Satyricon ‎(NOR) – Nemesis Divina LP

Black Metal

When Satyricon released their third album in 1996, their status as one of the most significant and creatively vital bands in Norwegian black metal was already beyond dispute, but Nemesis Divina was no ordinary record or just another step along the road to infamy. From its uniquely vibrant and impactful artwork, which broke every supposed rule in the black metal handbook with its vivid colours and refined aesthetic core, to the supremely confident and idiosyncratic songs and individual performances that heralded a newfound sophistication and a freshly incisive vision, Nemesis Divina almost single-handedly took black metal from its voluntarily shadowy and obscure origins into the glaring spotlight of the international metal scene. It showcased a band that finally had the skill and the musical intuition to back up the undeniable potency of their artistic vision. Sonically devastating and compositionally meticulous, songs like ‘Mother North‘ and ‘The Dawn Of A New Age‘ redefined what black metal was capable of, while proudly retaining the genre’s ageless essence and aesthetic values.