This will be my third entry into Satyricon's recent work as I found them via online around 2005 via iTunes radio. The song was Black Lava, which griped my attention something fierce. Next up was a song called The Scorn Torrent (Rebel Extravaganza) which was a completely different side that I was unaware of.
Though I was introduced by the first single: Fuel For Hatred (a very cheesy song) somewhat indirectly, didn't resonate as well. Coming back to Black Lava I actually liked because of the shifts and duration.
The capacity of Satyricon either straddles my interest, or ruffles me somewhat. I've had a distinct issue with the over the top blatant prose and attitude employed by them specifically. Their records have a different spin to what is expected of the black metal mantra.
Yet Satyricon are often encased in a confrontational and evasive rockstar attitude. Since Volcano onward each record doesn't balance so much what I liked about the next area of sound. I settled into a lot of ambient, and atmospheric pieces of black metal.
Satyricon are the top of the heap, recognized by their stature, and (depending on who you ask) popularity. They elicit their own novel script of fast, and mean forceful tone. Occasionally the band will touch on scopes of drawn out passages with song structure. Nothing is without its purpose though, but sometimes they can be extremely self reliant, or inclusive into their own narrative and whim.
There has to be a kind of process that artists can take apart with what has come before, and reinvent or re-energize what makes a band who they are. The last few releases in my estimation are pop constructs in each and every precept of the word. They cashed in while there was a kind of interest before things started to putter out.
In the last couple of years, black metal has had this elitist bullshit problem. I've seen and heard all the missives about whether a band is more black metal or not. Whether black metal is being true to its core mission statement, or being a complete sell-out.
I find this to be as asinine and complete without point because art is subjective in a most loose term possible. I as a listener can pick out whether the band is being genuine, or just phoning it in as it were. In no way shape or form have they but with Satyricon I wonder if it is time to rethink this.
Having heard much of the record, this will definitely put a large strain on diehard fans of the band. For me I'm juggling with how different this is. There is power, and the recognition of the band is still in the 'sound' yet what I have heard will take some getting used to.
Like Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus (2011) record, Satyricon is going to create a lot of friction, and that is okay because as of late black metal needs a major kick in the ass to get out of it's comfort zone. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. Thanks for reading.
B.
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