Satyricon – The Age of Nero
Satyricon’s latest release, The Age of Nero, presents a solid take on modern blackened metal. From the lo-fi black metal of their early work, Satyricon has adopted a more rock beat and clean sound. Although a continuation of Satyricon’s departure from the growling discordance of pure black metal, The Age of Nero nonetheless presents a decent piece of Norwegian metal.
The album opens with “Commando”, a pulsing, chugging song that holds strong but fails to especially impress. Get past this somewhat weak opening and you’ll find some excellent metal to be had on this album. “The Wolfpack,” “Die By My Hand,” and “Black Crow on a Tombstone” show Frost’s drumming ability, throwing out a heavy, fast beat reminiscent of early Satyricon and Gorgoroth. Satyr strums out a solid cascade of guitar riffing, cranking the music into epic swells and falls. With “My Skin is Cold,” the duo presents a taste of a more traditional melancholy, a feel of something a bit more black. The medieval vibes of earlier works come into play strongly in “The Sign of the Trident” and “Den Siste,” echoing the rhythmic feel of “Angstridden” and other older work.
Though by no means a return to old school black metal, Satyricon has produced a respectable piece of metal in a vein entirely their own. They play with a more marketable, cleaner sound to be sure- but nonetheless put forth a potent piece of very heavy music. The Age of Nero is above all else a solid, well-wrought album, a redemption from the lows of Now, Diabolical that hearkens to roots and affirms Satyricon’s place in the continuing evolution of metal. -Reis Galvan
Immolation – Majesty and Decay
This was my first foray into all things “Immolated” and I have to say I’m impressed. My initial vibe from this band was a subtle mix of Domination-era Morbid Angel (i.e. “Where the Slime Live”) and Celtic Frost, though I’m certain their influences run closer to the latter. After a prerequisite atmospheric intro track, “The Purge” produces some of the best lyrical/ vocal offerings I’ve heard since Death’s “Living Monstrosity.” Seriously, check this shit out: “ More and more, / growing and growing / Spreading and spreading, / taking and ruining / The CANCER is growing, / the CANCER is spreading.” If that’s not enough for you, “A Token of Malice” and “Majesty and Decay” absolutely kill due to an astonishing amount of guitar-induced metallic oppression. This album is definitely worth checking out.-Cameron Davis
Pantheon E-Zine 