Satyr is a brilliant man that created the best of the ever best music. Dark Medieval Times is a unique masterpiece, deeply atmospheric, and I really love the original raw raspy sound of it - that benefited the vibe of the album a lot. It feels like Satyr doesn't think that album is up to his level anymore, which is a pity, as the album is truly great.
For a musician things only go in one direction. If you feel your best work is never ahead of you then there is little point in carrying on as a composer/creator. Only the fans have the luxury of living in the past. I agree with you btw, but i feel this kind of art/atmosphere was never purposely created but a by product of the constraints at the time. I love the cover but Satyr obviously dislikes it.
lol using the red neck example for racists??? Sigurd You not only know how the scene in norway was in the 90s not to mention many of your own lyrics in satyricon and your project Storm, more english speakers should look into the lyrics on that album. And the only reason you put down your ideals is the same as why you changed the music. It has nothing to do with anything else than you wanting MONEY. Varg has become the lone wolf in later years but this is do to the other so called wolfs of the same scene has turned into the sheep,
I’d love to have a nice glass of good wine with you someday Satyr. I´m from Spain and as you well know, the Spanish wines of "Ribera del Duero" and "Rioja" are world famous.... "Dark Medieval Times" , "Fjelltronen" , "The Shadowthrone"... The most True and Pure Norwegian Black Metal, you can’t live without these three albums... Masterpiece¡¡¡ You’re a lovely guy Satyr! Thank you very much for your Music!
I understand that he wanted to change the cover art of the original two albums as they looked very out of place and amature compared to the rest. The shadowthrone is even a step down in the cover art department and so forgetabble. And i think booth albms have been a bit underrated and especially shadowthrone i think because of the cover. It looked so unfinished and like a step back visually and forgetabble compared to the previous and what came later so this might also have made people subconsiously also treated the album as such
Satyricon is definately one of the most unique bands from Norway,Satyr is right about the fans from different generations enjoying different albums,Im 23 and i learned about them from The Age of Nero,I think this album has almost nothing to do with traditional black metal but it was something special and carried a feeling which was genreless,the valuable thing about them is that they do this with every album they write,they just invent a new musical entity everytime.
Listening to him talking about making the choices for next album I'm certain it's going to be another grower. Like, the first time I hear it some parts will sound like a mess, or won't make sense, but after a few more days it all sinks in and I can't even remember which parts initially bugged me. And yeah, the tonality. As he's talking about the songs where it appears my brain starts playing them in the background. Excellent interview!
Poor Satyr, he always speaks so slowly, I particularly think it is a very good sign of a good conversationalist but in these days of consumerism it does not seem to be a good quality
actually 0.5 is better if wine is on your menu. ;) Put the conversation outside a bar and these guys standing in line facing the bouncer you'd end up thinking "Sorry guys. Not tonight".
If you don’t like words and feelings to marinate to their fullness with time, then yes. I think the messages sink in differently when you listen at regular speed
I want most to get an analog sound as much as possible with my digital gear. I can’t afford Analog outboard gear, I wonder how he gets that analog warmth, tape plugins emulation and tube emulation???
wonderful interview! i'm looking forward to hearing the new album next year, especially since Satyr's been showing some collaboration with Snorre Ruch on his instagram recently ٩( ᐛ )و
Actually, most so-called "rock stars" are in this business to solicit attention, not to express anything sincere, deep and substantial - which is what makes Satyricon stand out. They are among very few who still legitimise the so-called metal scene, constantly compromised by the clichés and shenanigans of "legends" like Judas Priest for example.
As far as black metal, here's a wonderful explication by Frost: "Many people have misunderstood what black metal is all about. It seems to me that many people are lacking a sense of history, lacking an understanding of where it comes from, what are its musical roots, and what really is the essence of the genre. What most musicians experience is that sooner or later they want to find the roots, to explore them and understand how things have gotten to be. Then of course you start to find a fascination with the founding fathers of the genres that eventually gave birth to your own. In Satyricon we listen to some really old blues music and there's this strong dark aura that hangs heavily on those artists. And it has that kind of character, an authenticity, and even if we don't like the religious aspect in itself, it makes sense as a part of the totality. These roots are part of the historic evidence every musician should be aware of. Sooner or later it will lead to the blues, but this is mainly Satyr's thing, and my own roots are primarily in the 80s and hard rock. AC/DC were and still are masters of really groovy, boogie rocknroll music, and to integrate some of that groove and dirty rocknroll feeling into your own music, that's enriching. Some people find that rocknroll-based music is by definition lacking aggression or not dark, which is a great misconception in metal music. Black metal is a music genre that's creative itself, it's very open; it's not defined by strictly technical characteristics - it's defined by the atmosphere, the moods, the vibes. And basically, that gives a certain freedom to musicians of our genre. You are very free to bring in elements from all different sorts of music, bring in unconventional instruments, and you could go as far as making purely electronic or drone-based music and still call it black metal. I think it has to be understood that the genre was born by really creative, innovative artists, and those brought a lot of avant-garde elements into it, and created black metal as a musical arena for very dark ambiance but also for lots of creativity. You can base the music on thrash metal or death metal or heavy metal or rocknroll or whatever else - the focus point has to be the atmosphere that it brings. I think too many people have been falling into a trap: they think they want to do this black metal thing, and all they manage to focus on is the imagery and superficial elements, not really the essence of the genre. What was mainly there to create contrast, suddenly becomes main ingredients: melodies, harmonies, female vocals, synthesizers, orchestral arrangements and all that kind of thing that isn't really essential to the genre. It was brought to create contrast only because there was room for it."
Satyr, if you read this - Idk if you tried it already but here's my 5 cents for creativity: try using extended range guitars (8+ strings) - they are awesome not only for stereotypical djent, but if used wisely - for any type of music, including black metal. It's like piano range = more creative field to explore. Also, for quickly recording your ideas you could use laptop or desktop computer + audio interface (for guitars, bass, vocals synth and anything else). There's a world of excellent ampsims and soft synths, including the vintage ones (where you can save presets) - and amazing sound versatility to play with and experiment on the go. Pretty much studio grade. So that your ideas won't be lost.
I guarantee you he is using those things already to record ideas in the pre-production stages, even if he initially just jams and records his ideas on his voice memo app on his phone !
Wonder how he spoke to me 45 mins instead of my 30 min slot and hang up 2 times phone call from the next interviewer saying he wants to finish this interview with me fully. 🤣🤣
Very good interview, it seemed to me that you did not harass him with uncomfortable questions it is just that the man seems very immersed in his mind every time he is going to answer a question, He seems to be a guy who searches very well for what word to say to convey his ideas in the best way and you knew how to conduct the interview without cutting him off in a rude way Even though for many people it may seem slow and boring, you didn't let the interview stall and you were polite, he seems like a complicated character to deal with. Above all for time reasons, I have seen many interviews where they leave him in the middle of the answer and put words about his at the same time that he is speaking that clearly reflect discomfort in his face but the man is very kind, for those of us who appreciate music from the perspective of a composer, this interview is excellent 👌🏻
