‘NOW, DIABOLICAL’ - SATYRICON

Considering Satyricon comprises only two fulltime members, they make one hell of a racket. For a Satanic black metal band, they are also surprisingly bouncy. Unlike much of the aggressively bleak and hopelessly desolate material that is produced in the name of the dark lord, Satyricon’s lively riffs and stampeding drums produce a sound that is impossibly catchy. Anyone who listens to this album without bopping their head has surely had their spinal cord severed.
It is for this reason – its exceptional accessibility – that ‘Now, Diabolical’ will prove to be an incredibly important album, not only for Satyricon but also for black metal in general. It will open this often impenetrable and ridiculously self-serious style of music kicking and screaming (for better or worse) into the mainstream.

Its significance aside, ‘Now, Diabolical’ is a fantastically composed album; the musicianship is flawless, the sound perfectly balanced, the snarling lyrics so addictive you’ll be singing them all day without even realising it. Until now Satyricon have remained relatively obscure, but this album will undoubtedly change that. A definite contender for Best Album of the Year.

7/7