Satyricon - black metal hitting the charts.
For years black metal has been one of the most substantial contributors to Norwegian music export. To a wide underground audience spread all over the world, Norwegian bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Kovenant and Satyricon have delivered their dark message. This autumn saw the genre’s underground profile shattered as Satyricon’s latest album, Volcano, received rave reviews, airplay and subsequently entered top-ten on the national sales charts.
Satyricon are no strangers to critical acclaim. Their previous album “Rebel Extravaganza” was one of the first black metal albums to receive wide public interest and near ecstatic reviews. Major label EMI gained interest in the darkly clad musical extremists and signed them to their Capitol imprint, thus providing them with considerable funding. A support slot at Pantera’s world tour allowed them to reach out to an even wider international audience.
Public interest and media expectations were noticeably greater prior to Volcano’s release. As the first black metal band ever, Satyricon had one single playlisted at the national NRK Petre station. The album’s first week in the shops saw some 7000 units shifted, thrusting Volcano into no. 4 on the national album charts. Suddenly Satyricon’s Sigurd von Wongraven was something of a media’s darling, appearing on TV talk shows and on the front pages of the nation’s dailies.
An additional proof of Satyricon’s shift of league is found in their newest video. Jonas Åkerlund was recruited as director for the “Fuel for Hatred” video. Åkerlund - internationally acclaimed video-producer, is perhaps best known for his work with a completely different artist; Madonna.
Satyricon are now touring Norway, and concert dates abroad are being added as international interest is growing.
European release of Volcano has been scheduled to October 21.
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