So Satyricon are coming to Berlin next week. I found about this late but should still be able to snag tickets. Never having been to a Satyricon show before, the question for me is: do they tend to be good live? Do they focus more on new or on old material? And do they still do the whole black metal aesthetic on stage? Thanks!

Ask yourself if you like any of the crap they've been putting out since 1999, because it is extremely unlikely they'll be playing anything from before that year except Mother North. My advice: Save the money, buy beer and the new Inquisition instead.

Yeah, that's what I'm worrying about.

saw them live in like 2009. it was VERY disappointing even though I generally prefer the post-2000 stuff to their earlier material. the sound was all drowned in frost's drumming, and satyr had probably the most retarded stage antics I've ever seen live. he was going for the stadium rock anthem style even though the crowd didn't take up. so he was clapping his hands above his head all the time, going "hey - hey - hey - yeah come on [insert name of the city/venue here]". the gig sucked hard.

on the other hand, when I saw them performing live at wacken with nocturno culto like 10 years ago, they were very tight, very good. I doubt this time or feeling will come back though in 2013.

I agree with inhumanist, except buy the new peste noire or the ildjarn/hate forest split instead of inquisition.

I saw them last year and they bored me to death. Even the staple "Mother North" sounded completely misplaced and without passion. I'm pretty sure they played a couple of songs from The Shadowthrone but I can't remember which ones. Nothing from Dark Medieval Times though, and to be honest I think they only played three old songs because it was Hellfest, i.e. a major festival.

Case in point, there's little appeal if you're into a great stage presence. It's pretty much a "rock on" attitude as said above.

They don't wear corpse paint anymore and no spikes, bullet belts etc so the BM aesthetic is not there anymore.

As for old songs, Mother North is always played and I think they've been doing a few other old ones too, but I'm not sure which ones. It will be a lot of songs from the new album for sure. I don't think I'd personally see them anytime soon.

Well they play Forhekset too, and they've thrown a couple Shadowthrone and Dark Medieval Times songs into the set over the last couple years.

According to someone who saw them yesterday here in Portugal, and taken by ear. Three old songs as usual.

Setlist:

Voice of Shadows
Hvite Krists Død
Now, Diabolical
Black Crow on a Tombstone
Our World, It Rumbles Tonight
Nekrohaven
Repined Bastard Nation
Die By My Hand
The Infinity of Time and Space
Forhekset
To the Mountains
The Pentagram Burns
Encore:
Mother North
Encore 2:
Fuel for Hatred
K.I.N.G.

They played here just long ago and the show was pretty good. The setlist above is more or less what you can expect if you go to the show. I would go btw. From the last album, they also play 'Ageless Northern Spirit' which sounds way better live with proper distortion.

Seen them twice. Bored me both times. Musically spot on but no vibe.

I saw them 4 or 5 years ago, perhas more. The concert was great, perfect performance and sound. By the way they played Walk the path of sorrow, one from Shadowthrone and Mother North.

If you havent see them, you should go, at least to form your own opinion. Anyway, when I saw them they played a lot of songs from Now Diabolical, I album that I have enjoyed a lot(with the expection of the terrible KING) so that helped.

The new set-list sucks a lot though.

I saw them early last year, and my neck hurt the day after, so I guess they were good. Me and my friends were fairly drunk too, so that might have something to do with it... But they did play Walk the Path of Sorrow, which was awesome to behold. Not much crowd interaction beyond encouraging chanting and raised fists.

Songs like KING might be bad, but the rythmic nature makes it fun to enjoy live.

In situations like this, I tend to just make the effort anyway. So what if it's not great; at least I'll look back and remember that I saw Satyricon - and if you love the early albums that will have meaning for you.

Saw them last year and enjoyed it. It wasn't a great show or anything, but still fun. A fight broke out near the front and Satyr gently chastised those responsible, which was about as black metal as it sounds like.

I have seen them like 3-4 times and they're average for the most.


Man, I HATE this shit! Just play something good and the crowd will get involved!
Wacken's show with Nocturno Culto was supposed to be a Black Metal show and Satyricon gig is, sorry but, not.


That's what I think too. You'll possibly never forgive yourself if you never see a band you like live. The only exception to this is some extreme case when you KNOW they'll suck and you prefer to conserve your good memories.
Yeah, it does suck.

Saw them in London last week, and they are seriously one of the best bands I've seen all year, and I don't even like much of their recent output. Their S/T is the first album by them since ND I even like, (as an aside, just how fucking good is that album?!) but they give so much energy when they play, and its a hell of a lot of fun. Seen them twice now, and enjoyed them massively both times. First time they were on the bill with dark fortress, who at the time, were by a very wide margin my avourite band, and I came away having enjoyed Satyricon's set more.

Surprised by the detractors in this thread. Even if their more modern material isn't all that great on the album, its really fun stuff live, and a lot of it from ND and TAON sounds like its written to be Think about how they played, not just whether the setlist was your favourite songs or not. I'm going to be seeing them again next time they play, and hopefully its not another five years.

saw them two weeks ago

they are not bad live. it's all stuff from the newer albums with one from ND and one from shadowthrone
no DMT these days

it's the whole black n roll thing these days with fist pumping and oi oi oi

they entertain to a point, but for me it gets boring musically. some of those new riffs are dire :/

its worth it for FROSTS drumming though which is solid!!!

worth it but i won't be back

What this guy above me said. I really like Satyricon's early work, up to ND, but all of the rest isn't my cup of tea musically speaking. Rebel Extravaganza for instance sounds borderline insulting to me, but that's just how I feel about it. I'm not saying the band isn't cool live and that there isn't energy and all. What I'm saying is that if you're after that atmosphere, and performance for that matter, that would come from the band in 1997 you just won't find it. It's exactly as the above poster described, and even the old songs sound misplaced.

For me it was boring and disappointing to witness this modern iteration of the band live, whereas some people just love it. But I agree with the above sentiment that if you like the band you should see them at least once. It may just not be what you're expecting though.

I'm agreeing with most that has been said already. Black metal aesthetics you will not find both in stage presence as in atmosphere, but they do play pretty tight and if you like at least some of their newer work (Volcano and on) you will surely enjoy the show. Coming sunday they will play in Eindhoven, but only 50 minutes. Hopefully they will drop some of the newer songs and keep Hvite Krists Død in the setlist as Shadowthrone is my favourite Satyricon album (they played it last time around and they did a pretty good version in my opinion).

On the aesthetic-side I think it's is almost impossible to create the black metal atmosphere from Shadowthrone or Dark Medieval Times when you play the bigger venues like Satyricon does. The last few times I saw them they played venue's with 1300 - 2000 man capacity. In that respect I am quite worried about the tour Inquisition is going on with Cradle of Filth and Behemoth. I really want to see them again, but like the last time in a 250 man venue. I understand this is a great way for them to spread the cult, but I hope it doesn't take too much away from the experience. (sorry for the slight off-topic, but never enough Inquisition promo).

Good to know they won't be playing the crap from their first couple of albums. I might catch them when they pass through here (beginning of next year I think).

If you ask me Satyricon is one of the most consistent metal bands around...consistently mediocre that is. They have never put out an outright travesty to my knowledge (haven't really heard a couple of the 2000s' albums) and everything they do hovers around the 50% range for me. Their songwriting has always been really crappy but songs often contain a few cool ideas nonetheless.

What is with Frost on the new album? The drumming is really uninspired. Disappointed that he just can't seem to get rocking grooves happening at all because it's so clearly what this material needs.