Satyricon

Biography :

Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band, and the first one in the genre to join a multi-national record label (EMI).


History :

Satyricon was formed in 1990 by Czral (Carl-Michael Eide) and Wargod. Haavard (Ulver) soon joined them. Satyr took over lead vocals in 1991. Satyricon's current drummer, Frost, who joined the band in 1992, has appeared in 1349, Keep of Kalessin, Gorgoroth, and Gehenna. Members of many other black metal bands have contributed to Satyricon either in the studio or live, including Samoth and Ihsahn of Emperor, Fenriz and Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone, and Obsidian C. of Keep of Kalessin.

The band's first album Dark Medieval Times showed off the fascination Satyricon had with the Middle Ages and featured raw black metal blastbeats produced by Frost, mixed with acoustic guitar and flute. On their next album, The Shadowthrone, this medieval spirit was continued. Satyricon’s third album, Nemesis Divina, contains Norwegian black metal influenced by medieval metal and was released in 1996. Rebel Extravaganza, Satyricon’s fourth album, was released in 1999. It contained more industrial metal influences than the previous albums.

In April and May of 2000 Satyricon toured as a supporting band for Pantera. Phil Anselmo has spoken of his love for black metal numerous times, and has participated in some extreme metal projects with Satyricon frontman Satyr.

Regarding one of their latest albums, Volcano, frontman Satyr stated in a press release / 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." It resulted in a total of 4 Awards for Volcano being, the Norwegian Grammy for "Best Metal Album", an Alarm award for "Fuel For Hatred" in the category for "Song of the Year", as well as The Alarm Award for "Metal Album of the Year" and The Oslo awards for "Best Overall Album".

Satyricon participated in the Darkthrone tribute Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone, released by Moonfog Productions in 1998, covering the song Kathaarian Life Code. Also in 1998, Satyricon participated in the Bathory tribute In Conspiracy With Satan, released by Hellspawn/No Fashion Records, covering the song Born For Burning. In 2006, Satyricon released Now, Diabolical. The album was somewhat controversial among black metal fans due to its somewhat “radio friendly” take on black metal.

In March 2008, the band headlined the Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo for the first time.

The EP My Skin Is Cold is also included on their latest album, The Age of Nero which was released on November 3, 2008.


Band Members :

Satyricon was formed by the bassist Vegard Blomberg and drummer Carl-Michael Eide. Sigurd Wongraven and Håvard Jørgensen both joined the band shortly after the formation, but after the recording of a single demo the two founders left the band – Eide would later go on to become drummer in Ulver and guitarist in several other bands, while Blomberg changed musical style and has collaborated with e.g. Apoptygma Berzerk – however, he returned shortly to Satyricon in 1999 as session musician where he played synthesizer on the EP Intermezzo II.

Now Wongraven and Jørgensen hired the drummer Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad as a session musician and reorded their next demo whereupon Jørgensen also left the band. Afterwards Haraldstad was 'promoted' to a permanent member of the band, and Satyricon has — with two exceptions — been a two-man band ever since: In the period 1993-1996 the guitarist Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen (famous as 'Samoth' from Emperor) was the bassist of Satyricon, and participated in the recording of their second album, The Shadowthrone, and later in 1996 the vocalist of Darkthrone, Ted Skjellum, became guitarist on the third full-length Satyricon album, Nemesis Divina.

* Satyr (Sigurd Wongraven) – vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass (1990–present)
* Frost (Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad) – drums, percussion (1992–present)

Past Members :

* Kveldulv (Ted Skjellum – also known as Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone) – guitar (1996)
* Lemarchand (Håvard Jørgensen) – guitar (1990–1992)
* Samoth (Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen) – bass, guitar (1993–1996)
* Wargod (Vegard Blomberg) – bass (1990–1993)
* Exhurtum (Carl-Michael Eide) – drums, percussion (1990–1992)
* Joey Jordison - drums, percussion (touring while Frost was held back from coming to the United States)


Discography :

Studio Albums :

* Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times (1993)
* Satyricon - The Shadowthrone (1994)
* Satyricon - Nemesis Divina (1996)
* Satyricon - Rebel Extravaganza (1999)
* Satyricon - Volcano (2002)
* Satyricon - Now, Diabolical (2006)
* Satyricon - The Age of Nero (2008)