In 1994, SATYRICON certainly released their best album with this masterpiece of Norwegian Black Metal. SATYR(guitar, grim voices and choirs, acoustics), FROST(battery) ans SAMOTH from EMPEROR (bass guitar) took inspiration from the magnificient Norwegian landscapes to create this pure pieces of Norsk music. This would be the perfect soundtrack for a walk through the fjords, mountains, woods and lakes that exist in Norway ! The melodic, atmospheric and medieval Black metal played thoughout the whole album leads you into frozen landscapes, places where the cold beauties are so numerous you forget everything that's all around. Pure vocals, sometimes aggressive as Hell, sometimes obsessing, perfect drum parts, crystaline synth parts and simply KILLER guitar riffs played a typical Northern (Norwegian) style will make you forget about everything you thought you knew about Black Metal ! Here we deal about music beyond any description, music for those who understand the feeling developped by the Norwegian masters on their first recordings (EMPEROR, DARKTHRONE etc.). And at the time, Satyr deserved the respect of the whole scene as all his creations were made of gold (STORM, SATYRICON, WONGRAVEN...). Hail SATYRICON, Hail "The Shadowthrone" !!

9.5 / 10

© 2003 lord pesten