Style: Keyboard driven black metal
Primary Emotions/Themes: One of the first bands to heavily introduce keyboards to black metal and this album remains one of the best to do it
Thoughts: In the early days of black metal there are two bands that I think set the standard for incorporating keyboards into black metal: Emperor and Satyricon. Both of them used keys as a crutial support tool to create their art, and both used it in very different ways.
My thoughts on Emperor are chronicled elsewhere (Entry 006 and 940), but Satyricon's debut is another animal entirely. Here the focus is not on blasting as fast as possible, nor is it to decimate everything with violence. Instead we get a bit more contemplative album where the keys are used to fill out the sound, create folk like instruments, and compliment the guitars at every turn.
Over the years many bands from the second wave would evolve their sound, perhaps none more so than Satyricon. But here, on this debut album they helped define the black metal genre through their innovative use of acoustic guitars, folk influences and keyboards. An absolutely essential album.
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