«Now, Diabolical» is the sixth album by Satyricon, released on April 17, 2006 via Roadrunner Records. A record full of black metal grooves, a heavy riff approach, raw but not lo-fi production, and a chilling sense of malice that flows like a river.
Country: Norway
Genre: Black Metal
For fans of: Darkthrone, 1349, Mayhem
The listen
The album opens with the title track «Now, Diabolical» and «K.I.N.G.», two songs built on that distinctive groove that made Satyricon stand out. The rhythms drive with force and Satyr’s vocal lines stick instantly — it’s not a matter of virtuosity, but of hard rhythms and headbanging with a grimace on your face.
«Delirium» leans into a darker, sicker mood, while «The Rite of Our Cross» begins with a bright, atmospheric clean picking that turns into a violent wall of riffing, with Frost’s drumming at the center and a slippery chorus. The horns — the kind that recall ancient warriors — underline the dark aura, and they return on the eight-minute «To the Mountains», the perfect closer with its slow tempo, doom riffs and Satyr’s shifts between tormented screams and growls.
Frost doesn’t play the relentless blast inferno of 1349, but his playing here has feeling: strategically placed accents and more intricate moments that mesh perfectly with the whole. «Now, Diabolical» won’t shock with originality, but it’s a clean, guilt-free collection of blackened grooves and melodies.
Tracklist
1. Now, Diabolical
2. K.I.N.G.
3. The Pentagram Burns
4. A New Enemy
5. The Rite of Our Cross
6. That Darkness Shall Be Eternal
7. Delirium
8. To the Mountains
9. Storm (of the Destroyer) (bonus)
See also
Satyricon – Deep Calleth upon Deep · Satyricon – Nemesis Divina
