ALBUM REVIEW: The Shadowthrone (re-release) – Satyricon

There is an argument that SATYRICON took something of a step backwards with their sophomore album The Shadowthrone. It features far less of the melodic experimentation that was present in their debut, Dark Medieval Times, and far more ‘straightforward’ black metal riffing.

There is certainly an argument there and music is of course subjective, however, objectively, The Shadowthrone feels so much tighter and more focused. Satyr still flexes those off-kilter song-writing muscles, interweaving a gorgeous classical melody into Woods To Eternity, and paying his dues to battle metal with the guitar work on Vikingland, but he does so with purpose. Each and every second of this album feels valid and important. No fat can be trimmed, from the opening rasps of Hvite Krists Død to the closing sounds of the organ on I En Svart Kiste, Satyr works within the limitations of black metal and makes it sound undeniably epic.

Backed up by Frost, who in the brief period between Dark Medieval Times and The Shadowthrone only got better – seriously, just listen to his work on The King Of The Shadowthrone – the album becomes a whirlwind of blasts and stripped back guitarwork. When the mood switches and the songs take on that majestic, epic, medieval feeling, it feels less like a young musician trying new things and more like a fully-fledged world.

Then there’s the remaster. Once again Napalm Records have done a tremendous job bringing the album back to life. That slightly cleaner sound is something that really suits SATYRICON, helping bring all of Satyr’s ideas to glorious, crisp life. This is black metal amped up to epic fantasy. Satyr’s gravelly speech at the end of the opening track would not be out of place in some big budget grimdark adaption. Each shift in tempo conjures up new imagery and you find yourself drawn completely into the ice-cold, historically rich world Satyr has created.

While The Shadowthrone is a neater fit into the Nordic black metal scene, it never feels derivative. When lauded bands like DARKTHRONE openly admit that black metal is just stripped back death metal riffs done on the cheap, SATYRICON, even now, feel original and genuinely dangerous. More than 25 years after its release, The Shadowthrone is a breath of fresh air in a market more crowded than ever.

And that’s not purism. To be frank a lot of early black metal is samey or completely bogged down by fascist overtones. That through-line of nationalism doesn’t feel as overt here, despite the album being fixated on the past. It’s a dark and enthralling listen, that seems to encapsulate a pride in Norway’s history, without glorifying it.

The Shadowthrone is a clear steppingstone between Dark Medieval Times and Nemesis Divina. The sophomore album is supposed to be difficult, but Satyr and Frost make it look damn easy here, putting in place the building blocks for that combination of darkness and epic imagery that would come later.

Rating: 9/10

The Shadowthrone (re-release) is out now via Napalm Records.

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