Artist: Satyricon
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 10/19/99
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Title: Rebel Extravaganza Artist: Satyricon Label: Nuclear Blast Release Date: 10/19/99 |
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Abyss's Review:
Wow, this is a little unexpected. Satyricon, with what looks like a "sell out" album, return with Rebel Extravaganza. Just one look at the cover makes one think of all of the black metal bands that have "progressed" or "matured" into a new, much more tame sound. Now while I think many of these bands are awesome, there are a great many black metal purists out there who believe that this evolution is completely against what the black metal "concept" is about: mainly no-compromise evil music, aggressive to no end. It is safe to say that if Satyricon were to go this route, there would be many face-painted individuals that would transform from corpses, to "crying on the inside" clowns. This album cover and title just don't look like they belong to a black metal band (black metal bands don't use the word "extravaganza." Look, there's no crying in baseball, and there's no "extravaganza" in black metal).
But, of course, this is all based on appearance alone, which is never the way metal should be judged. The strict fact is that while this album does seem to catch the respective artists in a transitional period, it is no sell-out. In fact, I've never heard a transition quite like this. Most bands that "evolve" their sound do it album by album, not song by song. While some tracks display a new approach to their craft, some are so grounded in their roots it makes you wonder if they were left over from '93. A few of the songs go towards a more analog type of distortion on the guitars, and leave the overpowering keyboards out; an example being "Havoc Vulture." In parts the song almost seems to be going in the same direction that death metal went in the mid-nineties as some bands evolved into "Death 'n Roll." Some of these tunes, in places, sound like they could be approaching "Black 'n Roll." But Satyricon seem intent on keeping those die hard fans interested by sticking to the brutal rhythm section that helps define this genre. Also alongside these more tempered tracks are songs like "The Scorn Torrent," which wouldn't sound out of place among the songs on The Shadowthrone. If done intentionally, this is an interesting way for a band to progress, actually keeping everyone happy. I think the purists who are sick of "progression" being synonymous with "softer" will find that the interesting, weeping main riff of "Filthgrinder" is made more palatable by the searing double bass and tremolo picking blackness that follows it.
"Look, there's no crying in baseball, and there's no "extravaganza" in black metal." The biggest criticism of this album is that, for all of the interesting stuff going on, none of the individual songs seem to take control and hook you in. This isn't all that important, because the album as a whole is very strong, but if you were to make a mix tape and wanted a new Satyricon song on it, you would be at a loss as to which one to pick. This might change with repeated listens, however, as my listening time before my deadline is never as long as I'd like it to be.
Death's Review:
Black metal pioneers Satyr and Frost are not content to remain static. While the music on Rebel Extravaganza retains the traditional black metal intensity expected from the Norwegian pioneers, it delivers more of a complete musical package than does any other black metal performance I've heard to date. More intersting than Emperor, truer than Cradle of Filth, riffier than the most metal moments from Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon have mastered their black arts while offering a more fully-realized vision for the next millennium.
Rebel Extravaganza has an overall polish about it which helps to extend the record's appeal beyond the black metal genre's common limitations. The packaging, consisting of a very white-colored cover and sleeve with "modern professional" design aspects showing throughout, almost hides the brutal intensity which lies within. The often grotesque photos of Satyr and Frost inside are graphically presented with photo techniques which give them a subtler power than the usual campy gorefest silliness. These mainstream infiltrations make the Satyricon message truly scary: you might not see this one coming.
"Satyricon have mastered their black arts while offering a more fully-realized vision for the next millennium." The lyrics, all reproduced in the booklet and articulate in the performance, are interesting and well-written. "[T]he devil may hold your truth, what a fucking relief it would be (to know)." Awfully existential, yet worth the read. The direct, yet pondering nature of the words actually adds to my enjoyment of the record, something I cannot often say about black metal.
Occasionally, the combo of Satyr's vocal stylings and the technicallity and almost progressiveness of some of the musical tracks hints at elements of late-era Death. The mix and overall sound of the album (while sometimes coming accross a bit muted, primarily on the album's faster passages) is fantastic. Satyricon achieve a sonic presence not ordinarily expected from bands of this sub-genre. The warm, almost classic-metal-esque guitar tones (e.g., the last riff in "Tied in Bronze Chains," the slower riffs in "The Scorn Torrent") used throughout, and the album's relative de-emphasis on silly keyboard based atmosphere and the like (parts of "Supersonic Journey" are perhaps a notable exception), give the band a musical presence that fans of straightforward ass-kicking guitar-oriented metal will enjoy, regardless of their affinity for other black metal acts. Even when female vocals are incorporated, as on the brilliant closer "The Scorn Torrent," they add an almost power metal or Mercyful Fate type feel rather than the goth queen crap of many other European attempts at female-vocal metallic artistry.
"Complex, fresh sounding and intense." And therein lies both the album's greatest strength and its weakness: an artistic and original polish which extends the Satyricon sound into uncharted territory. Mind you, there's nothing here anyone can blatantly object to: intricate metallic forays smoke, no matter what the guitar sound comes off like. But for those disinclined to hope for evolution within the black metal sound, the record may be seen as a commercial gesture. To me, it just comes across as fine metallic entertainment. Complex, fresh sounding and intense.
Hel's Review:
Here's the thing. I really like this album and I'd love to give it a good amount of skulls. But, I've given a lot of good reviews lately. I feel like Homer Simpson when he's a food critic. I love it all. But my critic friends warn me that I shouldn't like everything. Hmmm...
I like this album for many reasons. You can't help but be drawn in, because, well, I don't know anyone who can just disregard drumming like this. Based simply on the intensity of the music, it's hard not to like this record. The critic in me would say that it's too muddled sometimes, surrendering technicality for speed. But, come on, it's HEAVY. What more do you need?
"I've given a lot of good reviews lately. I feel like Homer Simpson when he's a food critic. I love it all." Another thing I really like about this album, is the amount of variety. Each song has its own unique elements that differentiate it from the other songs. And there are multiple parts to each song, so that passages in the same song can be vastly different from one another. Bottom line, it's interesting to listen to.
Don't believe me? Let me give you an example. Check out "Havoc Vulture." Then jump to "The Scorn Torrent." "Havoc Vulture" is largely based on a "rock & roll" riff, with moments that seem to strongly invoke Black Sabbath, among other diverse parts. "The Scorn Torrent" integrates rich female vocals and a more old-school thrash style. In essence, this one sounds more like Slayer than Sabbath.
The overall package is interesting to listen to. I found it very enjoyable and have listened to it many times while wrestling with my Homer Simpsonish guilt. Unlike Homer, I refuse to go to the other extreme on the force of my guilt. This is still a very good album and I'm gonna score it the way I want.
"Bottom line, it's interesting to listen to."
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