the serpent slough for them. Ultimately, though, the album just doesn't have the dramatic, raging flair of its predecessors, nor the full-bore oblique rocking and grooving of its successors, and it sort of sits in stasis, a lull in the more exciting action, a stopover on some greater journey, more of The Two Towers than The Empire Strikes Back.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (protect the wealth of the Elite)

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon/Enslaved - The Forest is My Throne/Yggdrasil (1995)

There are two essential Norwegian black metal splits of the 90s, and it's not a surprise to me that Enslaved participated in both of them. They had he stronger presence on Emperor/Hordane's Land, but despite their enormous contribution to this one, with around 40 minutes of material, I think Satyricon match them almost pace for pace here, even if their half is only about 25 minutes. When you add that up, of course, you're looking at over an hour of material from two of the best of that 90s scene, a lot of which is not available elsewhere, at least not with as much value as experience both halves combined.

Basically, each band has offered up a demo, to which they had tacked on a new track just for this release. The Forest is My Throne was originally released in 1993 as Satyricon's second demo, after All Evil the year before. Of the four tracks, only "Min Hyllest Til Vinterland" would be redundant with Dark Medieval Times. "Black Winds" opens with an opaque zephyr of noise before erupting into a measured riff-fest, with some mid paced, raw guitars reminiscent of Bathory and Darkthrone. There are brief explosions into faster material, and Satyr's vocals are pretty intense, especially at that point right before the 6 minute mark where he opens up enormous growling over the slicing, blast sequence. "The Forest is My Throne", however, is my favorite of the demo, with razor riffs that march along with all the glory of Bathory circa Blood, Fire, Death, under some great atmosphere and effects. I do feel that the drumming is mildly uneven in volume, but otherwise it's excellent. Their last bit is "The Night of the Triumphator", which begins with a sample of fornication below some evil synths, and then explodes into some crude, primal black metal which sounds like early Immortal. I dug the growled vocals and the Celtic Frost undertow to some of the slower guitars, and it's fairly consistent with The Forest demo material.

Yggdrasil is a slightly earlier demo (1992), and features Enslaved at some of their crudest, which I find every bit as enjoyable as their acclaimed full-length debut Vikingligr Veldi (1994). Again, there is very little overlap to worry about. "Heimdallr" appears on that album in a more polished form, and "Allfáðr Oðinn" is also included with Hordane's Land, but the rest of the material feels like virgin, Christian soil to conquer if you hadn't already had access to the demo. There's a pipe organ "Interlude" which feels more or less worthless, but "Hal Valr" is a rush of raw, glorious Viking black metal with some tight tremolo riffing and a lot of crashing percussion and synthesizer accents. The mix is a bit rough, with the drums and guitars feeling a little too separate, but this and "Niunda Heim" are both great, even if the piano/choir outro "Resound of Gjallarhorn" is forgettable. The band's new contribution, "Enslaved" itself is a great, vicious storm of tightwire riffing and brutal, bloodied Grutle Kjellson rasping, but once again the louder percussion screws a little with the depth and tone.

In all, this split is a tremendous value, and I certainly can't fault these bands for making the demos available in such a form, while at the same time expanding their audience. Which, when you think of it, is the entire point of the format: you scratch my back, and I scratch yours. Along with Emperor/Hordanes Land, this was very likely the first exposure many had to these acts, in fact I know people who owned the pair of splits and had never even heard Vikingligr Veldi or Dark Medieval Times. Not every individual track is great, and some are available elsewhere, but there is a particular authenticity to this release which makes it worth a purchase, despite the demo level production of most of the content.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (through centuries of weakness)

http://www.satyricon.no/
http://www.myspace.com/enslaved

Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times (1994)

While it's musical value is formidable in of itself, one of the things that has truly always drawn me to the Satyricon debut Dark Medieval Times is the laughable, yet enduring black and white cover art. Before the gates of some foreboding, gray keep, a single ghastly rider rears up his black steed while his cape flutters in some winter breeze. He raises his double-headed axe as if to invite the listener to dinn... er, battle across a bridge of ice, and a field of withered trees. This looks like something a nuanced and competent 13 year old Dungeons & Dragons geek would draft for his 8th grade art class, but fuck it, I WAS that person at some point. I'm sure many of us were. Hell, I still AM that person to a degree. So despite its silliness, I have to think this is one of the most iconic of the Norse covers along with those early Burzum records, or In the Nightside Eclipse.

But what's more, it represents the isolation and majesty that black metal once, and still in some cases, hints at. A group of young, inspired deviants separating themselves from the conformity of their hollow civilization, escaping into fantasy and history, just like the lonely black wizard in his tower, the witch at her cauldron, the dragon in its mountain lair. Satyricon wanted to be feared, just like many acts in this wave, but what is not in question is their musical ability to back up the thematic content. Dark Medieval Times is not so grim, raw and punishing as Darkthrone and Burzum Not so folksy as old Ulver. Not so well orchestrated as In the Nightside Eclipse, nor so infamous as Mayhem. There is not much of a gimmick going on here, so the young Frost and Satyr had to bring the music, and they accomplished nothing less with what is for many their most beloved memory of the duo's career. I can't say that this is a personal favorite of the Norwegian 'second wave', but after only Nemesis Divina, it remains the best of Satyricon.

It's obvious from the beginning that they were going for something immense, epic and larger than life. "Walk the Path of Sorrow" is over eight minutes, complete with a strange symphonic intro that has some looped, martial synthesizers, ghostly choir and crashing percussion, before the drums thunder forth at a mid-paced gait, and the spires of distortion crash along under the steady clime of the keyboards. Before long, they transition into a calm acoustic part, and then back into the fray where Satyr applies his rabid, biting rasp. I can't say that the transitions here are all that smooth, but nonetheless the song continues to inspire as it cycles through a great many phases, like the ambient resilience of the bridge before the 4 minute mark, or the crash of timpani deeper into its depths. Ultimately, this is a strong start to an album, despite the rather brash tactics at segueing into each segment that often feel like jilted, irate icebergs elbowing one another for the same ocean space, while they wait for some unsuspecting cruise ship.

Other songs here feel more focused and manageable, like "Skyggedens", which is only half the length, and still manages to tear through five or six sequences, including acoustics. Or the lush and windy interlude "Min Hyllest til Vinterland", which is not more than a sparse, resonant accumulation of acoustics that slog along like a slow-moving autumn stream. Or "Taakeslottet" with its grimy, tremolo melodies and thundering percussion beneath the verse; one of the most melodic and memorable pieces on the album. Other standouts include the titular "Dark Medieval Times", the other 8 minute whale on the album, with a lot of strong, rushing chord streams, and an extended closing sequence with clean guitars and flutes that lives up to the song's name. Also, I rather enjoy "The Dark Castle in the Deep Forest", one of the most haunting and cheesy of the tracks but nonetheless engrossing, which the band would later title "Night of Divine Power".

The production is not their most elegant, after all this was put out through their own, small upstart label and didn't have the backing of a Century Media like Nemesis Divina. All the guitars, drums and vocals are clear, as are the keyboards, but I found the bass to have only a minimal, uninteresting presence throughout the compositions, and the whole mass is decidedly raw and unpolished. That said, that is actually half the charm of an album like this, and it wouldn't work with a poppy, modern gloss to it. The lyrics were not originally included, but what one can gather from them is that sense of sadness and isolation that I mentioned above, a grasp at the natural world of olde and it's most unfriendly environments, through which the band's despotic spirits wander. In other words: it reads much as it looks.

Dark Medieval Times had its problems. The bands' transitional ability was rusty and still in its incubation stage, and the riffs perhaps not as punishing nor distinct as on some of their later records. I like this mildly more than its close successor, The Shadowthrone, even though they had certainly made a few proficient strides on that material; but this doesn't have a tune like "Mother North" on it that makes me want to rush into some fevered battle and hurl my life away in the charge. It's dynamic, esoteric and makes a bold attempt at creating a rustic, glorious experience through the use of keys and clean strings, but doesn't entirely excel at any one thing. That aside, though, this is well worth the money, because it's a straight shot of imagination that seems almost innocent in comparison to a lot of what you'll hear today, and despite their noted weaknesses, many of the songs still endure.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10] (they will all learn)

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Ten Horns - Ten Diadems (2002)

I don't care how you want to spin it. I don't care if there are several remastered songs. I don't care if there's a fat, pretty booklet with lots of grim pictures words from the Artist himself. Ten Horns - Ten Diadems is yet another example of crass and wholly unnecessary commercialism from an artist who you'd think might shun the very idea of the thing. By 2002, Satyricon had certainly carved out a name for itself and placed itself upon a pedestal. The world of black metal neophytes was theirs to win or lose, and their progressively more rock-oriented outings would either alienate the traditional genre fans of their first three records or win them droves of new admirers thanks to increasing visibility and video play.

So I have to wonder, why bother with this? This wasn't released through some major, faceless corporate entity, but Moonfog Productions itself! Granted, they did a better job on the package than you'd expect from a garbage Roadrunner or Relativity comp, and they bothered to include one previously unreleased song. But seriously...10 horns. 10 diadems. 10 songs? Why not make this a fucking double-disc. Or hell, why not just re-issue the first two albums Dark Medieval Times and The Shadowthrone, entirely remastered, in one package with all of the added visual splendors, notes and bonus tracks. THAT might be something to throw down a 20 spot on, but this is just a meek sampling of things that the Satyricon fan already owns. The remastered cuts are "Taakeslottet" (Dark Medieval Times), "Dominions of Satyricon" (The Shadowthrone) and "Night of Divine Power" (Megiddo EP, a remake of "Dark Castle in the Deep Forest") and while brighter than their original incarnations, they lose a bit of their grisly, original edge.

It feels that they were remastered simply to bring them up to the standards of the newer material that was included here. Speaking of which, we are given "Forhekset" and"Mother North" from Nemesis Divina (1996), "Hvite Krists Død" from The Shadowthrone (1994, strangely not remastered), and then two tracks from their most recent full-length at the time, Rebel Extravaganza (1999): "Filthgrinder" and "Supersonic Journey". Closing this out, they've included one song off the new full-length Volcano that would also release in 2002: "Repined Bastard Nation". Admittedly, there are some great songs in this bunch, but I already owned them all, and it's hard not to feel a little ripped off. What's worse, the unreleased track "Serpent's Rise" is little more than some spoken narrative (male and female) over a dissonance, early atmospheric riff and then some baseless, boring chugging riff. Not hard to see why this would not rate inclusion on one of the full-lengths...

In short, this sucks. Tremendously. Who the fuck is it for? Is it meant to ween the tween initiate onto the teats of Satyr and Frost? Couldn't they just buy Nemesis Divina and work it all out for themselves?

Verdict: Epic Fail [1.5/10]

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - My Skin is Cold EP (2008)

Satyricon does not have a great track record for EP releases. I'll grant them The Forest is My Throne demo re-issue on the split with Enslaved, but the later short players like Megiddo and Intermezzo II were seriously short on value: random assortments of live cuts, album re-mixes and cover songs which never amounted to anything. In truth, My Skin is Cold seems more like an advance single for the band's 2008 album The Age of Nero, which I enjoyed for its great mesh of rock-inspired, evil swerving riffage and huge tone, but many seemed to loathe for its admitted simplicity. However, they decided to expand this out with some bonus features, including two live cuts with added orchestra, and a pair of re-mastered tracks.

First, while they might be placed last on the EP, the live renditions of "Repined Bastard Nation" (Volcano) and "Mother North" (Nemesis Divina)" are the best of this bunch. Not because they really sound all that great from a stage recording standpoint, but just for the added layer of atmosphere that the horns create. It's not that they've been woven into the songs to create an extra level of complexity, but they sound so damned brass and percussive, especially in "Mother North" that it makes me wish Satyricon would record an entire album with them. As for the re-mastered tracks "Live Through Me" and "Existential Fear-Questions", they were culled from the LP edition of Volcano, and so do provide some value for anyone who doesn't own that. "Live Through Me" is creepy and atmospheric, with dire guitar progressions and a mixture of grimy and narrated vocals that work well within its lurching menace. "Existential..." is more complex in the guitars, but I found the grooves pretty weak, even with the warped Tom G Warrior impression of the vocals.

That leaves only the title track, which is delivered in a dryer version than the EP (seems that the synth strikes in the verse are missing, and I rather liked them). A good song, with a nice groove to it that well compensates for the simplicity of its structure, though the chorus loses a little of the bombast. Unfortunately, the My Skin is Cold EP gets cold-cocked by the double disc limited edition of The Age of Nero, which includes almost all of the material in the same form it appears here. If you don't have that, then this might be worth hearing once or twice for the re-masters and the two live orchestral tracks, and it's mildly more fulfilling than their prior EP Intermezzo II. But if you DO own that...then this is basically worthless. Ugh.

Verdict: Fail [4.25/10]

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Intermezzo II EP (1998)

I'll be the first to admit: I have no idea what Satyr is doing on the cover of this Rebel Extravaganza teaser EP. Is he practicing for the role of a morlock in some H.G. Wells film adaptation? Is he getting into position for a subterranean football match? Was he caught unprepared after a smack binge? Or is he doing an edgier, tattooed Max Schreck impersonation? At any rate, no amount of leering from the shadows is bound to save Intermezzo II, which is more or less an experimental selection of tracks meant to whet the appetite for the stylistic turn that would be their fourth full-length. There are a few nifty ideas strewn about the 20 minutes of this release, but it's not the sort of thing that would hold any interest outside their fanbase, and not so much even to their diehard devotees.

The first track here is "A Moment of Clarity", which also appeared in the eight position on the ensuing full-length. It's not a bad track, though Rebel Extravaganza is my least favorite of their albums overall. Slow to mid-paced riffing with a very organic drum tone; they mesh a bit of the Norse dissonance in with rock-fueled guitars that foreshadow their later, full on black 'n' roll era circa Volcano. The song has some evil, arching rhythms to it, but overall I've never been all that into it, though the random, sparse synth strikes are a curiosity. Following that, they burst into a blasted rendition of "INRI", by Brazilian cult legends Sarcófago, which they even brag to be at 251 BPM. Not sure that the speed of the song makes it any more effective and evil, but certainly it's an acceptable translation for the hyperblast black metal advocate. A different mix of the title track to Nemesis Divina is incorporated, but frankly it's unnecessary and unimpressive...

That leads me to the final cut, and the most interesting found on Intermezzo II: "Blessed from Below" which was recorded with Snorre W. Ruch of Thorns. Basically it's a subversive electro industrial piece dowsed in Satyr's vocal filth and a few guitars. The early, ominous bass grooves are naturally quite enticing and memorable, but after about 3 minutes it transforms into this subtle, ambient landscape which is far more subtle. It's good enough, though, that I wish the entire EP involved such collaborations, because "A Moment of Clarity" and the "Nemesis Divina ("Clean Vision Mix") are utterly useless, both better experienced in their respective full length environments. So, a snazzy electro obscurity with a guy who needs no introduction to that sphere of influence, and a half-decent cover song. Not really anything to covet here, and those seeking its contents might be better served by the 2006 Nuclear Blast re-issue of Rebel Extravaganza, which includes the whole shebang.

Verdict: Fail [4/10]

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon - Megiddo EP (1997)

Megiddo was released presumably to bridge the gap between their successful Nemesis Divina record and whatever would come next. Like most of Satyricon's shorter form works, it's a grab bag of random odds and ends that feel scattered and inconsistent, and also serves as a graveyard where their more 'out of the box' ideas go to lay their bones in the audio dirt for all eternity. The problem of course is that there's just not much to it, 20 minutes of material which in no way would have been good enough to include on one of their full-lengths, and doesn't fulfill the role of anything more than some sidereal curiosity. A freak show for the unwanted.

Like the later Intermezzo II EP, the star here is an industrial EBM piece, here a remake of "The Dawn of a New Age" by the once popular Norwegian electro group Apoptygma Berzerk. I liked a few of this band's albums, and what they've offered here is a near total deconstruction of the original, bringing in all manner of wild, unhinged beats and noises while mixing in some of Satyr's rasping. I wouldn't call it 'catchy', necessarily, and I don't really like the break into the clean guitars where it arrives, at least not until they layer in the electronic bass pulses; but at least it's something worth hearing once. The rest of the EP consists of a live version of "Forhekset" (from Nemesis Divina) which is adequate it a bit grimy and dry; a sort of go-go, industrial drummed cover of Motörhead's "Orgasmatron", in which the bland vocals do sort of drag down the more unique energy and ideas of the backdrop, like the doomy keyboards they added to the bridge.

And lastly, they've re-recorded one of their earlier tracks, "Dark Castle in the Deep Forest" as "Night of Divine Power". I suppose it sounds more polished in this incarnation, with a nice glint of the synthesizer shining through the arching, desperate melodic riffs, but I did not have so much of a problem with the original that I needed this redux. Really, that's the problem with this EP, just like so many odds and ends of its type. You've got a band hitting their stride of underground success, about to take it up to the next level, and the hype alone creates this thriving impulse for bands and labels to release all manner of ugly ducklings to scrape up a few additional bucks. I did think the electro piece had its promise, and there were a handful of decent ideas in the cover of "Orgasmatron", but these could just have easily been delegated to bonus tracks elsewhere and Megiddo would never have needed to exist independently. Entirely skippable.

Verdict: Fail [3.75/10]

http://www.satyricon.no/

Wongraven - Fjelltronen (1995)

Similar to how Storm was a collaboration between Fenriz of Darkthrone and Satyr of Satyricon (with Kari Rueslåtten adding her vocals), Wongraven was the collaboration of Satyr and Ihsahn (Emperor), with additional percussion from Hans K. K. Sřrensen. However, the difference here is that Wongraven is not a metal band in the slightest, but an epic, medeival ambient folk project featuring an expressive array of vocals and synths, seasoned in acoustic guitars, bass, timpani, mouth harp and other instruments. This is the sole full-length release from Wongraven, but it does possess some staying power, especially if you enjoy this brand of dark, period ambience.

Half of Fjelltronen consists of a single, 16 minute track called "Det Var En Gang Et Menneske", which meanders endlessly from the rolling, sparse percussion and whispered vocals of its opening moments through a long stretch of keyboard that sluggishly dominates the faint, sparkling acoustics. The drums crash in and out as if to accent moments of authority, and the final few moments of the track become quite haunted...with the repetitious acoustic and darker, somber keyboard tones, and Satyr's vocals growing into an eerie crescent. Once you are through this behemoth and into the clear, you are met with "Over Ødemark", a doomed piano dirge with Ihsahn's fingers all over it, and Satyr joining in for the final half. "Opp Under Fjellet Toner En Sang" is under two minutes of grace carried through synthesized woodwinds and an ambient backdrop, before the other substantial track on the album, "Tiden Er En Stenlagt Grav" kicks in for a slowly building, instrumental. The bass here is hypnotic as it flows below the subtle synths in a folk lick. The track fades out and returns with some more of the project's, haunting atmosphere, though there is a swagger to the piece which should rouse the historic traveler within all of us. Another instrumental, "Fra Fjelltronen" offers closure, with over 3 minutes of bells, haunted castle environments and dying medieval thunder.

As with many such offerings, the appeal will be limited to those who do not mind a largely instrumental slice of atmosphere that can haunt your dreams and suck your thoughts into a dark mirror of the past...half real, half idealized into a grim, impossible portrait. Though there are words, and vocals, they truly merge in with the landscape of the instruments, soaring forth only to bait you with stark, glorious contrasts. I would definitely recommend this album to any fan of Summoning, Vinterriket, or early Mortiis. In fact, add some black metal to this and you would have the first few releases of Summoning, so I'm guessing it was a possible influence to their Tolkien-inspired path. Fjelltronen is not an absolute classic, and I thought Storm was a more successful side-project, but it shows a great deal of depth to the imagination of Satyr, and might make for a good companion piece to the first two Satyricon albums.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

Satyricon - Nemesis Divina (1996)

Nemesis Divina is an album I truly wrestled with in the previous decade. Upon its release, many of my friends took to it instantly. It was one of the most popular black metal works among the (admittedly) small circle of fans at University, but I remained steadfast and unimpressed for years. For some reason, I just didn't grasp it...I felt it to be chaotic, disjointed and unmemorable. Ambitious, perhaps, but lacking that secret something.

In hindsight, I must have had a bit of a gray matter leak, because years later, as I was in a recording studio myself, "Mother North" came on the stereo during a snack break. I instantly recognized the song, but then, before indifference could sink in, it finally just dawned me. Damn. From that point on, I dusted off my hard copy and it re-entered my regular rotation, and it has since become my favorite release from Satyr and Frost.

Nemesis Divina is a lot of things. It's atmospheric. It's pretty complex (at least when compared to most black metal of the era). It's evil, but at the same time, majestic. It stands at that precise crossroad where the raw and wicked, unrefined sounds of the black metal underground met the larger studio budget works that were only being produced by a few bands of the genre at the time. This was a record which was nearly at the level of a Transilvanian Hunger, or In the Nightside Eclipse. And yet, it is more accessible than either, with a sensitivity for melody and light synth touches that add only a malleable depth to its bevy of savage riffs, which stuck at you like the pinions of ravens' feathers.

Better late than ignorant forever.

"The Dawn of a New Age" is fittingly titled, as a few lurching chords strike like red rays of clouded sunrise before the cry This is Armageddon.... and what follows is a beautiful, glistening nuclear holocaust of Frost blasts and well written guitars, like the infectious passage at the 1:50 mark. Satyr is assisted in the guitars here by Nocturno "Kvelduv" Culto, of Darkthrone, so it was only a matter of time before I submitted. "Forhekset" kicks in for a brief volley of acoustics before a truly leveling rhythm of hellish, thick melody. The guitars writhe below the verse and bridge, along a demonic current that transforms the heart into ash. As with most of the album, the synthesizers here are very minimal, used only to create an elevation behind particular rhythms, and never central. "Mother North" hardly needs an introduction, as one of the more popular Norse black metal tracks in history. The rhythm guitars bleed here, both the glorious lifeblood of the land. Sinister, biting like the wind, burdened below the transcendent synthesizers and clean intonations of the backing vocals. Even through its latter half, each new riff provides a desolate and thundering layer to the charge. "Du Som Hater Gud" features lyrics that were written for Satyr by the other half of Darkthrone, the immortal Fenriz, and the track is more of an eerie, straightforward black metal peace, still adorned with serpentine riffing and some fine piano touches near the climax.

Forever in warfare my heart is
With my passion of despair
Still though I was there when the hills were born
And when the wind blew for the first time
So there are reasons for my existence

"Immortality Passion" is festooned with symphonic bombast and warlike drum battering, over the sneer of gently crashing cymbals and a twisted, hypnotic guitar rhythm. The percussion and anthemic march of the bridge mark some of the more glorious moments on the album. "Nemesis Divina" itself is perhaps the most grim piece on the album, with Frost's calculated chaos and some jarring, sawing riffs that slice right through the ghostly atmospheric keyboards. The track picks up into kinetic violence, an excellent slew of riffs which conjure up the aggression of fast 80s speed/thrash. "Transcendental Requiem of Slaves" marks the closure to this epic beast, an instrumental with some lush guitar work that culminates in mesmerizing, hypnotic chords and synths that lead you off into the dusk.

Nemesis Divina is far closer to the style of its predecessors (Dark Medieval Times and The Shadowthrone) than anything the band has released since. While I'm a fan of their modern, black rock impulses, making for some vile grooves, I can't help but feel this album was the pinnacle of their output. The irony that the object of such initial indifference has grown into my go-to Satyricon record is not lost upon me. It's a damn fine record, and being wrong rarely turns out this well.

Highlights: The Dawn of a New Age, Forhekset, Mother North, Immortality Passion, Transcendental Requiem of Slaves

Verdict: Epic Win [9.25/10] (seems like I dwell in a circle)

http://www.satyricon.no/

Satyricon / Septic Flesh, Grand Ballroom @ the Regency Center, 2/10/09

Let me start off by saying that the Grand Ballroom at San Francisco's Regency Center is both a horrible and excellent place to see metal. The venue is a bit big, and never quite fills up, which can leave the sound a bit wanting. They also place their stacks up high and pointed down at the crowd from the sides of the stage, which means that if you're about forty feet back, you're going to get the best sound. Anyone standing front and center will be sorely disappointed.

The crowd at this show was as you might expect. Near-Juggalos in "corpse paint" and assorted Hot Topic wear lined up outside in the drizzle to catch a glimpse of Danny (Dani? Seriously?) Filth's areolas. There were even girls in the front row with glow-stick headbands on. What the fuck?

Anyway, my friends and I waded our way in through the veritable food court of lameness and took a spot stage right and far enough back for good sound. We had managed to find a kickass parking spot and get in right before the show started. Off to a good start.

Septic Flesh

Not being a fan of Septic Flesh previous to this show, I didn't really know what to expect from the Grecian Death Metallers. What I got was an absolute treat. You know how every band that plays before your favorite band can't ever quite live up to them? How you spend the opening sets counting songs and wishing they would go by just a bit faster? Not so with Septic Flesh, who managed to come out of the gates swinging, tight and technically spot on for a half an hour of symphonically charged, groove-laden death.

They were, sadly, playing to a tape of some sort, since they lacked a keyboard to accompany them. I was impressed, however, that they managed to stay so perfectly synchronized with the samples throughout the entire set. Not a missed beat to be had here.

The singer, one Spiros Antoniou, seemed to be channeling almost a 1980's hardcore punk vibe, with spastic hand movements and crazed facial expressions between bass riffs. The guitars were a bit low in the mix, and the bass thundered over everything else, when he bothered to stop fingering an invisible vagina in front of his face and play it.

I couldn't really say much about the contents of their set, not being familiar with the band until now. I know they played "Communion", "We The Gods", and some song where everybody chanted "BURN!" a lot. Good shit, though. The guy in the pit who looked just like John Locke from Lost (shirt off and all) seemed to enjoy it. I did, too, and I would happily see them again. It's a rare experience to be surprised by an unknown band, but Septic Flesh earned it.

Satyricon

My friends and I forced our way forward, braving untold amounts of hair extensions, platform boots, and goggles. Not to be denied our Norwegian black metal by a bunch of under-developed, over-fed retards, we managed to get about three people from the front. Satyricon came out to much fanfare and shouting of "MOTHER NORTH!"

"Repined Bastard Nation" is a good fucking way to open a Satyricon set. Satyr looked like some sort of fascist German rocker, all rigid fury and hawk-eyed stares. His trident mic stand looked like it was missing some corpses hanging off of the side, but it was plenty intimidating none the less. Frost is as insane as I imagined, and though Satyricon certainly isn't the best demonstration of his technical abilities, he plays live with a passion other black metal drummers would benefit to imitate.

Satyricon tore through their songs, one after another with barely a break between them. I am old enough now to enjoy a short, sweet live show, and I have no complaints. Their setlist consisted entirely of material from their last three albums, so the more traditional black metal will have to wait until their headlining tour this fall. "Die By My Hand" still doesn't quite grab me, but they seem to love playing it. Playing the opening three tracks from Now, Diabolical, a healthy smattering of their newest material, and a pair of Volcano's better songs gave me plenty of time to throw claws in the air and bang my head like I'm not going bald.

Satyr gives up guitar duty live to engage the crowd a little bit more, and he does so in the standard metal fashion. "HEY!" chants and calls for jumping are so fucking tired, I wish metal would just let that shit go. Save it for Manowar and Amon Amarth, guys, you're supposed to be all grim and frostbitten. Drunk people love to yell and jump around though, so I guess it works.

You can tell that Satyr is a bit remiss over losing his strings to the capable live band. He picks up an axe later in the set for "The Pentagram Burns", but also spends a fair amount of time watching the guitarists longingly (accusingly, too) and playing air guitar to his own riffs.

"Fuel For Hatred" closed Satyricon out strong. This song has long been a favorite of mine from the much-maligned Volcano, and hearing it live only reinforced my love. Satyricon all lined up at the front of the stage and bowed out, making special efforts to thank the crowd. Frost has 300 abs, I swear to you. That dude is cut.

Cradle of Filth

What, you think I stayed for Cradle of Filth? Hahahaha.

Satyricon - The Age of Nero (2008)

The 21st century has brought a change to Satyricon which seems to have polarized some of their original fan base, whose adoration of the band seems to end at Nemesis Divina. I, for one, have really enjoyed this direction, this simpler style. Volcano was a great record, and Now, Diabolical has grown on me. The Age of Nero is another successful outing, very similar to the last few records but with a meatier production, and a stronger death/doom metal influence beginning to show in a few of the riffs.

The album opens with "Commando", and you'll notice immediately that this record share's Now, Diabolical's flair for minimal yet profound lyrics. Frost is on fire with the drums, though most of beats are simple like the songs, he unleashes some double bass fury to remind you that this IS Frost, after all. The riffs are just as groove-laden as the past few albums, but undeniably evil. They are catchy throughout the eight tracks of the album. "Black Crow on a Tombstone" is a thrasher breaking into the perfect, simple black metal riff. "Die By My Hand" is accompanied by some repressed, male chorus lines which create a haunting atmosphere. "My Skin is Cold" has some of the better riffs on the album, people may already be familiar with this tune because of the promotional EP earlier in the year. "The Sign of the Trident" has these really cool parts where some bass synth line blares just at the edge of perception, an interesting effect. "Last Man Standing" is pure old Celtic Frost worship with a Satyricon blow-dry.

In the end, this is another winner for the Norse band. They seem content with this style and they do an excellent job with it. If you're expecting the more glorious, folkish black metal of their yesteryears and haven't enjoyed the last two records, you won't find much in this to admire. Otherwise, it rocks, well worth a purchase. Let's just hope they don't make any stupid videos for it like they did on the last album.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.satyricon.no/