The band were formed in 1990 as Eczema 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 my girl at the time rather than kicking down gravestones together with the band", while Wargod left the music scene and became a UN soldier afterwards. 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. In the meantime, Frost was being "promoted" as a permanent member 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. Phil Anselmo has spoken of his love for black metal numerous times, and has participated in Eibon with Satyricon frontman Satyr. They used to be signed with Daron Malakian's music label EatUrMusic.
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.
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. 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. Satyricon released their self-titled eighth full-length album on 9 September 2013.
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 recent updates on 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. 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.
On June 8, 2022, the band announced their new 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.
Musical style
The band's first album, 1994's Dark Medieval Times (recorded in 1993), 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.
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." 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, 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".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyricon_(band)
Studio albums
Dark Medieval Times (1993)
The Shadowthrone (1994)
Nemesis Divina (1996)
Rebel Extravaganza (1999)
Volcano (2002)
Now, Diabolical (2006)
The Age of Nero (2008)
Satyricon (2013)
Deep Calleth Upon Deep (2017)
Satyricon & Munch (2022)
Mother North
Satyricon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can they sleep
While their beds are burning
Mother North
Your fields are bleeding
Memories...the invisible Wounds
Pictures that enshrine your throne are gone
A future benighted
Still they are blind
Pigeonhearted beings of flesh and blood
Keeps closing their eyes
For the dangers that threaten
Ourselves and our nature
And that is why they all enrage me
Sometimes in the dead of the night
I mesmerize my soul
Sights and visions
Prophecies and horror
They all come in one
Mother North
United we stand (together we walk)
Phantom North
I'll be there when you hunt them down
The song "Mother North" by Satyricon is a powerful and haunting piece that speaks of the destruction of nature and the blindness of mankind towards it. The opening line "How can they sleep while their beds are burning" alludes to the fact that while people may be aware of the damage caused to the earth, they are not taking any action, instead choosing to turn a blind eye to the problem. The metaphor of "Mother North" is used to personify nature, and it is suggested that it is bleeding and wounded as a result of human actions.
The lyrics continue to describe how the memories of the beauty of nature are fading away, and the images of it are gone. The future is portrayed as being bleak and hopeless, and yet people continue to ignore the dangers that threaten themselves and the environment. This idea is reinforced in the line "pigeon-hearted beings of flesh and blood keep closing their eyes", emphasising the cowardice of human beings. Nonetheless, the anger that the singer feels towards people who are apathetic to the destruction of the earth is clear. The haunting quality of the song is heightened by the fact that the singer, in the dead of the night, is envisioning sights and visions of the destruction wrought upon Mother North.
In the final stanza, there is a call for unity in fighting against those who damage nature, with the line "united we stand (together we walk)". The reference to "Phantom North" is an interesting one, as it suggests that the prospect of nature's true glory is something that is elusive and temporary. Overall, the lyrics suggest that there is an urgent need for people to wake up and take action before it is too late, and that Mother Nature will not remain silent forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother North
Addressing the natural beauty of the north as a mother figure
How can they sleep
Expressing shock at the ability of people to ignore the destruction of nature happening around them
While their beds are burning
Metaphor for the destruction of nature and loss of resources as people continue their destructive ways
Your fields are bleeding
Describing the damage done to the natural environment through pollution and resource extraction
Memories...the invisible Wounds
Reminding listeners of the unseen and lasting damage caused by human exploitation of nature
Pictures that enshrine your throne are gone
Referring to the destruction of landscapes and cultural heritage by human activities
A future benighted
Suggesting that the continued destruction of nature will lead us into a dark and uncertain future
Still they are blind
Highlighting the ignorance and apathy of humans in the face of environmental crises
Pigeonhearted beings of flesh and blood
Describing humans as cowardly creatures limited by their physical bodies
Keeps closing their eyes
Continuing the imagery of blindness to the dangers facing the environment
For the dangers that threaten
Emphasizing the real and present dangers to nature and humanity
Ourselves and our nature
Drawing a connection between human beings and nature, emphasizing our dependence on the natural world
And that is why they all enrage me
Stating the singer's anger and frustration towards humanity's disregard for the environment
Sometimes in the dead of the night
Setting the scene for introspection and reflection
I mesmerize my soul
Expressing the singer's need for spiritual sustenance and connection to nature
Sights and visions
Referring to the beautiful and awe-inspiring experiences that can be found in the natural world
Prophecies and horror
Acknowledging the grim and uncertain future that lies ahead
They all come in one
Unifying the experience of beauty and horror in nature
United we stand (together we walk)
Calling for collaboration and unity in the face of environmental collapse
Phantom North
Suggesting the fleeting and ethereal nature of the northern wilderness
I'll be there when you hunt them down
Promising solidarity and support in the fight to protect and preserve nature
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
Upon fact checking this we were unable to locate this interview and so have removed this point from the information above.
Andrew
Interview source?