Satyricon is a Norwegian Black Metal band formed in Oslo in 1991. It is one of the most recognizable metal outfits from the country, being a part of the notorious second-wave black metal scene and later, through inclusion of Hard Rock-inspired riffs and rhythms, pioneering the style known as black ’n’ roll.
Its history dates back to the death metal band Eczema made in 1990 by bassist Vegard "Wargod" Tønsberg, drummer Carl-Michael "Exhurtum" Eide and guitarist Håvard "Lemarchand" Jørgensen. It was renamed Satyricon the following year while switching the style to black metal. Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven was hired as a vocalist and the band released their first demo All Evil soon after. In the following months Wargod and Exhurtum left while Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad was brought in on drums, while Satyr took the role of the band’s leader. Lemarchand quit after recording guitar parts for the debut album Dark Medieval Times, though he was not credited. Satyricon has remained as a two-piece of Satyr and Frost ever since, not counting Samoth from Emperor and Nocturno Culto from Darkthrone being employed for short periods in the 90s.
Current members:
- Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards (1991-present)
- Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad - drums (1993-present)
Current live members:
- Steinar "Azarak" Gundersen – guitars (1999–present)
- Anders Odden – bass (2009–present)
- Anders Hunstad – keyboards (2011–present)
- Attila Vörös – guitars (2017–present)
Main discography:
- Dark Medieval Times (1993)
- The Shadowthrone (1994)
- Nemesis Divina (1996)
- Rebel Extravaganza (1999)
- Vulcano (2002)
- Now, Diabolical (2006)
- The Age of Nero (2008)
- Satyricon (2013)
- Deep Calleth Upon Deep (2017)
- Satyricon & Munch (2022)
Tropes:
- Black Metal: Straight second-wave in the 90s, black ’n’ roll afterwards.
- Cover Version: They’ve covered Darkthrone, Bathory and Motörhead among others.
- Epic Rocking: A lot on the 90s releases. Somewhat less common since the switch to black ’n’ roll, but there’s still bound to be at least one example per album. Satyricon & Munch is an extreme case, being a singular 56 minute long composition.
- Genre Shift: The shift to black ’n’ roll in the 2000s.
- Green Aesop: Forests and nature in general are a common lyrical theme, especially early on.
- Hard Rock: A major influence on all albums from Vulcano to Deep Calleth Upon Deep.
- Harsh Vocals: A genre staple, of course.
- I Am the Band: Satyr, as the band’s leader and composer of all the music. Unlike his moniker would suggest, though, he was not a founding member.
- Industrial Metal: A notable influence on Rebel Extravaganza.
- Lead Drummer: Frost, one of the most renowned drummers in all of black metal. His skill is more pronounced on the earlier material though, as well as in 1349, another band he’s in.
- Limited Lyrics Song: The eight-minute "Walk the Path of Sorrow" has about two minutes of lyrics appearing mostly in the last quarter, save for a few short passages before.
- Long-Runner Line-up: Type 2. Satyr and Frost have been the only core band members since 1996.
- Out-of-Genre Experience: Satyricon & Munch, an album made entirely of a single 56 minute long neoclassical ambient piece made for an art exhibition in collaboration with the Munch Museum in Oslo, which celebrates the life and works of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.
- Rock Me, Asmodeus!: To a much lesser extent than most of their black metal contemporaries, but still present.
- Song Style Shift: The band's early output, such as much of Dark Medieval Times, has several acoustic/folk interludes in their songs. "Walk the Path of Sorrow" also has a sampled semi-orchestral intro.
- Stage Names: All members have had them, barring some of the live musicians.
- Symphonic Metal: While never a straight example, their first couple of albums featured some symphonic keyboard sections. And then there’s their 2013 live performance with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus.
- Trope Maker: Of black ’n’ roll.
