Satyricon - The Age of Nero (2008)

     Satyricon is an odd band; not because they're Norwegian black metal. But because they are a Norwegian black metal band gone... astray? Regardless, they've still managed to produce some of the (arguably) best black metal music of our time, and I guess we have to give them credit for creativity. Is that too much like saying "an A for effort"? Oh, well.

     The Age of Nero is a good album. It's not GREAT! It's just good. And maybe I'm a sucker for what's familiar. I'm not trying to hate on the album. I like it. That's why I decided to write about it. I'm just trying to be factual. This album can easily be described as a bit repetitive.
     Vocally, the first time you hear Satyr, you envision his world of impeding darkness. While his range is limited throughout the entire album, it still fits in well with the albums delivery. He gets the point across, you know. But if you want to be super critical, you could say the same thing about the songs as well. Their range is not pushing limits by any means. It's certainly no Nemesis Devina. This is one of those memorable albums because of the fact that the entire album might sound like one song. There are a couple of real bangers, like "Black Crow On A Tombstone", or "The Age of Nero" that stand out more than the rest with a bit more upbeat/thrashy tone and blast beats. All in all, this would probably be more described as what's known as a "black n' roll" album.