Satyricon's black-metal night at the opera

Norwegian legends work with choir on new live album

By Peter Lindblad

Satryicon - Live At The Opera 2015

It was a night to remember for Satyricon, as the black-metal visionaries fulfilled a fervent wish to perform live with the Norwegian Opera Choir in Oslo on Sept. 8, 2013.

No strangers to having worked with choirs or orchestras before, as they did on such albums as 2002's Volcano, 2008's The Age Of Nero and 2006's Now, Diabolical, Satyricon has released darkly magical visual and audio recordings of that night in a DVD and a two-CD concert album titled Live At The Opera, out via Napalm Records.

Such outings that pair armadas of classically trained musicians with rock bands are often dreadfully boring and self-indulgent affairs. Live At The Opera is the exception, as Satyricon's blackened, brooding sonic transmissions from the underworld glow and grow more urgent and fiendishly dramatic than their studio counterparts, thanks to the rising vocal hellfire spewed from the mouths of the choir.

Recently, Satyricon drummer Frost took time to do an e-mail interview with Backstage Auctions' All Access blog about the new live record and provide an update on what the group is working on in the studio.

"Currently we are busy jamming, creating and rehearsing material for two albums simultaneously; one cover album and one new studio album," said Frost. "We have put the engine in the fifth gear now!"

Read the rest of our chat with Frost below.

What made this event so special for you and Satyr? Did the night live up to your expectations?

Frost: Getting to perform black metal with a full choir at the main hall in the national Opera should be special to anyone. Never have the grand and majestic aspect of Satyricon been lifted to a higher level. We knew that the Opera show would be great, and so it became.

In looking back at that night, was there a particular moment that stood out as being really dramatic or moving in any way?

Frost: The whole show was actually full of such strong moments. I even continue finding new parts and details that thrills me when listening to the recording now; parts that I didn’t truly hear or notice at the time of performance.

Satyricon's performance with
the Norwegian Opera Choir was
a spiritual experience

How did the idea for this performance come about and was there anything that was especially difficult in trying to pull it off?

Frost: We were invited to do a one-song performance with the Opera choir at an event in early 2012, and it was the outcome of that cooperation which made us realize that we should try to stage a full show with the choir. It just sounded so awesome and potent. When we found out that the choir was interested in such an extended collaboration, too, it was basically a matter of determination, will and patience to reach the goal. Musically it wasn’t particularly difficult or demanding, most of all because the choral arrangements were so well carried out, even if it required a big effort from all parties.

As a drummer, what's it like working with a choir like that? How is it different from a normal Satyricon show?

Frost: I played the drums as if it had been an ordinary Satyricon show; we were not to do any adaptions. On a personal or spiritual level, though, one will of course not remain untouched by such circumstance.

Was it challenging in any way to choose a set list?

Frost: We picked songs that we felt would work particularly well with the choir, for instance songs with very strong emotional nerves, or songs with very transparent themes where there is lots of space for the choir to really shine. As the Opera show was also the first show on the “Satyricon” touring cycle, we obviously had to pick quite a few songs from that album, but all these songs did also sound excellent with choral arrangements.

How did the choir enhance these songs in your opinion?

Frost: Some songs or parts got more epic or grand, other parts got a stronger emotional impact, others again got a different type of drive or energy and turned into fundamentally different versions of the original. The show as a whole felt very ceremonial, which suited it well.

Satyr out front, playing guitar and
singing in front of the Norwegian
Opera Choir

What do you think of the recording of that night that's being released as Live at the Opera?

Frost: It does justice to what actually went on. Most importantly – it happens to be an actual live recording (rather than a “live” recording, which is more usual). Satyricon sounds marvelous on this recording.

To you, what songs worked especially well in this arrangement, and were there any from the Satyricon catalog that you think would work equally well but that weren't included on this night?

Frost: It all sounds fantastic in my opinion; each song in its own way. I’m sure we could potentially have included more Satyricon songs that would have worked well with choral arrangements, but we would have to draw the line somewhere, wouldn’t we?

You've worked with other choirs and orchestras on records before. What was different about collaborating with them in the studio, as opposed to a live performance?

Frost: First of all, what you achieve with a choir is fundamentally different from what you achieve with an orchestra. We have worked with a choir before, but in a much, much smaller format and only in a controlled studio environment. A live performance with a large choir, consisting of both male and female singers, taking place in the Opera house, is completely different from anything we’ve done prior to that. Where we earlier had collaborated with small groups of orchestra musicians or singers to give a certain flair to specific themes, we were now adding a whole new dimension to all the songs of a full show.

While Satyricon is still associated with black metal and your sounds retains a lot of the traits from that genre, what was it that made you want to expand your template as a band and morph into something different? Was that always the plan or did something transpire that made you want to incorporate other sounds?

Frost: Your question makes me wonder what your perception of black metal is. It might seem we’re not on the same page at all, which makes it difficult for me to give a proper answer. To me, Satyricon has deeper depths and a more dangerous vibe than any of our early works, for instance. Furthermore do I find black metal to be a very open and innovation-driven, constantly developing genre. At least we in Satyricon have always had a strong musical passion, creative drive and a conquering spirit (this probably brought us to black metal in the first place), which constantly brings us to evolve. It’s not a plan, it’s the heart of the band to operate that way. If you feel it natural not to regard Satyricon as black metal anymore, then fine by me, but I certainly don’t understand you.

Are there other orchestras or choirs you would like to work with down the road?

Frost: We haven’t gotten to think that far, really.

Check out Satyricon's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SatyriconOfficial to keep up with everything going on with the band.

CD Review: Satyricon – Live At The Opera

CD Review: Satyricon – Live At The Opera
Napalm Records
All Access Rating: A

Satyricon - Live At The Opera 2015

The flames of black-metal bonfires set by Satyricon through the years flicker and glow with primal, demonic theatricality on Live At The Opera, a majestic concert recording of Satyr, Frost and their minions performing with the Norwegian National Opera Choir back in September, 2013.

A Napalm Records release consisting of a DVD and two bonus CDs, the fantastical Live At The Opera is a study in dark synergy and contrasting textures, the sinister, guttural exhortations of Saytr – sounding more insidious than ever – stabbing through enveloping, flowing curtains of choral drama that seem to embody human suffering and torment in "Die By My Hand" and enhance the sense of impending doom that gallops through "Nocturnal Flare."

Collaborations with orchestras and choirs are nothing new for Satyricon – see the albums Volcano, The Age Of and Now, Diabolical for comparison. Live At The Opera is a more visceral experience, however, as the Norwegian National Opera Choir shades and colors Satyricon's monstrous arrangements, Frost's diverse drum patterns and heavy, serrated guitar riffage with blood-curdling, gothic atmospherics and somehow manages to avoid suffocating them. That's especially true of the melodic "Phoenix," which flows through a forest of sound like a gentle river whose waters hold a troubling secret. On the title track to Now, Diabolical, Satyricon's slow-burning, evil urgency comes to the fore, the commanding momentum building and growing almost imperceptibly until the tension becomes deliciously unbearable, while the drifting, ghostly melody of "Tro Og Kraft" haunts and captivates.

Live At The Opera gathers to a powerful and stunning crescendo on "K.I.N.G.," an epic, pounding crowd-pleaser that rouses the faithful in attendance to worship, the closer being preceded by the wailing madness of "Mother North." This is a night at the opera Satyricon won't soon forget.
– Peter Lindblad

Best of 2013 in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal – Part 2

Deep Purple, Satyricon, Red Fang ... and more 

by Peter Lindblad

Youth will not be served in this portion of our "Top 20 Hard Rock and Heavy Metal 2013" list, except for Red Fang that is.

Deep Purple, Monster Magnet, Satyricon and Oliva – that's Jon Oliva of Savatage fame – all made compelling arguments for not being put out to pasture in 2013, making some of the most exciting and powerful music of the year.

Here, we tip our cap to albums 15-11. The top 10 awaits. 

Deep Purple - Now What?!

15. Deep Purple: Now What?! – Lost in all the hoopla over Black Sabbath's comeback was the return of Deep Purple, who crafted one of the most beguiling and intoxicating records of their career. By turns cinematic and mysterious, with a widescreen Middle Eastern vibe that recalls Ian Gillan's work with Tony Iommi on the recent WhoCares collaboration, Now What?! is also smolderingly soulful and even, in a minor sense, jazzy. And yet it never lets you forget that Purple can still burn through hot-wired hard rock, like the stuff that made them one of the '70s most explosive acts, with the kind of musical chops other bands would die for, as Don Airey and Steve Morse take off the training wheels and go for broke.

Oliva - Raise the Curtain 2013

14. Oliva: Raise the Curtain – Savatage was always a different kind of metal animal, theatrical and progressive while still managing to sound powerful and heavy. With Raise the Curtain, Jon Oliva, the group's founder, pulled out all the tricks, making this a Bat Out of Hell for the new millennium. Only Meat Loaf was never this unpredictable or adventurous, as Oliva boldly takes a lot of risks here, but the emphasis with Raise the Curtain is always on great drama and melodic grandeur, leading its wide-eyed audience through aural scenery and costume changes as breathtaking as any Broadway show.

Red Fang - Whales and Leeches 2013

13. Red Fang: Whales and Leeches – Maybe it was a small step backward. Maybe Red Fang isn't quite ready to make that grand statement of bearded and boozy metal glory everybody believed they would with Whales and Leeches. Still, the stormy Whales and Leeches is a whirlwind of purposeful and nearly manic activity, and yet it harnesses brawny riffs, wonderfully warped lyrics and raging rhythmic bluster into fairly tight, but malleable, song structures. Red Fang is kind of like Mastodon's more mischievous little brother, somewhat less serious with a slight touch of ADD. 

Monster Magnet - Last Patrol 2013

12. Monster Magnet: Last Patrol – It's all fine and good that Monster Magnet went back to using vintage gear for the making of Last Patrol. The fact that they did so and were able to generate such a compelling blend of wind-whipping space-rock and mind-bending psychedelia is more a testament to the creativity and songwriting aptitude of Dave Wyndorf than any simple equipment changes. Moments of painful introspection are leavened by cosmic tales of revenge and debauchery, as Monster Magnet flies around the universe looking for cheap thrills, and Last Patrol is full of them.  

Satyricon - S/T 2013

11. Satyricon: Satyricon – Not as blackened as in days of yore, Satyricon, nevertheless, can still conjure up plenty of chillingly melodic brutality, technical free-for-alls and dark malevolence on command, as this self-titled effort so effectively illustrates. The Norwegian black metal stalwarts don't mind slogging through layers of sonic sludge or inviting doom metal heaviness into their fortress of solitude, but Satyricon has morphed into a more dynamic entity, somehow becoming increasingly intense and heated in the process, while never quite escaping the eerie atmospheres in which they've lived for lo these many years. And there's something oddly comforting about that.