SATYRICON

We are underrated

This band really needs no introduction. SATYRICON is already a legend of Norway's black metal scene. Coming out of the dark forests with a border-crossing, crucial and cold as hell „Rebel Extravaganza” album this band transformed into something that may be called musical incarantion of evil. Since they've entered the path of grim black 'n'roll with „Volcano” they're definitely a band from „love it or hate it”category. For those who share SATYR's vision the new, sinister work „The Age of Nero” without any doubts follows the path of musical domination. And that's a reason important enough to publish this interview. Ladies and gents - here comes Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad – better known as FROST. Enjoy!

-First of all I'd like to ask about your relationships with Satyr. You're partners in crime since the very beginning of SATYRICON. I'm sure that during all those youv'e gone thorugh different times. How would you describe the evolution of your relationships as a musicians?
I think that the most important thing to point out regarding my relationships with Satyr as SATYRICON functions today is that I really see Satyr as a genius composer. The way he writes songs now is that he composes the whole songs basically. He doesn't just put riffs together and check if they fit together or sound OK together. There's a bigger plan to it. There's a more like building up the energy and releasing it. Since he thinks in totalities like classical composers did. I think that this may be seen in some way in a context of classical composers like Beethoven. We can't really imagine that anybody else ic coming in there just to write a little piece of music. It's the same like if Bethoven would let someone write a piece of his symphonies. You know there's a plan from beginning to end, how it rises and folds.
Even if he writes songs that sound very traditional and simply-structured this plan regards how it should start and end and how the energy of verses and choruses should be put in all that. This means that I have to let Satyr have the full control of the process. My task here is to help him fulfill this ideas that he has. That's everything to do with my relationship with him. I am there to provide the rhythmic work for his compositions. Earlier in the days I think that perhaps we have had something like more loose structure. I came up with drum part that I've just felt sounded good to that particular theme and I often tended to choose something more intrigant or some strange solutions that sounded cool in my head and I didn't think so much about the totality, rather if it fits well in the song or provides a good flow. This things really didn't come to consideration so Satyr and I, we used to work more freely and follow our own heads But that has changed for this more classical approach. Satyr has grown to that as a compose and he understands very well where he's going.

-But does he listen to your opinions?. It may happen that you have different point of views, different ideas. Whose vision takes over in the end?
Of course he does. I just had different modus operandi to begin with. Now I have much more discipline and that's how it should be. Earlier perhaps I didn't realise my own role in the band and I followed basically my instinct. I think that what you should remember as a drummer is that drums can easily take very much space musically and if you want a very guitar driven thing or you want something just has to build up effect. It's clever to have drums to be very plain. So they don't focus too much your attention. Earlier perhaps we didn't have this clear idea about how vocals should be perfectly fitted in the music. But now I try to keep a drums down little when the guitar or vocals demand to be more focused and I try make the build up to the release of enegry. There's much more classical musical thought behind everything. It doesn't mean that I don't have any space. Sometimes I'm given pretty free hand. Other times Satyr tells me: You should play like this or that or he has already programmed some drum structures, because he has a very clear idea about how the drums should sound like. He was working little with a Snorre Ruch (THORNS) so they did program some drum tracks for me and Satyr said that he wants something like this, but he added: If you want to add some fills or extra parts you can do it,. But remember this must still sound like it is verse leading to the chorus for example. These days Satyr and I have the relationship that is based much more on the strict musical principles.

- And what about the evolution of your relationship as a friends?
I think that we have a respect for each other and each other's work. And thanks to that the band has been always growing during the years. We have some similar interests. Like for example we're both wine lovers. But there are also some differences. Satyr is a different kind of being. During all those years we really are getting closer, but also we have grown in bit different directions. We have never been like best mates. But it could be. For couple of times we heve met just for an evening to listen to some good music or drink some good wine, and we're like best buddies then. But as soon as I leave the door we don't do it. We have an understanding of each other. And I think that it's very comfortable way. It could be difficult to be like a best buddies all the time. When we entered such a level of professionalism. Having this kind of relationship when it's always possible to act as friends, whenever it feels right and also to act just as a colleagues when we work together.

- You've already said that sometimes you've had to get down a little with your drumming. But I must say that you failed. Because when I first listen to „The Age of Nero” it was like: wow! What an incredible drums we have here. I'm sure that you'll share my opinion that it's one of your best work so far. Did you need any special preparations or any special circumstances – like for example Satyr who was writing most of the stuff in a remote cabin in Norwegian mountains – to achieve such a great result?
Of course I could go with my practise kit basically everywhere. But what I need most is the right understanding of the theme and it's role in the song and drum's role in that theme. I am happy to hear you say that you like the drums on the album. It's definitely my most accomplished work. I think that drums are heart of that music. They carry the guitar lines and vocals. And there's room for something more plain on this album too. Which separates this work from it's precedessor. I've got the new stuff here. There are some parts that are bit wilder. There are so many enormously great riffs on this album. Perhaps the best constellation of riffs that his band ver had. Like that in „Die By My Hand” which is my favourite song today. It changes, but for today it's my favourite one. It has one of the greatest kicks. First two thirds of it have very aggressive, dominating approach. When I hear those things I can get that energy in my body and it's transported in my playing. Third part of song has this eerie, blood-freezing, very Norwegian sound. Like an old Norwegian black metal. It reminds me of atmosphere of old MAYHEM. It has that feeling. The whole songs transforms in something else in the very elegant way, so also the drums do pretty gliding turn. They're going from something aggressive to something that is more tribal and more in the background. I'm guided by the energy of the music that I hear.

-I must say that the new album sounds more as a whole to me than it was with „Now, Diabolical!”. It was more like the collection of songs. There were more hits, the songs which caught my attention from the very beginning. The new stuff is more complex. It takes more time to approach the structure and see that every song may by analyzed in the context of other songs. I guess that it was your aim to show that more conceptual side of your creativity...
We always want our albums to sound very wholesome. And to be a sort of totality. And I think that at least since „Volcano” there has been a pretty strong guideline for SATYRICON. Each song on the album has to fit in there. We do pretty careful considerations before going into the studio. Usually we have more material than it's going to be on the album. So we do considerations which parts fit the best. I guess that we just succeeded to a greater expand that skill.I find it to be pretty interesting to hear that there are some songs that may be seen in a context of the other ones. Because it's just like Satyr says and how he feels about it now. In order to really hear the certain songs for what they're, you have to hear the bigger part of the album. It's like a shift of moods in the song that he would like to come from the previous song. Because it gives him the right frame of mind to go the next song.