Satyricon - _Nemesis Divina: The Conquering_
(Moonfog Productions, 1996)
by: Henry Akeley (5 out of 10)
The first track on this, Satyricon's third full-length release, explodes with enough venom, aggression, ans speed to competely eclipse the band's earlier efforts in terms of sheer ferocity. Indeed, it seems like ferocity is the name of the game on _ND_, and more so than on previous releases, which displayed a bit more variety in terms of tempo and overall feel. Not that Satyricon have turned into Immortal or anything - there are still quite a few 'atmospheric' sections thrown in to break up the frenzy. I'm not sure, though, if the end result is quite as interesting or enjoyable as either of the band's first two albums. Yeah, this CD contains some excellent riffs, stamped with that weird, Eastern-ish Satyricon feel; and yeah, it incorporates the occasional 'epic' moment along with lots of speed. But on the whole, it's quite a bit more monotonous than either _The Shadowthrone_ (an excellent release) or _Dark Medieval Times_. Unlike those two recordings, _ND_ contains very little modulation in musical mood or feel, and there's a conspicuous absence of -catchy- riffs. (Still, check out opener "Dawn of a New Age," along with the title track.) And the production ("Bass on zero, treble on ten!") leaves a lot to be desired as well. This isn't a terrible album by any means, but it doesn't offer anything new - or even more than a couple of engaging songs. As a fan of the band's earlier material, I found _ND_ to be a pretty disappointing release.
(article published 12/8/1996)
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