Satyricon ‘Now Diabolical’ CD 2006
The long awaited return from Satyr and Frost’s main band, and the sixth full length, ‘Now Diabolical’ is a step further towards the catchy hook fuelled black metal that took ‘Volcano’ to a wider audience. Each track bursts with energy and gives both musicians a chance to put forward the usual attention to detail while mixing headbanging rhythms with nihilistic bridges.
Again they have opted against pushing keyboards to the front of the mix allowing for a more dramatic feel throughout as the layered guitars slip into each other and the Vocals cascade over them like fire raining from hell.
It may be due to their side projects that ‘Now Diabolical’ has been made into such a polished, snarling beast of an album, with a mind frame of playing live being used on many, but what we have here is a more focused album overall. The strengths of the tracks individually are astonishing, as there is not a shit song on the entire disc. Obviously this is no ‘Dark Medieval Times’, but the progression of this band is easy to plot and understand. After Darkthrone’s ‘The Cult is Alive’ took fans by surprise by stripping away some of the speed in honour of a more traditional metal approach ala Bathory and Hellhammer, Satyricon have gone and done exactly what we expected. A blindingly consistent metal album (credit must also be thrown to Mike Frasier for the mix) that demands ear splitting volume. Praise Satan.
Label: Roadrunner Records
Website: www.satyricon.no
Scribed by: Dom Finbow