Satyricon
The Shadowthrone

Satyricon – The Shadowthrone (1994)

In the same year as their debut LP, Satyricon released their second work, “The Shadowthrone”, more focused on a classic black metal sound that anticipates their masterpiece “Nemesis Divina”. Samoth from Emperor joins Satyr and Frost on bass (leaving Satyr with vocals and guitar) and a session musician for synths and keyboards.

HVITE KRISTS DØD – Immediately, we notice a more classic sound, partially abandoning folk tones. The lyrics are in Norwegian. The song frequently changes tempo and atmosphere while remaining epic. The piano inserts in the slow, dark middle section are interesting, leading to the usual grand finale with a choir of monks.

IN THE MIST BY THE HILLS – A legendary riff followed by Satyr's demonic scream. The lyrics are accompanied by dizzying guitar themes. The piece then accelerates, reminiscent of the more classic Darkthrone. An epically evil track, uncompromising, among the best on the album.

WOODS TO ETERNITY – Frost's double pedal and blast beat hammer mercilessly, accompanying Satyr's guitar slashes. The intro is the most violent thing Satyricon has done so far, while the central piece with Spanish-acoustic and then distorted guitar recalls the Goteborg Sound. The keyboards may be too symphonic, but they are supported by an impressive drum speed and power. Frost takes the spotlight.

VIKINGLAND – A back-and-forth between Satyr and a male choir, which echoes the structure of a Greek chorus, reminding us that Satyricon was not a group of uncultured individuals, but quite the opposite. The lyrics are again in Norwegian. In the finale, the demon bellows curses before leading into a choir and epic guitar riffs.

DOMINIONS OF SATYRICON – A mini metal opera. Timpani and the usual keyboards accompany the opening riff. Numerous changes, between infernal riffs and drums once again in the spotlight, accompanied by well-integrated keyboards. The song hammers relentlessly for almost ten minutes, bringing with it all the evil hidden in the world's bowels. It only quiets down at the end, gifting us an ethereal melody. From hell to paradise, then bringing us back to the world's core (foreshadowing the downfall with one last, macabre keyboard loop).

THE KING OF THE SHADOWTHRONE – Once again a very intense start, as if recalling the previous track. A feisty song but at times sounds tired and repetitive, which was not easy to replicate after Dominions of Satyricon. Praiseworthy finale.

I EN SVARTE KISTE – A medieval-sounding instrumental that recalls the first album, and indeed is the weakest track on “The Shadowthrone”. Perhaps the synth is too invasive and horn sounds. Definitely avoidable.

Despite coming out in the same year, there are significant differences between “Dark Medieval Times” and “The Shadowthrone”. The latter sounds much more mature, aware of the direction to follow, and Satyricon is ready to push classic black metal to its extreme consequences (they will succeed with “Nemesis Divina”). In general, an enjoyable, compact, and classy album.

TOP: DOMINIONS OF SATYRICON

DOWN: I EN SVARTE KISTE

OVERALL JUDGMENT: + (sufficient)

5+ → greatest albums of all time (e.g., Velvet Underground and Nico)

4+ → masterpiece 3+ → excellent 2+ → good work + → sufficient

0 → mediocre

- → half misstep 2- → not sufficient 3- → bad 4- → terrible

The judgments should be understood in an absolute sense, meaning 4+ does not imply the artist's masterpiece (which can also be 0, or -) but an absolute masterpiece.