Review by Daniel for Satyricon - Nemesis Divina (1996)

Back in the day I would undoubtedly have dished out a five star rating for this album without hesitation however these days my feelings are a little different. The album starts off with “The Dawn of a New Age” which can only be described as Norwegian black metal of the highest level. In fact it may well be the best thing the band has ever done. It shows Satyricon at their most brutal & this is a side of the band that I find really exciting. The rest of the album has plenty more of those moments & this element has always kept “Nemesis Divina” fairly high in my esteem. “Mother North” is a good case in point. It includes plenty of brutality but also a great sense of melody that has given it such a wide appeal. What I’ve tended to forget about this album over time is that it also includes some ideas that didn’t quite work for me. The last section of “Forhekset” is pure folk metal which doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest. I also struggle with the piano section at the end of “Du som hater Gud”. Closing track “Transcendental Requiem of Slaves” seems to have no song structure whatsoever & is clearly just a bunch of leftover ideas they’ve flung together. Regardless of these issues there is some fine black metal going on for the most part. Frost’s drumming & Satyr’s vocals are ferocious throughout & are the clear highlights. A pretty great Norwegian black metal album that has plenty to offer but may be a touch overrated in my opinion.