Origin : Norway
Genre : Black Metal
Release : 2017
Album downloads only available to members
Album Info / Review
**Satyricon – *Deep Calleth Upon Deep***
> *A 2023 release that feels as if the band finally pressed the perfect gear‑shift between raw black‑metal ferocity and polished, cinematic swagger.*
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### The overall soundscape
Satyricon’s new album sits squarely in a modern black‑metal ark that is unmistakably Norwegian, yet it brings the punch of a production meant to sit on a huge 500 W speaker system. From the opening chords, a cavernous hammer of a drum kit drops the beat—double‑bass thunder that rarely lets up, while the guitars cut through with a razor‑sharp mix of tremolo chugs and cleaner, lithe leads. The faint but surprisingly present keyboard texture anchors the atmospheric elements, weaving brooding synth sweeps that suggest mountains or cracked ice fields. Even in the darkest moments the mix is dense but not muddy; each instrument has a defined place, so the lines between aggression and ambiance don’t blur.
### Atmosphere and thematic presence
A central theme of the record is “deepness” as an abstract pulse: the music is built to feel like vast, underwater spaces where time becomes elongated and the darkness feels layered. The drums mimic underwater tremors, the guitars pulse like waves, and the vocal delivery—Euronymous‑style guttural with bursts of croaking—reads spine‑cloth straight into the forearm. On tracks such as *Eternal Abyss* the field of atmospheric synths stretches for minutes before a riff comes in, locking the listener’s attention like a cold wind through a field of dead trees. The lyrical palette focuses on isolation, mythic journeys, and the tangible weight of a lost ritual, all delivered in molten parole that never turns into a listening exercise.
### Riff structure and musical content
Satyricon’s riff craft is still strong: searing gallop lines that rely on cunning palm‑muting and an immediate, gut‑level response. On *Beyond the Storm*, the main riff flies for four minutes then caresses with slower, spaced-out chords before swelling back with more crunchy intensity. *Transit of the Comet* uses an affective melodic build, starting at a level of relatively staid jazz–metal syncopation and then diverging into a thrash‑faced feral attack. The more modern tracks save the pure black‑metal extremes for the close, e.g., *Sublime*—the tight, pulse‑intense roar that is precisely controlled in contrast to the wild crowds of noise that had dominated early no‑prerequisite black‑metal forms.
Strong midpoint sections are not electrodes of either songwriting or performance but cohesive, built-in congregations that are meant to be mounded by the listeners when the record is played at a volume that bleeds out into a fridge’s static. They are intentionally self‑aware of the “arena” illusion that simple, paved bars build across the last half‑hour of the record.
### Production quality
This record is an exemplar of high‑end production for extreme metal. The layered guitars are fully distinct; the lower riff sits separately from the cut‑in guitar work that pops out in the mix. Drum tracks use clever EQ to expose the ghost’s left–foot attack without defacing the body of the kit. The use of reverbs—both mega–plate for sub‑bass and a small ambisonian chair for the synth—creates a panoramic feel that is far from the claustrophobia that old leather‑ie overused on some black‑metal EPs. The vocal mic is placed to free the harshness; the gut‑bunny effect is kept from being oppressive, but doesn’t lose its power. The final master is loud enough to push an living room 40 W stereo system to near maximum without sonic distortion, yet remains wide: the room’s subtle hedges of resonance are audible.
### Where Satyricon stands now
When compared to their older releases, *Deep Calleth Upon Deep* feels more like a belt of a phenomenon than a proof of the grade of some new monstrosity. They maintain an effective sonic narrative that re‑establishes a sense of mythic weight that they produce over 30 years ago, albeit one is more sophisticated in its guitar splitting, drum handling, and atmospheric context. In other words, it is Satyricon’s definitive insertion into the “old‑school, modern ” black‑metal club.
### Final impression
If you’re looking for an album that delivers convincing mood, robust riffs, and a black‑metal intuition that isn’t nostalgic but immediate, this is it. It feels fresh, though surreptitiously classic. If your ears prefer a minuscule, self‑generated roar, everything else on the album will seem warmly overdue. If the final verdict: a strong, well-executed record that takes a moment to crow listen, an album that is both a vessel and a sea.
