25 Years Of Satyricon Redefining Black Metal

"Well, it was a convergence of unfortunate events," sighs Satyr as he tries to explain why Satyricon's Australian tour, which was originally slated for April, was ultimately postponed.

"We had some key crew members unavailable at the last minute and then one of our touring musicians had to pull out due to medical issues. We managed to find a replacement - who then had to pull out himself. We could have gone ahead but it would have been a weaker version of Satyricon and that would have compromised what we were trying to do. Luckily, we were able to move the tour to the end of the current cycle - our Australian fans deserve nothing but the best."

As deserving of a long and illustrious career Satyricon promise an almost two-hour set peppered with classics from the vast majority of an impressive back catalogue.

"Sequencing is really important in our shows," explains Satyr. "No fan, no matter how dedicated, can withstand intense song after intense song. So, we always ensure that the dynamics of the set are right. Each 'act' within the show is an individual musical journey with slower atmospheric songs mixed in with the relentless faster material. That's what makes the show a musical expedition rather than just two hours of mere 'entertainment'"      

Given events in Satyricon's recent history fans are thankful that the band are touring at all. In 2015 Satyr fell extremely ill and was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumour. Although found to be benign the reality of the diagnosis still hangs over his life and activities.

"My health scare made me realise that how long you can do what you do doesn't necessarily come down to how motivated you are," he explains. "Before that, I always felt I would keep going as long as I was motivated and I didn't even consider health as a factor. I'm happy to report that I'm strong and well right now but now I'm more aware of all the other things that can impact Satyricon - and it's given me a different perspective on things. So as for the future of the band - we love what we do - but we recognise that there are things outside our control."

One decision however that has nothing to do with health is the band's declaration that after their current tour they will never play shows in the USA again. The reasons are more mundane -

"Quite simply it's just extremely hard and frustrating to make tours happen there," says a fed up Satyr. "First, it's very expensive to do - I love my job but I'm not a big fan of going to work for three weeks essentially without getting paid. The other problem is the visa system. For one, Frost has a criminal record so we never know when he'll be allowed to enter the country. And once you leave the country you have to do it all again - even if you come back for just one show. There's no certainty and it just makes it very hard to plan ahead."

Satryricon have now been around for over 25 years: and if there's one thing you can be sure of it's that they continue to conform to what others believe black metal should be. It's an attitude that enrages purists but has guaranteed the band's longevity.

"It's very hard to nail what black metal is in a sentence or two," confirms Satyr. "But I think like the blues, in the end, its authenticity that makes black metal. When you listen to certain black metal bands - it doesn't matter what guitar tuning they use or what speed they play at - you know they have 'it'. To me the beauty of black metal is its broadness - it is defined by a certain 'feeling' but it can be expressed in so many different ways. People need to forget all the other stuff. To this day I'm shocked at how vain people in heavy metal culture are. It's amazing - the stylistic musical changes we made on albums like Rebel Extravaganza were nowhere near as controversial as when I decided to cut my hair (laughs)! I think that tells you a lot about why labels get thrown around so much in black metal and how people can instantly become uncomfortable with things they aren't used to."