Norwegian black-metal trio Satyricon is led by Satyr, also featuring drummer Frost and keyboardist Kine. Their early recordings include a demo split with Enslaved titled The Forest Is My Throne, the 1994 album Dark Medieval Times, and its 1995 follow-up Shadowthrone. 1997's Nemesis Divina was their first album to see release in the U.S.; it was followed by an EP of mostly alternate versions (Megiddo) and one of new material (1999's Intermezzo II). The full-length Rebel Extravaganza appeared soon after, pushing their sound even farther into the realm of synth-flavored gothic black metal.

As is true for all musical genres, black metal has its share of clichés. Enter stage left: the devil himself, hailed by cacophonous guitar riffs, swathed in pompous keyboard orchestrations, a grotesque pandemonium of noise and blasphemous imagery, worshipped by hordes of black-clad youths trying their hardest to be different.
The theatrical horror of many black metal bands is easy to ridicule, but behind these superficial impressions lies something deeply disturbing, a menacing presence perfectly evoked by Norway's Satyricon on their aptly titled last album VOLCANO....