-Satyricon-

At the year of 1991, when underground activity is quite extensive, a person called Satyr forms a band which is nowadays known as Satyricon. In the same year they record a demo, that will never be released. At that time they call themselves Omnipotence. In '92 they release their first official demo, 'Satyricon', which sells quite well. At the end of the year two of the band-members are leaving the band due to internal problems. At the same time a new drummer enters the band, named Frost (I named one of my rats after him). In 1993 the band records another demo, 'The forest is my throne'. The number of copies of this demo is very limited, probably that's why it will be re-released in 1995. In '94 No Fashion signs Satyricon, but due to financial problems this label can't pay for the required studio-time to finish the recordings of their first full-length album. They finish the recordings themselves and at that time the label Tatra becomes very interested in the band. Because Satyricon's music is very unusual for Tatra, Satyr and Frost form a sub-label (of Tatra), called Moonfog and finally the album 'Dark medieval times' can be released. It's quite grimm, black metal, full of some sort of medieval atmosphere (what's in a title), which is very original. Flutes and acoustic guitar parts add a great deal to this cold, though very nice sound. Their second album is called 'Shadowthrone' and is also very well received. This album is grimmer and more simplistic than the first one, but is also even more atmospheric, perhaps because of the folk influences present. In the year 1996 Satyricon releases a split-cd which consists of their old demo 'The forest is my throne' together with Enslaved's demo 'Yggdrasil'. Logically, the sound of this album descends from a time before 'Dark medieval times'. It's a harsher and more brutal.

In '96 the third album 'Nemesis divina' is released. This album is at some times quite experimental because of some technical elements, though they maintain their typical Satyricon-sound, again some folk-influences appear. The album concludes the classic song 'Mother North'

Also in '96 Satyricon 'spoils' their fans with a 'Mother North'-videotape, and they're very proud to be the first black metal band ever doing something like this. The tape shows us some typical hobbies band-members of black metal bands indulge in like breathing fire, swinging with axes and drinking blood. At the same time the band tries to visualize some of the beauty of northern nature by showing a typical Norwegian girl dancing around naked (perhaps that's why there are two versions on the video) and some beautiful landscape shots. Satyr once mentioned in an interview 'the forest is my biggest inspirational source for lyrics and music', this idea becomes even more clearly by watching this video.

Really experimental is Satyricon's next minicd 'Megiddo', including a very psycho remix of 'the dawn of a new age' a song from 'Nemesis Divina'. This remix is made by Apoptygma Bezerk and it’s actually a kind of industrialized version of the original song. 'Megiddo' further consists of a cover of Motörhead's old classic 'Orgasmatron', together with a live version of the song 'Forhekset' from 'Nemesis divina' and a rerecording of a song from 'Dark medieval times', given a different name. After 'Megiddo' another minicd called 'Intermezzo II' is being released, in ’98. This cd exists of an old version of 'A moment of clarity', a remix of 'Nemesis Divina' , a cover of Sarcofago's 'Inri' and one new song.

Finally in 1999, Satyricon releases their fourth full-length album, entitled 'Rebel extravaganza'. Again a very good album with a more brutal and aggressive sound. Satyr's comment on this album 'we are an extravagant band and it's true in a way that we are still rebels'. And that's what they are ; they're still being everything but narrow-minded or conservative. They recently launched a second videotape, called 'Roadkill extravaganza', featuring live-shots, backstage, drunkenness and so on, some sort of 'the daily life of Satyricon'.