Satyricon
Intermezzo II

THE REVIEW

The Satyricon released this mini album in 1999, anticipating the release of "Rebel Extravaganza" that would definitively distance them from the way of understanding and playing the Black Metal typical of the old school.
The EP, composed of four songs, starts magnificently with "A Moment Of Clarity", an excellent song characterized by numerous tempo changes and the glacial feeling typical of the genre, yet presented in an innovative way. This would later be included in the aforementioned "Rebel Extravaganza", becoming in my opinion one of its highest points. Following closely is "INRI", a cover of the Brazilian Sarcofago: violent, irreverent, and fast-paced in its two minutes of duration, it presents us with a brutality never unleashed by Satyricon before; not surprisingly, the beloved Mr. Wongraven described it as "totally insane". The third track is "Nemesis Divina", an epic, powerful composition already appeared on the album of the same name, which is presented here with a fresher and cleaner sampling than the one dating back to 1996. "Intermezzo II" finally closes with "Blessed From Below". This track is the most difficult to interpret, but perhaps also the most successful of the EP: dark and saturated with electronic sounds, it represents an absolute novelty for Satyricon.

In conclusion, this mini album sounds fresh and surprising from the very first listen. It will surely leave impressed those who are familiar with the previous production of our band and will be able to appreciate their change of direction towards more experimental shores.