Satyricon - Satyricon

Published September 20 2013

*=Staff's pick	Voice Of Shadows Tro Og Kraft* Our World, It Rumbles Tonight* Nocturnal Flare Phoenix* Walker Upon The Wind Nekrohaven* Ageless Northern Spirit The Infinity Of Time And Space Natt

Genre	Black Metal	Satyr	Vocals
Tracks	10	Satyr	Guitar
Running time	51 Min.	Gildas Le Pape	Guitar
Label	Roadrunner Records	Satyr	Bass
Release	09 September 2013	Frost	Drums
Country	Norway	Satyr	Keyboard
Producer	Adam Kasper
Similar artists	---

Satyricon have been experimenting a lot with different influences and sounds since 1999's Rebel Extravaganza, but many people may still be surprised with how their self-titled new album sounds, with its earthy, somewhat mellow rock version of black metal.

It is an album that definitely will stir up a lot of mixed feelings among the fans and I reckon that especially the hard-core black metal fans will have a hard time with this. But in all honesty, I guess those people gave up on Satyricon a long time ago. And it definitely is an album that you need to hear plenty of times before it sinks in. I really didn't know what to think after the first times I listened to it and I guess I was initially disappointed by the pretty low tempo and the progressive elements.

But there really is something genuinely great with this album. It sounds nothing like anything ever released by a black metal band, yet still it sounds very, very much like Satyricon. The melodies and the riffs are somewhat different but still recognizable - there's no doubt that you're listening to a Satyricon album, albeit a very experimental one even by their standards. And without this feeling of recognition I might still have that initial feeling of disappointment, but the more I listen to it, the more clear the vision behind the album gets.

The best example of this is the song Phoenix, with guest vocals from Norwegian rock singer Sivert Høyem. Since the sound of the album differs so much from Satyricon's other work, I felt from the start that this song - that doesn't even feature Satyr on vocals - was completely unnecessary, basically like listening to an okay song from some other band. But after a while, when I let go of these preconceptions about how it should sound, it all just suddenly fell into place and by now it's one of my favourite songs on the entire album, with its fantastic build-up, wonderful vocals and beautiful melodies.

Some other highlights of the album include the stunning Tro Og Kraft, which really shows the power in Satyr's voice, and the progressive Our World, It Rumbles Tonight which was released as a single a while back, reminding people that they shouldn't expect a generic black metal album. I also enjoy Walker Upon The Wind with verses that bring my thoughts to Celtic Frost and Darkthrone, as well as Nekrohaven which probably is the song on the album with the biggest hit potential - there really is no defence against that catchy chorus, where Satyr almost spits out the lyrics.

This is a remarkable album in many ways - even when it doesn't sound very black metal, it still does in a way. And don't worry, if you want something that reminisces a bit more of the old Satyricon, songs like Nocturnal Flare, Walker Upon The Wind, Ageless Northern Spirit and The Infinity Of Time And Space should definitely keep you on your toes, while still challenging you.

Overall, there's a a lot of things I love about this album and I imagine I'll keep listening to it for a long time ahead. It caught me kind of off-guard, leaving me unknowing of what to think at first, but now that it has sunk in I can safely say that it has met my very high expectations. I can't wait to see Satyricon live again and I'll be looking forward to the new songs especially. Check this one out, folks, and be patient because it really grows on you.