Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band formed in Oslo in 1991. Satyr and Frost have been the band's core members since 1993, and its only official members since 1997. The band's first three albums typify Norwegian black metal. Since its fourth album in 1999, the band has included elements of traditional heavy metal. Satyricon was the first Norwegian black metal band to join a multi-national record label (EMI).
History
Bassist Wargod and drummer Exhurtum formed the band in 1990 as Eczema.Powaviolenza: In 1991, they started playing black metal and changed the band name to Satyricon. Satyr (Sigurd Wongraven) joined the band. After the first demo, All Evil, Exhurtum was fired because he "preferred hanging out with [his] girl at the time rather than kicking down gravestones together with the band", while Wargod left the music scene and became a UN soldier. Satyr and Lemarchand hired session drummer Frost (Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad) and recorded their second and last demo, The Forest Is My Throne. Before leaving the band, Lemarchand recorded guitars (uncredited) for the first album, Dark Medieval Times. In the meantime, Frost became a permanent member and recorded drums for the aforementioned album. Satyricon have been a two-man band except from 1993–1996, when Tomas Thormodsæter 'Samoth' Haugen from Emperor was the bassist and guitarist, and participated in their second album, The Shadowthrone; and later, in 1996, when Darkthrone member Nocturno Culto (Ted Skjellum, known as "Kveldulv" during Satyricon's period) played guitar on the third full-length Satyricon album, Nemesis Divina.
Satyricon released their fourth album, Rebel Extravaganza, in 1999. During this period, Satyr shaved off his hair, as seen in the album photos and their live performances at the time.
In April and May 2000, Satyricon toured supporting Pantera. Phil Anselmo has voiced his appreciation for black metal numerous times, and has participated in Eibon with Satyr.Various Artists: Moonfog 2000 – A Different Perspective, Moonfog Productions 2000. They were signed to Daron Malakian's label EatUrMusic.
They released their fifth studio album, Volcano, in 2002. It won the Norwegian Grammy for Best Metal Album, the Alarm Song of the Year award for "Fuel for Hatred", the Alarm Award for Metal Album of the Year, and The Oslo award for Best Overall Album.
Satyricon covered "Kathaarian Life Code" for the Darkthrone tribute Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone, which Moonfog Productions released in 1998. That year, Satyricon covered "Born for Burning" for In Conspiracy with Satan – A Tribute to Bathory, released by Hellspawn Records/No Fashion Records.
In 2006, Satyricon released Now, Diabolical.
In March 2008, the band headlined the Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo for the first time.
The band released the EP My Skin Is Cold before their seventh album, The Age of Nero, which they released on 3 November 2008.
Satyricon released their self-titled eighth album on 9 September 2013.
The band released their first full length live CD/DVD set, 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 Satyricon's official Facebook page, they entered the studio in March 2017 to record their ninth full-length studio album, Deep Calleth Upon Deep, which they completed in Summer 2017 and released on 22 September. Frost stated in interviews that once the album was released, they would complete work on their first covers album, Formative Oddities, though they had yet to announce its release date. The band revealed plans to release a new studio album with original material in 2022. This was pushed back to a May 2024 release, though the album did not surface by that point. As of 2026, it is unknown when a new studio album will be released. It will be their longest gap between studio albums when and if it is released.
On June 8, 2022, the band announced the soundtrack album Satyricon & Munch, which they would release digitally on June 10, with physical releases to follow in the future. The album features music created for the Satyricon & Munch exhibition held since April 29 at the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, celebrating Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.
Musical style The band's first album, 1993's Dark Medieval Times, 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."Satyricon erreichen mit "The Shadowthrone" und "Nemesis Divina" ihren sehr frühen Zenit und begeben sich danach auf neue musikalische Pfade, die nur noch bedingt etwas mit Black Metal zu tun haben." Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann: Under the Sign of the Black Mark. Die zweite Generation des Black Metal. In: Rock Hard, no. 269, October 2009, p. 78.
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"."BLAKE JUDD ist für den US-Black Metal in etwa das, was Satyr von Satyricon im norwegischen darstellt: Ein latent arroganter Typ, der ganz nebenbei großartige Musik macht, welche ständig die Grenzen des Genres austestet." Robert Müller: Nachtmystium. Genialer Grosskotz. In: Metal Hammer, September 2012, p. 84.
Band members
Current members Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass (1991–present) Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad – drums (1993–present)
Current live members Steinar "Azarak" Gundersen – guitars (1999–present) Anders Hunstad – keyboards (2011–present) Attila Vörös – guitars (2017–present) Ben Ash - guitars - (2024 - Present) Frank Bello - bass (2024–present)
Former members Ted "Kveldulv" Skjellum – guitars (1996–1997) Tomas "Samoth" Haugen – bass, guitars (1993–1996) Carl-Michael "Exhurtum" Eide – drums (1991–1992) Vegard "Wargod" Tønsberg Bakke – bass (1991–1992) Håvard "Lemarchand" Jørgensen – guitars, bass (1991–1993)
Former live members
Dirk Verbeuren – drums (2014) Silmaeth – bass (2011–2012) Anders Odden – bass (2009–2024) Brice Leclercq – bass (2009–2011) Gildas Le Pape – guitars (2008–2013; studio 2013) Victor Brandt – bass (live & studio 2008) Schoft – guitars (2007) Trym Torson – drums (2004) Joey Jordison – drums (2004; died 2021) Jonna "Windhfyr"Nikula – keyboards (2003–2011) Ivar Bjørnson – keyboards (2003) Lars K. Norberg – bass (2002–2007) Arnt Ove "A.O Grønbech" Grønbech – guitars (2002–2007) Terje "Cyrus" Andersen – guitars (2000–2002) Kine Hult – keyboards (2000–2002) Jan Erik "Tyr" Tiwaz – bass (2000) Morten "Sanrabb" Furuly – guitars (1999) Terje Vik "Tchort" Shei – guitars (1997–1999) Daniel "Død" Olaisen – guitars (1996–1999) Richard "Daimon" Cabeza – bass (1997) Kenneth "Destroyer"/"Svartalv" Skibrek Halvorsen – bass (1996)
Timeline
Recording +AlbumVocalsRhythm guitarLead guitarBassDrumsKeyboardsAll EvilSatyrLemarchandWargodExhurtumnoneThe Forest is My ThroneSatyrLemarchandSatyrFrostDark Medieval TimesTordenThe ShadowthroneSatyrSamothS.SNemesis DivinaKveldulvSatyrGerliozRebel ExtravaganzaSatyr Anders Odden (3 tracks)Satyr Anders Odden (1 track) Snorre Ruch (3 tracks)SatyrSatyr Gerlioz (1 track)VolcanoSatyrErik LjunggrenNow, DiabolicalSatyrLars K. NorbergSatyrMy Skin is ColdSatyr (3 tracks) A. O. Grønbech (2 tracks)Satyr (3 tracks) Steinar Gundersen (2 tracks)Victor Brandt (1 track) Satyr (2 tracks) Lars K. Norberg (2 tracks)Satyr (3 tracks) Jonna Nikula (2 tracks)The Age of NeroSatyrSnorre RuchVictor BrandtSatyr WindhfyrSatyriconSatyr Sivert Høyem (1 track)Gildas Le PapeSatyrSatyr Erik LjunggrenLive at the OperaSatyrGildas Le PapeSteinar Gundersen Anders OddenAnders HunstadDeep Calleth Upon DeepAnders OddenSatyrSatyrSatyricon & MunchnoneSatyr
Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications NOR BEL (Fl) BEL (Wa) FIN FRA GER SWE SWI UK UK Rock & Metal Dark Medieval Times Released: 25 October 1993 Label: Moonfog Formats: CD, CS, LP, download — — — — — 53 — — — — The Shadowthrone Released: 12 September 1994 Label: Moonfog Formats: CD, CS, LP, download — — — — — 69 — — — — Nemesis Divina Released: 22 April 1996 Label: Moonfog, Century Media Formats: CD, CS, LP, download — 107 — — — 71 — — — — Rebel Extravaganza Released: 6 September 1999 Label: Moonfog, Nuclear Blast Formats: CD, CS, LP, download 32 — — 27 — — — — — — Volcano Released: 25 October 2002 Label: Moonfog, Capitol, eatURmusic Formats: CD, LP, download 4 — — — — — — — — — US: 15,000+ Now, Diabolical Released: 17 April 2006 Label: Roadrunner, Century Media, Columbia Formats: CD, LP, download 2 — — 28 — — 47 — 195 7 NOR: 12,000+ US: 1,500+ The Age of Nero Released: 3 November 2008 Label: Koch, Roadrunner, Indie Formats: CD, LP, download 5 — — 30 136 73 26 — 156 8 NOR: 15,000+ US: 6,000+ NOR: Gold Satyricon Released: 9 September 2013 Label: Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner, Indie Formats: CD, LP, download 1 108 148 6 132 37 18 47 129 10 US: 1,600+ Deep Calleth Upon Deep Released: 22 September 2017 Label: Moonfog, Napalm Records Formats: CD, LP, download 7 61 84 17 152 20 36 Click on "Veckans albumlista". 25 — 18 Satyricon & Munch Released: 10 June 2022 Label: Napalm Records Formats: CD, LP, download — — — — — — — 72 — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Compilation albums Title Album detailsThe Box Set Released: 1998 Label: Moonfog Formats: LP Ten Horns – Ten Diadems Released: 25 June 2002 Label: Moonfog Formats: CD, download
Split albums Title Album details Note The Forest Is My Throne / Yggdrassil Released: 1995 Label: Moonfog Formats: CD split with Enslaved
EPs Title Album details Megiddo Released: 13 June 1997 Label: Moonfog, Nuclear Blast Formats: CD, LP, download Intermezzo II Released: 10 May 1999 Label: Moonfog, Nuclear Blast Formats: CD, CS, LP, download My Skin Is Cold Released: 2 June 2008 Label: Roadrunner, Indie Formats: LP+CD
Singles Year Single Peak positions Album NOR 2003 "Fuel for Hatred" Volcano 2006 "K.I.N.G." 7 Now, Diabolical "The Pentagram Burns" 2008 "Black Crow on a Tombstone" The Age of Nero 2013 "Our World, It Rumbles Tonight" Satyricon 2017 "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" Deep Calleth Upon Deep 2017 "To Your Brethren in the Dark" Deep Calleth Upon Deep "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Demos Title Album details All Evil Released: 22 June 1992 Label: Self-released Formats: CS The Forest Is My Throne Released: 1993 Label: Self-released Formats: CS
Video albums Title Album details Roadkill Extravaganza – A True Roadmovie Released: 2001 Label: Moonfog Formats: VHS, DVD Live at the Opera Released: 2015 Label: Napalm Records Formats: CD, DVD
Music videos Year Title Director Album 1996 "Mother North" Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven Nemesis Divina 2002 "Fuel for Hatred" Jonas Åkerlund Volcano 2006 "K.I.N.G" John Nothingworth Now, Diabolical "The Pentagram Burns" Håvard Arnstad 2008 "Black Crow on a Tombstone" Ove Heiborg, Fredrik Kiosterud The Age of Nero 2013 "Phoenix" Satyricon