๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ - ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ย ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โฆ
On this day (June 13) in 2006, Satyricon released their sixth full-length studio album โNow, Diabolicalโ via Century Media Records in North America. It was previously released in Europe on April 17, 2006 via Roadrunner Records.
Background:
AllMusic wrote of the album's style: "Satyricon still get a lot of flack every time a new album is released that doesn't conform to the outdated, rustic-necro-kvlt brand of Norwegian Black Metal they played in the early '90s (alongside Darkthrone, Ulver, Enslaved, etc.) Their sixth full album, โNow, Diabolicalโ is no exception, and it hardly out-shocks its similarly unconventional predecessor, 2002's โVolcanoโ; just brings the band's present mentality of addition by subtraction to its next logical step", describing, "...cuts like 'A New Enemy', 'That Darkness Shall Be Eternal' and the title track find the core duo of Satyr and Frost seeking simplicity above all else; consistently shunning complicated arrangements and overbearing displays of musicianship to exercise an almost industrial sense of discipline whilst executing their hypnotic riffs, sinister melodies and static tempos."
Blabbermouth.net opined, "Songs like the title track and 'K.I.N.G.' are all about the aforementioned groove. The driving rhythms and Satyr's vocal patterns are downright catchy. This is not about virtuosity or esoteric displays to prove an underground credibility. It is about hard driving tempos and head banging with a snarl on your face."
On the vinyl version, as well as on the Scarecrow Records limited edition CD of the album, there is a bonus track, "Storm (Of the Destroyer)". Two singles were released from the album: "K.I.N.G." and "The Pentagram Burns"; both with videoclips.
Critical Reception:
โNow, Diabolicalโ was met with mixed reviews and criticism from fans of Satyricon and Black Metal purists alike. Writing for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia stated; โIn sum, there's enough reverse musical heresy at hand on โNow, Diabolicalโ, to send the average Black Metal classicist scurrying for his coffin -- not least because Satyr and Frost are so obviously having a ball behind their ever-present scowls. Chances are, there are plenty of Black Metal fans nurturing secret upside-down frowns over โNow, Diabolicalโ. [The American edition of โNow, Diabolicalโ, released by Century Media instead of Roadrunner, contains a bonus track entitled "Storm (Of the Destroyer)," whose one-dimensional ferocity harks back to Satyricon's early days.]โ
While James Montague and Jackie Smit at Chronicles of Chaos, both gave the album negative reviews, with Montague stating; โAh, how the mighty have fallen. I must admit, it gives me a tingling sensation in the groin to hear just how low Satyr will go. But it's time to put the guy out of his misery, so when this album comes out at the end of April 2006, please don't buy it.โ
With Jackie Smit writing; "Speaking as a fan of Satyricon's post โNemesis Divinaโ output, it's surprising to find โNow, Diabolicalโ taking a decidedly more conservative approach than its predecessors. Where the band's last two albums scored big points by tossing out the rules and taking chances, โNow, Diabolicalโ plays it safe, taking its cue from 2002's โVolcanoโ and rarely deviating from its blueprint. At its best this yields some entertaining results, but likewise the faults on this effort are more glaringly obvious and one can't shake the feeling that perhaps his relative success has made Satyr Wongraven grow just a bit lazy."
โI never understood all of the negative press for โNow, Diabolicalโ, as it was a hard hitting and solid release from the elder Blacksmiths. Sure, it wasnโt old-school Satyricon or even โTrueโ Black Metal by โCultโ definition of the genre, but it wasnโt a terrible release by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I think itโs a spectacular release, and it was exactly the sort of album that the band needed to release at that time, just to piss off purists!โ โ E.N. Wells 4.0 stars
Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:
Click this link to listen to โNow, Diabolicalโ via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/now-diabolical/1045512588
Click here to watch the official music video for โK.I.N.G.โ: https://youtu.be/NQQdsKH3Qt8
Click this link to follow Satyricon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SatyriconOfficial
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. โ E.N. Wells
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