Satyricon – Nemesis Divina (Re-release 20th Anniversary)

[schema type=”review” name=”Satyricon – Nemesis Divina Re-release 20th Anniversary” description=”Label: Napalm Records” author=”Sandra Nunes” pubdate=”2016-05-20″ ]

In these times where many bands are celebrating their most iconic releases, now considered as milestones, and releasing them again through new formats, here’s one that caught my attention: “Nemesis Divina” from the Norwegian black metallers , Satyricon. The more I listen to it the more I learn about its importance and the role it had on the black metal history, defying its principles and standing out from the others, making Satyricon as a unique band in this genre, concerning its way of creativity and doing everything in the name of art.

“Nemesis Divina” was originally released in 1996 and is the third album in Satyricon’s career that was highly acclaimed by the fans, selling out very well and demanding for the band’s first tours, but it was also a revolutionary one, with those not so raw productions on the sound, making it analog and more professional as possible. The album cover artwork is not only simple but also expressive at the same time, getting out of the black and white cliché sceneries with all the corpse painted band members and so on, all of these factors contributed to help the band to build their own musical and artistic path and developing it in such perfection.
The cover artwork for this re-release is renewed and the colours are now vivid and also more expressive, however not losing its vibrant and symbolic meaning from 1996’s version.

Beginning with an epic theme demanding for a musical armageddon, “The Dawn Of A New Age” has easily become one of my favorites from this re-release due to this classic and epicness combination, in which is notorious such delivery from Satyr’s distinctive voice and guitars, the powerful drums by Frost, since the beginning to the end; “Forhekset” maintains the same line, finishing it with lovely piano notes. “Mother North” is like an anthem, it’s the famous business card for “Nemesis Divina”, and it’s one of the complex themes for me to understand but with an easy chorus that can easily define Satyricon’s musical vision …”Mother North, united we stand, together we walk…” it does sound like a waltz in the black metal world. “Du Som Hater Gud” comes with full force and some violence to end again in beauty with the piano notes.

Another one of my favourites is “Immortality Passion”, that it is also very well structured and it does hypnotize with those lovely bass lines, but unfortunately I notice a cut off in the end of this track for one minute, comparing with the original release; I don’t know the reason for it, although, the remastered versions feature less compression than the originals in general and probably due to technical reasons some songs were cut off in the end, and sometimes the sound level might have increased a little, maybe this is the case or the thing was done purposely to distinguish this re-release from the original version. The album title track “Nemesis Divina” keeps the intensity on a good level and the last track “Transcendental Requiem Of Slaves” resumes perfectly in an instrumental way this album as all in one.

This re-release consists on looking to the past and absorbing what it still does reflect best, always containing reminiscences from Satyricon’s previous works, elegantly combining classical and folk influences, resulting in a beautiful and epic listening trip, leading you to a imaginary walk in the woods. A timeless masterpiece if you want to discover new sounds.

Line Up :
Satyr – vocals, lead guitars
Frost – drums
Nocturno Culto – guitars

Tracklist: 01. The Dawn Of A New Age 02. Forhekset 03. Mother North 04. Du Som Hater Gud 05. Immortality Passion 06. Nemesis Divina 07. Transcendental Requiem Of Slaves

Links:
Satyricon Facebook
Satyricon Official