This is a collection of my Instagram writeups on the individual albums of Second Wave Black Metal band Satyricon's discography. I added annotations where needed. The albums are in chronological order.
#1: Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Moonfog Productions / Napalm Records (Remaster)
Year: 1994
I´ve decided it is time to get rid of my skepticism of the second wave. I was recommended to start with Satyricon as they apparently never go too raw or too primitive. As usual, we start at the beginning. Online I´ve read a lot about the horrible recording quality of 'Dark Medieval Times' - luckily Napalm Records released a fantastic remaster this year. The sound on this version is crisp and clear and almost completely devoid of any recording artefacts. Purists and Raw BM fans might hate it, but for a Second Wave sceptic like me, this is ideal.
On 'Dark Medieval Times', Satyricon show a taste for including different sounds on this album, much more than what you´d get from a lot of contemporary acts. This is especially interesting as 'Medieval Times' released the same year as 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas', which has a much more straightforward and raw sound. Satyricon like slowing down occasionally, they like playing Riffs that recall a blackened Black Sabbath and also injecting the album withfolk infused, medieval interludes - complete with flute and acoustic guitar. Some obvious overdubs (Like the timpani in "Walk the path of Sorrow") and the dominance of keyboards in many tracks round off the package. Satyricon also know how to use repetition to their advantage, especially noticeable in "Min Hyllest Til Vinterland" which masterfully suggests open spaces and the vastness of the land.
The writing can´t always keep up with the ambition of the band, however. Some of the tracks end abruptly and could have used a little more of a coda. The spoken word in "The Dark Castle in the Deep Forest" is more silly than epic, too.Also noticeable is the overdrumming in some of the quiet parts where Frost just decides to play aggressively on some of the quiet parts where Frost just decides to furiously hit on the cymbal. Some breathing room would have been nice.
Overall, a solid effort and much stronger than you´d expect from black metal in 1994.
Rating: 7/10.
#2: Satyricon - The Shadowthrone
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Moonfog productions / Napalm Records (Remaster)
Year: 1994
On 'The Shadowthrone', Satyricon further boil down their sound. By reducing the folk elements and the traditional metal riffs, Satyricon now sit squarely in the second wave. Ironically this makes them much less interesting to me. Blast beats, tremolo picked riffs with 2 alternating chords and icy synths reign supreme. None of the material is bad, but by making it more standard it loses a lot of what the debut unique and what I liked so much about it. The only track that captures the "Dungeon Synth" atmosphere that the debut sometimes had is the last track, 'I en svart kiste'. Unfortunately, the track is misplaced in the album as it makes me question why I am still listening if the last track is basically an interlude. Goofy voiceover makes a return here, as well.
I could still be tempted into giving the Shadowthrone a 7 if the material had a better mix. I was listening to the 2021 remix, and even here sudden spikes in volume are noticeable. Often when Timpani Sampels are used or the toms are hit aggressively, they drown out most of the other instruments. Also, whenever instruments make sudden entrances the sudden spike in volume gets uncomfortable.
Overall a defintive step down from the debut and more in line with what I thought "Second wave black metal" was.
Rating: 6/10.
#3: Saytricon - Nemesis Divina
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Napalm Records
Year: 1996
Nemesis Divina is a huge step up from what Satyricon, and black metal as a whole, was at the time. The tastefully, creative and visually pleasing cover should be a giveaway that Saytricon take their music seriously and that for them, Black metal is more than just an image.
The music on 'Nemesis Divina' shows similar improvement. First track "The Dawn of a New age" opens with actual riffing, with spooky details hidden in the background. The song then morphs through multiple diverse and varied sections before culminating in a legendary tremolo riff around the 4:30 mark. This character of actual songwriting both in the micro and the macro sense is also reflected in the album, as the songs are distinct and enjoyable throughout. Noteworthy sections are the crusty guitars in 'Forhekset', the Doom Section at the end of 'Mother North' (complete with maniacal laughter) or the melodic leads 4 minutes into the title track. In general, the album leans a little more on the tremolos in the second half and I would consider the A-side to be slightly stronger. Luckily, finisher 'Transcendental Requiem Of Slaves' serves up more of that doomy atmosphere, which is something I always embrace with open arms.
'Nemesis Divina' is rightfully and deservedly a classic of black metal and one of the best true second wave releases I´ve personally heard. Without the addition of outside influences, it should be hard to top for this band. Maybe this is why the next release would be the divisive 'Rebel Extravaganza'...
Rating: 8/10.
#4: Satyricon - Rebel Extravaganza
Genre: Black metal
Label: Moonfog / Nuclear Blast / Spinefarm
Year: 1999
I mentioned in my last review that Rebel Extravaganza is somewhat controversial. I think this is the usual reaction when a band, relatively suddenly, decides to alter or broaden their sound. 'Rebel Extravaganza' came during a time when Neo-Thrash, Groove Metal, Industrial and New Metal reigned and many old school fans took issue with that. Many reviewers have highlighted the new Industrial tinge of the album. Satyr himself has often commented that the industrial qualities of the album were often overstated and that they don´t dominate the album. However, a certain industrial tinge in at least the timbre and sonic qualities of the album is undeniable. The band has commented that black metal had come "to a point where romance and bloodsucking seemed more important than darkness and extremity". Considering this background, it seems to me that Saytricon aimed to present an alternative interpretation of black metal to what the likes of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth were doing.
'Rebel Extravaganza' is refreshingly untheatrical for a black metal album. The album mixes the typical black metal tremolo barrage with riffs that are reminiscent of punk infused industrial bands like Lard. Sonically, the album feels mechanical, despite the relative rarity of synthesizers on the album. The mechanical feel of the album is produced through an unusual tightness of sound and heavily processed instruments and subtle processing on vocals (the vocals most noticeably being altered on the last track, which also focuses female vocals as a counterpoint). Synths make an appearance during the three interludes, which I honestly think could have been shaved off. The only real weakness of the album lies in its runtime, which can feel like a Marathon at over an hour of similar material. What Satyricon present here, however, is a refresging reinterpretation of the black metal sound, stripped of theatrics and tightened up to an unusual degree. Purists might hate it, but I ain´t no purist.
Rating: 7/10.
#5: Satyricon - Volcano
Genre: Black Metal / Black and Roll
Label: Moonfog Productions / Capitol records
Year: 2002
On 'Volcano', Satyricon double down on the new influences that appeared on its predecessor, 'Rebel Extravangza'. 'Volcano' is more rock oriented in every way: Trem Picking is rare, but purposeful when it appears and there are barely any blast beats. The album is so rock oriented and decidedly more mainstream, in fact, that Slipknots Joey Jordison subbed for frost in an american tour. Luckily, this does not result in a lack of bite on the album. The snake that appears on the cover is a good metaphor for the album as a whole: Songs slither forward in varying tempos, not always linear and often slowing down to a doomy crawl. It is in these doom and groove oriented moments, like the nasty pinch harmonic riff on 'Angstridden' or the perpetual slowdown on closer 'Black Lava' where the album shines.
If I recall correctly, Satyr envisioned the album as a progressive black and roll record. Some of the ideas used are more interesting on paper than they are actually to listen to, however. The female talk singing that bookends the album, for example, works well on the closer but not necessarily as well on the opener, where the mix is not ideal for these and they seem somewhat misplaced. Furthermore, this is a long album considering that the album is, bar such aforementioned experimentations, relatively homogenous. I feel that this album has potential to grow on me (many people online have commented that it did) - but for now I must concede that 'Rebel Extravaganza', even being even more homogenous, has better songwriting and pacing. My score reflects this.
Rating: 6/10.
#6: Satyricon - Now, Diabolical
Genre: Black 'n Roll
Label: Kaleidoscope
Year: 2006
For one reason or another, this is Satyricons most listened album on Spotify. This would confuse me if I had not accepted long ago that often the most popular art is the least disagreeable. You see it with films, where the same Superhero stories over and over break into huge boxoffice success. And you see it here: On 'Now, diabolical', Saytricon embrace the blandest possible interpretation of the sound they attempted to perfect on 'Rebel Extravaganza' and 'Volcano'. The increased flanderisation leaves me with an album where I can barely remember anything and, despite the significantly shorter runtime than the two preceding albums, feels like it drags through a lot of it.
I do feel that, more than before, Saytricon are trying to embrace a doomier sound on 'Now, Diabolical'. Especially the title track embraces this notion of lower midpace riffs that try really hard to groove. The performances seems rather devoid of passion and calculated though - the lack of a rock-and-roll attitute makes this album a very dull fare and makes it seem like the musicians don´t really care. It also doesn´t help that the album is much more orthodox than its two predecessor, largely ommitting any attempts at experimentation. The only thing that might count as a sonic experiment is the clean plucking on the final track, 'To the mountains'. Sadly, it comes off as more half-assed than anything else. Satyricon deliver the most middle of the road album yet.
Rating: 5/10.
#7: Satyricon - The Age of Nero Genre: Black Metal / Black and Roll Label: Roadrunner Records
Since 'Rebel Extravaganza', I knew Satyricon had it in them to actually pull off the Black and Roll style. Yet, 'Volcano' and 'Now, Diabolical' had signified a downward trend where the band both distilled their material down to the most barebones interpretation of the style, but also took a lazy approach that lacked intrigue and playfulness. On 'The Age of Nero', Satyricon are able to reclaim some of the vitriol that made 'Rebel Extravaganza' so enjoyable. While the material is even more groove oriented than before and barely has lyrics it still manages to harken back to the original ideals of the second wave. Satyricons interpretation of Black Metal are groovy, satanic punks. I have heard people online bemoan the drum production of this album, and I honestly do not understand why. While the drums don´t appear special mostly (Frost plays very workmanlike on here) I didn´t find the mix to be a detriment. The drums appear very dry to me and are representative of the mix as a whole, which completely eschews the typical overuse of reverb in black metal. It makes me wonder if a more typical black meta production would make this album be more popular amongs the kvlt crowd. As it stands, 'The Age of Nero' is not anything special, but the best effort in this particular style since 'Rebel Extravaganza'. Rating: 7/10.
8: Satyricon - Saytricon
Genre: Black Metal / Black and Roll
Label: Kaleidoscope / Roadrunner Records
Year: 2013
A trend that is as common as it is unfortunate: A band produces a self-titled album, making a statement that this in fact is what the band boils down to andn that it should be viewed as the definitive version of said band, only to have said album be either an attempt at satisfying mainstream sensibilities or to fall flat entirely. It happened with Metallica on the Black album and oh boy, is it happening on this here Satyricon record. On 'Satyricon', the band delivers an album that is entirely lazy, flaccid and uninteresting. The Quality of Wongravens vocals are at an all time low, sounding more constipated than they sound evil and the mix is similarly impotent: Mostly lacking in the bass section, drums feel all too quiet and the guitar tone isn´t interesting enough to make up for any of those shortcomings.
The elephant in the room here, for most reviewers online at least, seems to be the song 'Phoenix'. 'Phoenix' is an attempt by the band to incorporate new elements formerly unknown to the band and it has a certain gothic americana vibe to it. The arrangement on it is barebones and it interrupts the flow of the album in an unpleasant way. The value of the song on the album seems to be to supply a softer reinterpretation of the typical black metal sound, but the uninspired and overall uninteresting writing of the song combined with unnecessary repetition and length make it drag. The band seemed to be aware of this, as they put the albums most aggressive and overall best cut 'Walker on the Wind' directly behind it. If all songs possessed some of the thrashy vigor present in 'Walker on the Wind', this album might actually be worth your time. Luckily, bands aren´t always right what the essence of their sound is - if so, this run would probably have been much harder to do.
Rating: 4/10
#9: Satyricon - Deep Calleth Upon Deep
Genre: Black Metal / Black and Roll
Label: Napalm Records
Year: 2017
I was not exactly excited for the final Satyricon album after I had so much trouble getting into their self-titled album. Satyricon have made a very similar album to their self-titled with 'Deep Calleth Upon Deep', and maybe it is because I was expecting more of the same but...I don´t exactly hate it. Maybe it is that the band went and improved what they had attempetd with their Self-titled, maybe it was a sound they were seeking but couldn´t find. On 'Deep Calleth Upon Deep', no track is as ill-fitting as 'Phoenix' on the self-titled. Experiments are present, but not as intrusive and feel overall more purposeful. The jazzy brass on 'Dissonant' is an off-kilter idea that actually works that is used sparingly enough to not be a total waste.
What saves this album (especially in comparison to the preceding album), is that Satyricon manage to bring some groove back into it. Especially the title track has an enjoyable drive and a slight swagger to it, which made my head bop. The synth usage in this track is inobtrusive enough to not bother me and at the same time a nice touch to give it some atmosphere. Not all tracks groove as hard as this one, however, and it still feels to me as if Frosts talent is somewhat underutilised - the drumming on this album is, again, rather workmanlike and could be much more than is on display. Overall, it is a distinct step into the right direction and it gives me some faint hope for whatever satyricon will do in the future.
I aimed to understand second wave black metal more with this run. I can´t say I do, though. Are Satyricon an outlier? Or can more interesting stuff be found in that scene which I am so critical of?
Rating: 5/10.
Full Album Ranking
Nemesis Divina
Rebel Extravaganza
Dark Medieval Times
The Age of Nero
The Shadowthrone
Volcano
Now, Diabolical
Deep Calleth Upon Deep
Satyricon
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