Satyricon - The Shadowthrone (1994)

Satyricon's second album, 'The Shadowthrone' released just a few months after the debut, 'Dark Medieval Times' is a curious album, mostly because its sandwiched between the debut and 'Nemesis Divina;' two albums considered by most to be of the utmost of the early Norwegian black metal movement, while this second album is often left in the slush. While Times had a cold and largely traditional black metal feel and Nemesis a chaotic and almost technical feel, The Shadowthrone has a ethereal, epic and flowing quality to the music with viking metal undertones.

Interestingly the synth and guitar fuzz is toned down a little on this album in favor of more clearly superior musicianship, especially Satyr's guitar work, which seethes with evil and grimness, but also occasionally takes on these majestic and folk-ish tones too. Frost's drumming is breathtaking to say the least; loud, explosive and always fascinating to listen to, while Samoth of Emperor fame contributes rhythm guitar and bass, though I guess you'd never know without his picture being in the booklet. Sverd of Arcturus also played the keyboards on this album, though they float eerily in the background, like an apparition amongst the mist, while the guitars, vocals and drums are upfront.

'Hvite Krists Død' masterfully opens the album with flowing cascading riffs that build up to an evil, yet stunning climax of epic extravagance and beautiful grand piano, while a song like, 'Vikingland' is one of the earliest examples of viking/folk metal out there and wouldn't have sounded out of place on Satyr's sideband Storm, which came the following year. 'Woods To Eternity' opens so powerfully before diving into a total blastfest of grimness, whereas, 'Dominions Of Satyricon' & 'The King of the Shadowthrone' hold some of the most beastly malevolent melodies and have always largely been my favorite songs from the album. 'In The Mist By The Hills' is one of the songs that flows entirely too well and although the main riff seems sort of happier its still got a rocking sort of vibe to it that makes it catchy, whilst the albums last song, 'I En Svart Kiste' is an instrumental synth piece, which sounds exactly like the music Satyr would compose for his Wongraven project.

Personally I've always been a bit on the fence about which early Satyricon release is best, especially since all three are fantastic in my own opinion and mean a lot to me. I do however have a special memory of listening to this album years and years ago while driving back home from somewhere during a snowstorm and I remember the landscapes and the relentless snowfall seemed to fit perfectly with this music. Few albums, even other black metal classics have compared since then.

If you've somehow not heard this album or perhaps dismissed it after an earlier listen do visit it again as its surely black metal at its finest.