Despite the critiques labeling this self-titled release as a down time for the band, after a thorough listen, I'd say nothing is amiss. The harsh opinions are rooted in 2 songs: Phoenix/ Natt. You'd definitely agree (myself included) that the nature of these compositions are wayward, they do not incline towards the doom & gloom of all things Satyricon. But as Satyr puts it, black metal in its strictest essence is rebellion & rebellion can be of myriad forms & manifestations, all leading back to metal as the primary platform. Lest we forget, Arcturus remains to be a good instance of this illustration. Coming back to the release in hand, please do not expect any flirtations with Nemesis Divina; this was a done deal & wouldn't be replicated any time soon. The music on offer here are still treading the Rebel Extravaganza turf & the guitars, production-wise at least, returned to the icy cold cut of Volcano. Riffs-wise, Satyr re-established himself as a master of simplicity, in fact, if you take time to figure them out on guitar, they are less intricate than what the previous release covered. Frost, my friends, remains to be one of the industry's forerunners of in-your-face drumming, regardless of the genre he is wallowing in. In the mean time, Our World, It Rumbles Tonight:
