Norway’s favourite sons have returned with the follow up to 2006′s genre busting “Now, Diabolical” album. To fully understand this album, it is important to look at Satyricon and the steps they have taken since 1993, and their medieval metal debut “Dark Medieval Times.” Satyricon were always considered a different type of black metal band, they incorporated many different elements to their music. Frost’s blastbeats played over acoustic guitar and flute, giving depth and colour to a genre so often clouded in black. Every album they released up until 2002 pushed Black Metal as far as it could go, even incorporating some Industrial elements on “Rebel Extravaganza.” When “Volcano” was released in ’02, the band finally got the sound they wanted. Pushing the Black Metal influences on rock and roll music, the band achieved commercial credit, with a Norwegian Grammy nomination for the single “Fuel For Hatred.” This paved the way for “Now, Diabolical.” their last album was nothing short of spectacular. Critics slated the band for this album, because it was so damned catchy and well-made, with song structures that did not belong in your average Black Metal band. Satyr and Frost defended the album by saying that they were taking Black Metal to an entriely new audience, and songs like “K.I.N.G” and “The Pentagram Burns” showed that the band could get away with anything, still keeping the brutality and technical skill.

This is why “The Age Of Nero” is a difficult album to review. Upon first listen, I was not as blown away as I would have hoped. Following the best record of your career is always going to be a difficult task, especially when fans expect something new from each Satyricon album, as has been their custom. Opener “Commando” is very promising. Whips and blastbeat drumming bring in the darkness of an album mostly written in a forest cabin in Norway. Lyrics of dragons breathing fire raise an eyebrow or two, but the heaviness has definately been upped a notch from their previous work. Second song “The Wolfpack” feels a lot like “K.I.N.G” with the growl/speak duality riding through the chorus, and although these two songs are good, they feel like a build up to something bigger. That something arrives in the form of single “Black Crow On A Tombstone.” This is a fucking excellent song, and for me describes Satyricon perfectly as they are in 2008. Awesome riffage, vocal hooks to die for, and a stomping chorus carry Satyr’s evil sounding vocals to new heights. “Die By My Hand” is a very heavy doom-laden track, over seven minutes in length, which carries the nihilistic poetry of Satyricon firmly on it’s shoulders with the line “Accept defeat and find peace…..”. Necro readers will be familiar with the next track “My Skin Is Cold”, a former single of the EP of the same name. It has been tweaked slightly for the album, is slightly heavier, but carries all the darkness this band have came to be known for.

Lyrically the album lives up to it name. “Nero” means darkness in Italian, and genius in Finnish. Given the attitude of this band, either are appropriate. Writing this album in a Norwegian cabin has certainly influenced Satyr to write about the land he loves, however there is nothing on this album that tops the occult-inspired “Now, Diabolical.”

The band have already said that they were not intending to make massive steps in terms of musical direction or innovativeness with this album, and I would not contradict them, or insult them, by saying that this is their best work. “The Age Of Nero” is a fine black metal record, one very worthy of their catalogue, and beats the majority of other albums 2008 has seen in terms of heaviness and attitude. And it gets better with each listen, i promise!

[OxKing]