Live at the Opera

It is the hubris of many a rock or metal band to perform with an opera or orchestra in either a live or studio setting, to record it for posterity (or bragging rights), and lucky are the few who get to do so. Whether it's through financial ability, or knowing the right people, it's hardly a rare occurrence, and when Satyricon got their chance they decided to do it with style, the product of which is a DVD and double audio CD along with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus, as part of a cultural series that I assume other acts got to participate in. I'll be honest, I'm a little envious, not because I want to do something like this for any of my own music, but because I only dream that a lot of North American extreme metal bands would get to try it. Imagine Cryptopsy or Cannibal Corpse playing alongside an orchestra? I'd love to hear it.

But it's an even rarer occurrence that such a mash-up of musical mediums actually manifests into something as interesting as this effort, one that transforms material from across the Norwegian duo's career into something more multi-dimensional without losing all of its original characteristics. The material has been elevated into a dark-lit escape, a "Carmina Burana" dosed with black & roll guitars, Frost-ian thunder drums and Satyr rasping. I think a lot of the band's slower material off the 4-5 studio albums just before this one lend themselves pretty well to the layering in of the choirs, which is where so much of the content is drawn, with the earliest albums pretty much untouched. Something like "Den siste", which already had choir vocals and such on The Age of Nero, isn't terribly different, but it sounds much more epic in this setting, whereas tracks from the middling eponymous album from 2013 actually are quite elevated..."The Infinity of Time and Space", "Phoenix", "Tro og kraft", all take on new life and I wonder if I just would have preferred that album had it been all orchestrated...

The big one for me, of course, was hearing "Mother North", and this also sounds cool, how the choir voices lift through the faster tremolo riffing. I don't know if it's ultimately necessary to bolster such an already-impressive piece, and the drums feel a bit subdued and mechanical here and elsewhere on the track list, and it does seem a little cluttered as they're trying to weigh down each moment with the added chorus, but when Satyr shouts 'Oslo...' you can tell the audience is into it and this might be the very number the audience was also waiting for. But I think the better uses of this accompaniment come with some of the simpler tracks where it's applied more subtly. As for the video itself, this might be the better way to experience it all, since it's more or less a standard Satyricon live show only with the choir looming behind them, so the obvious passion of the performance makes up for any of its overbearing qualities, especially the more contemplative, evil moments. All together, though, a cool project that isn't wasting anyone's time or money, and one best left to a solitary product like this one.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Satyricon's Live at the Opera is the perfect example that the sum can be greater than its parts.

The Norwegian duo plays numbing black metal with hoarse vocals that are rather spoken than anything else, repetitive riff patterns and a stoic rhythm section that could vary more than it actually does.

The Norwegian National Opera Chorus consists of fifty-five highly talented singers but their regular performances often end up sounding somewhat exchangeable and can get quite nerve-firing after a while due to their theatrical approach.

However, the numbing black metal music and the overwhelming choirs complete each other perfectly and make for a balanced, coherent and fluid release with an appropriate length of thirteen tunes plus a short overture and a total running time just above one and a half hours that never gets boring and is best enjoyed uninterruptedly.

While other metal bands have failed to harmonize with choirs and orchestras because each component ended up burying the other, this unique live show that drew fans from all across the world to Norway sounds like a perfect match. This is true to the old adage that opposites attract. Both sides deserve recognition and respect for having mingled their sounds so organically.

Forget about Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Graveworm and other bands that have tried to combine operatic music with black metal. They might have created respectable records in the past but the collaboration between Satyricon and the Norwegian National Opera Chorus is on a higher level and has achieved remarkable symbiosis. The beauty meets the beast and has created a bastard that brings symphonic extreme metal to the next level without ever sounding pretentious. In a certain way, Satyricon might be the spiritual successor of early Therion and deserves as much credit as Batushka these days. Let's hope the band continues to experiment in that regard and that other extreme metal bands follow its stunning example.

Live at the Opera is the outcome of Satyricon’s very special, exclusive show at the Oslo Opera House that took place on September of 2013, where the band performed with Norway's 55-strong National Opera Chorus. Those familiar with Satyricon's discography will probably know that this is not the first time they merged these two seemingly different but equally grandiose and captivating musical worlds. Since the beginning the band has drawn on classical influences and has been incorporating classical instruments into their music since 2006, both live and in the studio, including their 2006 shows with the Norwegian Radio Broadcasting Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (the latter is briefly featured in 2008’s EP My Skin Is Cold), and with various brass, horn and choir arrangements in Now, Diabolical and The Age of Nero.

Moving on to the album itself, the show starts aggressively with "Now, Diabolical" (preceded by "Voice of Shadows") and "Repined Bastard Nation", and, as the album proceeds on, one can definitely sense the thrilling vibe of the night's performance. As expected some songs lend themselves better to choral enhancement than others, especially songs like "Phoenix," "Den siste", "To the Mountains" and "The Pentagram Burns" which took on a different form that made them more effective and diverse sounding. What’s interesting is that Satyricon presented their usual fierce and intense live show, with the choir only intervening in order to enrich certain sections or vocal lines with their voluminous voices, adding an extra layer of atmosphere. The choir also takes on a primary role, offering a cappella intros, outros or interludes for some songs, forcing these two powerful sounds and widely divergent modes of expression to come together as one. The stage is the place where Satyricon truly unveil themselves. As a live band they are an unstoppable force with tight, flawless playing and a strong, imposing presence. After a thorough walk through Satyricon's blackened art, now given a whole new dimension, the album closes on a high note with the anthemic "Mother North" followed by "K.I.N.G."

As the show took place just one day prior to the release of the (at the time) new self-titled album, it was obvious that the set list would revolve around the newer material. However, I do believe that the addition of songs such as "Walk the Path of Sorrow" or "Hvite Krists død," songs that they still play occasionally on tour, would have made this concert an ideal one. I acknowledge that this particular set list was chosen for good reason and that’s totally acceptable, but I think the material from the first three albums would have worked even better with such a lyrical adaptation, given the classical/folk foundations they already have. It’s a shame that these albums were completely overlooked, with the exception of "Mother North" of course. Nevertheless, Live at the Opera is a worthy addition to the band’s catalog. Released through multiple and strictly limited formats, it captures a unique and monumental live performance in the band's career. Quoting Satyr himself, "It's not a live album. It's a celebration of what Satyricon stands for as a band."

Lefteris Kefalas
http://www.avantgarde-metal.com

The night was September 8th,2013 shortly before the official release of their self-titled album Satyricon. The band played a special show with the Norwegian national opera choir to commemorate the occasion. The show itself isn't out of the ordinary for Satyricon as they have flirted with orchestras before however, none have had quite the scope as this live show. In this set we are presented with fourteen songs, though one should take note that the majority of material presented comes from their post-2000 output with the exception of Mother North of course. For a lot of people this may be the difference between buying the album or ignoring it altogether and I urge you to please trust me when I say that, the opera really gives the post-2000 output of Satyricon a fresh new atmosphere that is hard not to appreciate in my opinion.

Production-wise the album as a whole is a well put together package, though I feel the optimum way to experience it would be to play the DVD instead of the dual CD. My reasoning for this is because a lot of dialogue is cut from the CD, hell even the introductory song that plays during the DVD's credits is missing here, as the CD cuts straight into Voice of Shadows. Now, for a lot of you this won't be an issue but for someone who likes to feel immersed while listening to a live album, I want to hear the filler as it makes the recording feel “complete” in a way. However, the package isn't perfect as the quality of the mix does seem to dip and sway here and there as is the case with most live albums of course.

Overall, I am really pleased with Satyricon's Live at the Opera, it does the job well giving newer Satyricon songs a breath of fresh air and a genuine ceremonial feeling. Now what are my personal opinions on the set-list as a whole? For one I have no issues with the songs played, as they translate perfectly with the opera choir. Although, I do feel that if they had time for a 15th song the anthem Hvite Krists Død from “The Shadowthrone” would have been a perfect fit. That's a small nitpick I have though, other than that Live at the Opera is a near perfect example of what can happen when you properly blend metal with classical opera.

So, I must give thanks to Satyricon and the royal Norwegian national opera for this wonderful piece of musical history.

Written by Nick a.k.a sonofsatyr on metal-archives.