Satyricon (band)
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox musical artist Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band formed in Oslo in 1991. Satyr and Frost have been the band's core members since 1993, and its only official members since 1997. The band's first three albums typify the Norwegian black metal style. Since its fourth album in 1999, the band has strayed from this style and included elements of traditional heavy metal in their sound. Satyricon was the first Norwegian black metal band to join a multi-national record label (EMI).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
History
[edit]
The band were formed in 1990 as Eczema<ref name="gutsofdarkness">Powaviolenza: Template:Cite web</ref> by the bassist Wargod and drummer Exhurtum. In 1991, they decided to start playing black metal and change the band name to Satyricon. Satyr (Sigurd Wongraven) then joined the band. After the first demo All Evil, Exhurtum was kicked out of the band because he "preferred hanging out with [his] girl at the time rather than kicking down gravestones together with the band",Template:R while Wargod left the music scene and became a UN soldier afterwards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Remaining members Satyr and Lemarchand hired the drummer Frost (Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad) as a session musician and recorded their second and last demo, The Forest Is My Throne. Shortly after this, Lemarchand also left the band. But before leaving the band he recorded guitars (uncredited on the booklet) for the first full-length album, Dark Medieval Times.Template:Citation needed In the meantime, Frost was being "promoted" as a permanent memberTemplate:Citation needed and had recorded drums for the aforementioned album. Satyricon have—with two exceptions—been a two-man band ever since: from 1993–1996, Tomas Thormodsæter 'Samoth' Haugen from Emperor was the bassist and guitarist of Satyricon, and participated in the recording of their second album, The Shadowthrone; and later, in 1996, Darkthrone member Nocturno Culto (Ted Skjellum, known as "Kveldulv" during Satyricon's period) became guitarist on the third full-length Satyricon album, Nemesis Divina.
Rebel Extravaganza, Satyricon's fourth album, was released in 1999. During this period Satyr drastically changed his look by shaving off his hair, as seen in the photoshoot for the album as well as their live performances around this time.
In April and May 2000, Satyricon toured as a supporting band for Pantera.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Phil Anselmo has spoken of his love for black metal numerous times, and has participated in Eibon with Satyricon frontman Satyr.<ref>Various Artists: Moonfog 2000 – A Different Perspective, Moonfog Productions 2000.</ref> They used to be signed with Daron Malakian's music label EatUrMusic.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Their fifth studio album Volcano was released in 2002 and won four awards: the Norwegian Grammy for Best Metal Album, an Alarm award for the track "Fuel for Hatred" in the category Song of the Year, the Alarm Award for Metal Album of the Year and The Oslo award for Best Overall Album.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Satyricon participated in the Darkthrone tribute Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone, released by Moonfog Productions in 1998, covering the song "Kathaarian Life Code". In the same year, Satyricon participated in the Bathory tribute In Conspiracy with Satan – A Tribute to Bathory, released by Hellspawn Records/No Fashion Records, featuring the song "Born for Burning" originally released on Crusade from the North in 1996.
In 2006, Satyricon released Now, Diabolical.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In March 2008, the band headlined the Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo for the first time.
The EP My Skin Is Cold was released before their seventh album, The Age of Nero, which was released on 3 November 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Satyricon released their self-titled eighth full-length album on 9 September 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The band released their first ever Full Length live CD/DVD set titled Live at the Opera which took place in September 2013, alongside the Norwegian National Opera, on 4 May 2015.
A fully remastered 20th anniversary edition of 1996's Nemesis Divina was released on 20 May 2016.
According to Satyricon's official Facebook page, they entered the studio in March 2017 to record their ninth full-length studio album titled Deep Calleth Upon Deep, which was completed in Summer 2017 and was released on 22 September.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Frost had stated in recent interviews that once the new album was released, they would then complete work on their first ever covers album Formative Oddities, though they have yet to announce its release date. The band also revealed plans to release a new studio album with original material in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, this was later pushed back to a May 2024 release, but again the album did not surface by this point. As of 2025 it is still not known when the new studio album will surface. It will mark their longest ever gap of 8 years between studio albums when it is released.
On June 8, 2022, the band announced their new soundtrack album, Satyricon & Munch, would be released digitally on June 10, with physical releases to follow sometime in the future. The album features music created for the Satyricon & Munch exhibition held since April 29 at the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, which celebrates the life and works of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Musical style
[edit]The band's first album, 1993's Dark Medieval Times, showed off the fascination Satyricon had with the Middle Ages and featured raw black metal blast beats produced by Frost, mixed with acoustic guitar and flute. On their next album, The Shadowthrone, this medieval spirit was continued. Rock Hard journalist Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann wrote that Satyricon reached their "very early zenith" with that album and Nemesis Divina.<ref name=rh269>"Satyricon erreichen mit "The Shadowthrone" und "Nemesis Divina" ihren sehr frühen Zenit und begeben sich danach auf neue musikalische Pfade, die nur noch bedingt etwas mit Black Metal zu tun haben." Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann: Under the Sign of the Black Mark. Die zweite Generation des Black Metal. In: Rock Hard, no. 269, October 2009, p. 78.</ref>
Describing their fifth studio album, 2002's Volcano, frontman Satyr stated in a press release and biography on their homepage that "the music is rock based but more extreme; it is black metal pushing the boundaries that began with bands like Venom and Bathory. Reinventing ourselves based on a foundation of rock-oriented black metal is our philosophy."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mühlmann wrote that Satyricon's path after their zenith was reached with their second and third album has only a limited connection to black metal,Template:R whereas Metal Hammer journalist Robert Müller described Satyr as a "latently arrogant guy who, along the way, makes great music that constantly tests the borders of the genre".<ref>"BLAKE JUDD ist für den US-Black Metal in etwa das, was Satyr von Satyricon im norwegischen darstellt: Ein latent arroganter Typ, der ganz nebenbei großartige Musik macht, welche ständig die Grenzen des Genres austestet." Robert Müller: Nachtmystium. Genialer Grosskotz. In: Metal Hammer, September 2012, p. 84.</ref>
Band members
[edit]Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
Current members
[edit]- Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass (1991–present)
- Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad – drums (1993–present)
Current live members
[edit]- Steinar "Azarak" Gundersen – guitars (1999–present)
- Anders Hunstad – keyboards (2011–present)
- Attila Vörös – guitars (2017–present)
- Phil Pieters Smith – bass (2024–present)
Former members
[edit]- Ted "Kveldulv" Skjellum – guitars (1996–1997)
- Tomas "Samoth" Haugen – bass, guitars (1993–1996)
- Carl-Michael "Exhurtum" Eide – drums (1991–1992)
- Vegard "Wargod" Tønsberg Bakke – bass (1991–1992)
- Håvard "Lemarchand" Jørgensen – guitars, bass (1991–1993)
Former live members
[edit]- Frank Bello - bass (2024)
- Dirk Verbeuren – drums (2014)
- Silmaeth – bass (2011–2012)
- Anders Odden – bass (2009–2024)
- Brice Leclercq – bass (2009–2011)
- Gildas Le Pape – guitars (2008–2013; studio 2013)
- Victor Brandt – bass (live & studio 2008)
- Schoft – guitars (2007)
- Trym Torson – drums (2004)
- Joey Jordison – drums (2004; died 2021)
- Jonna "Windhfyr"Nikula – keyboards (2003–2011)
- Ivar Bjørnson – keyboards (2003)
- Lars K. Norberg – bass (2002–2007)
- Arnt Ove "A.O Grønbech" Grønbech – guitars (2002–2007)
- Terje "Cyrus" Andersen – guitars (2000–2002)
- Kine Hult – keyboards (2000–2002)
- Jan Erik "Tyr" Tiwaz – bass (2000)
- Morten "Sanrabb" Furuly – guitars (1999)
- Terje Vik "Tchort" Shei – guitars (1997–1999)
- Daniel "Død" Olaisen – guitars (1996–1999)
- Richard "Daimon" Cabeza – bass (1997)
- Kenneth "Destroyer"/"Svartalv" Skibrek Halvorsen – bass (1996)
Timeline
[edit]<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:60 top:5 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1991 till:{{#time: m/d/Y }} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1991 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1991
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals,_keyboards id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.95)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars
LineData =
color:studio layer:back at:10/25/1993 at:09/12/1994 at:04/22/1996 at:09/06/1999 at:10/25/2002 at:04/17/2006 at:11/03/2008 at:09/03/2013 at:09/22/2017 at:06/10/2022
BarData =
bar:Satyr text:"Satyr" bar:Lemarchand text:"Lemarchand" bar:Kvelduv text:"Kvelduv" bar:Wargod text:"Wargod" bar:Samoth text:"Samoth" bar:Exhurtum text:"Exhurtum" bar:Frost text:"Frost"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Satyr from:01/01/1991 till:end color:vocals bar:Satyr from:08/01/1992 till:10/01/1993 color:bass width:7 bar:Satyr from:10/13/1995 till:end color:bass width:7 bar:Satyr from:08/01/1992 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Exhurtum from:01/01/1991 till:07/01/1992 color:drums bar:Wargod from:01/01/1991 till:08/01/1992 color:bass bar:Lemarchand from:01/01/1991 till:08/13/1993 color:guitar bar:Lemarchand from:08/01/1992 till:08/13/1993 color:bass width:3 bar:Frost from:10/13/1992 till:end color:drums bar:Samoth from:10/01/1993 till:10/13/1995 color:bass bar:Samoth from:10/01/1993 till:10/13/1995 color:guitar width:3 bar:Kvelduv from:12/01/1995 till:06/01/1997 color:guitar
</timeline>
Recording
[edit]| Album | Vocals | Rhythm guitar | Lead guitar | Bass | Drums | Keyboards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Evil | Satyr | Lemarchand | Wargod | Exhurtum | none | |
| The Forest is My Throne | Satyr | Lemarchand | Satyr | Frost | ||
| Dark Medieval Times | Torden | |||||
| The Shadowthrone | Satyr | Samoth | S.S | |||
| Nemesis Divina | Kveldulv | Satyr | Gerlioz | |||
| Rebel Extravaganza | Satyr
Anders Odden (3 tracks) |
Satyr
Anders Odden (1 track) Snorre Ruch (3 tracks) |
Satyr | Satyr
Gerlioz (1 track) | ||
| Volcano | Satyr | Erik Ljunggren | ||||
| Now, Diabolical | Satyr | Lars K. Norberg | Satyr | |||
| My Skin is Cold | Satyr (3 tracks)
A. O. Grønbech (2 tracks) |
Satyr (3 tracks)
Steinar Gundersen (2 tracks) |
Victor Brandt (1 track)
Satyr (2 tracks) Lars K. Norberg (2 tracks) |
Satyr (3 tracks)
Jonna Nikula (2 tracks) | ||
| The Age of Nero | Satyr | Snorre Ruch | Victor Brandt | Satyr
Windhfyr | ||
| Satyricon | Satyr
Sivert Høyem (1 track) |
Gildas Le Pape | Satyr | Satyr
Erik Ljunggren | ||
| Live at the Opera | Satyr | Gildas Le Pape | Steinar Gundersen | Anders Odden | Anders Hunstad | |
| Deep Calleth Upon Deep | Anders Odden | Satyr | Satyr | |||
| Satyricon & Munch | none | Satyr | ||||
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR <ref name="nor">Template:Cite web</ref> |
BEL (Fl) <ref name="bel-fl">Template:Cite web</ref> |
BEL (Wa) <ref name="bel-wa">Template:Cite web</ref> |
FIN <ref name="fin">Template:Cite web</ref> |
FRA <ref name="fr">Template:Cite web</ref> |
GER <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
SWE <ref name="swe">Template:Cite web</ref> |
SWI <ref name="sw1">Template:Cite web</ref> |
UK <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
UK Rock & Metal <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||||
| Dark Medieval Times |
|
— | — | — | — | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | |||
| The Shadowthrone |
|
— | — | — | — | — | 69 | — | — | — | — | |||
| Nemesis Divina |
|
— | 107 | — | — | — | 71 <ref name="http://www.offiziellecharts.de">Template:Cite web</ref> |
— | — | — | — | |||
| Rebel Extravaganza |
|
32 | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Volcano |
|
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
||
| Now, Diabolical |
|
2 | — | — | 28 | — | — | 47 | — | 195 | 7 |
|
||
| The Age of Nero |
|
5 | — | — | 30 | 136 | 73 | 26 | — | 156 | 8 |
|
| |
| Satyricon |
|
1 | 108 | 148 | 6 | 132 | 37 | 18 | 47 | 129 | 10 |
|
||
| Deep Calleth Upon Deep |
|
7 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
61 | 84 | 17 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
152 | 20 | 36 <ref>Template:Cite web Click on "Veckans albumlista".</ref> |
25 | — | 18 | |||
| Satyricon & Munch |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 72 | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
[edit]| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Box Set |
|
| Ten Horns – Ten Diadems |
|
Split albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The Forest Is My Throne / Yggdrassil |
|
|
EPs
[edit]| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Megiddo |
|
| Intermezzo II |
|
| My Skin Is Cold |
|
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR Template:R | ||||||||||||||
| 2003 | "Fuel for Hatred" | Template:Spaced ndash | Volcano | |||||||||||
| 2006 | "K.I.N.G." | 7 | Now, Diabolical | |||||||||||
| "The Pentagram Burns" | Template:Spaced ndash | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | "Black Crow on a Tombstone" | Template:Spaced ndash | The Age of Nero | |||||||||||
| 2013 | "Our World, It Rumbles Tonight" | Template:Spaced ndash | Satyricon | |||||||||||
| 2017 | "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" | Template:Spaced ndash | Deep Calleth Upon Deep | |||||||||||
| 2017 | "To Your Brethren in the Dark" | Template:Spaced ndash | Deep Calleth Upon Deep | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Demos
[edit]| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| All Evil |
|
| The Forest Is My Throne |
|
Video albums
[edit]| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Roadkill Extravaganza – A True Roadmovie |
|
| Live at the Opera |
|
Music videos
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Mother North" | Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven | Nemesis Divina |
| 2002 | "Fuel for Hatred" | Jonas Åkerlund | Volcano |
| 2006 | "K.I.N.G"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | John Nothingworth | Now, Diabolical |
| "The Pentagram Burns"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Håvard Arnstad | ||
| 2008 | "Black Crow on a Tombstone"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Ove Heiborg, Fredrik Kiosterud | The Age of Nero |
| 2013 | "Phoenix"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Center | Satyricon |
A music video was made for "To Your Brethren in the Dark", directed by Laban Pheidias. The video (the first from the band in nine years), features American actresses Tonya Cornelisse, Jesse Hotchkiss, Diana Wyenn and Shawn Kathryn Kane.