Customer Reviews

Rebel Extravaganza

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There seems to be a new movement in Black Metal, and I think it's new sound is being spearheaded by the likes of Satyricon and a few others. A number of bands typically associated with this genre have decided to break the mold and "throw caution to the wind" by sonically moving forward into the new millenium rather than stagnating by recording the same necro-sounding album over and over again. The notable few to so this successfully are Emperor (with "IX Equilibrium"), Mayhem ("Grand Declaration Of War"), Tormentor ("Recipe Ferrum"), and Satyricon's "Rebel Extravaganza". By all means, this is a good thing! You want sheer speed? It's here. You want cold, bleak, and dark guitar work? Again, it's here. You want misanthropic lyrics? Yep. But if you also want progression and intelligence, listen to this CD... along with the others I mentioned. This release stretches the label of Black Metal to the point that I'm cautious to even use that tag. This is intelligent & sophisticated art. You'll know that this is the trademark Satyricon writing and craftsmanship when you hear it, but Satyr and Frost have created the unimaginable - a new brutal edge in Black Metal. There are very few times that you can use the words "fresh" and "original" when describing Black Metal, but they fit perfect here.

I have to admit that it took a couple listens for me to get use to Rebel Extraganza. This album is far different from any of Satyricon's previous releases. The conceptual themes of past albums "Shadowthrone", and "Dark Medeval Times" are no longer present. Rebel is much more stripped down sound while maintaining a dynamic sound that sets Saytricon apart from it's Black Metal predecessors. My favorite songs would have to be "Havok Vultures"( w/ a cameo from Ferniz or DarkThrone), "Prime Evil Renaissance", and the blast beat rythms of "Supersonic Journey". Rebel also includes a couple of subtle interludes in between songs, allowing you to rest before your senses get pummeled again with Satyricon's brand of Dark Metal. Most fans either hate or love this album. This albums an aquired taste.I myself listen to it with a sense of awe, as one may listen to symphony or orchestra music. Does it rock? Hell yeah! A must have for open minded metal fanatics.

This album just rocks. This might be their most uncommercial album ever. This stuff is heavy and fast and very creative. Everyone got scared that they would go Industrial on this album, but that was not the case. Fans of the older material might still wish for the keyboards and the mideval themes, but the lyrics here are quite thought provoking. The last track is a little ambient and has some 80's metal vocals thrown in. Satyr's vocals are awesome and has thrown in some distorted vocals in for good measure. Frost's drumming is superb here. I wouldn't recommend this album to someone who hasn't listened to Black Metal yet. Try Shadowthrone first, then Nemisis, and then try this one. This album remains true to the vain of early 90's metal like Mayhem, Darkthrone, and Immortal. If you like fast Black Metal without the Goth, then you should get this.

I have to admit that it took a couple listens for me to get use to Rebel Extraganza. This album is far different from any of Satyricon's previous releases. The conceptual themes of past albums "Shadowthrone", and "Dark Medeval Times" are no longer present. Rebel is much more stripped down while maintaining a dynamic sound that sets Saytricon apart from it's Black Metal contemporaries. My favorite songs would have to be "Havok Vultures"( w/ a cameo from Ferniz or DarkThrone), "Prime Evil Renaissance", and the blast beat rythms of "Supersonic Journey". Rebel also includes a couple of subtle interludes in between songs, allowing you to rest before your senses get pummeled again with Satyricon's brand of Dark Metal. Most fans either hate or love this album. This albums an aquired taste.I myself listen to it with a sense of awe, as one may listen to symphony or orchestra music. Does it rock? Hell yeah! A must have for open minded metal fanatics.

Before buying this CD I made some investigation as to how good it really is. Well, I've heard different opinions, some say it sucks, some say its a masterpiece. After buying and giving it a few listens, I must agree to the latter. This is an amazing amazing amazing album. The vocals are just as evil, dark and hellish as usual, guitar works is flawless, and drumming takes the prize as the fastest ever. While lyrics aren't exactly similar to previous Satyricon releases, the bass is a bit overshadowed and the style changed, nevertheless don't let it discourage you, this is either their best effort yet, or certainly ranks up there with Dark Medieval Times. After listening to the thunderous, monstruous, absolutely stunning drumming, I'm now convinced that Frost is one of the best drummers on the scene, along with veterans such as Trym from Emperor, or Hellhammer from Mayhem. The best songs IMO, are Tied in Bronze Chains, The Scorn Torrent (just listen to the drums here! omfg) and Prime Evil Renaissance. Get it, listen to it, if you like black metal, you can't miss with Rebel Extravaganza.

"Rebel Extravaganza" is NOT a CD for those Black Metal "romantics", who only want grizzly produced music with lyrics about medieval satanism and the very "evil" effects of living in a snow-covered Norwegian forrest...

Satyricon's form of Black Metal on "Rebel Extravaganza" is more of an urban phenomenon, dealing more with the problems of being a "rebel" in a new millennium, and trying to deal with the problems of living in an urbanized, cold, panzer-materialistic world, devoid of real emotion and content.

Therefore the music has to mirror these lyrical themes, even if it means abandoning the typical "recorded in a basement on a tape-recorder"-type production-values, in favor of the razor-sharp clean production, that "Rebel Extravaganza" sports.

This does NOT make Satyricon a Death Metal band, as some seem to think, by just aids Satyricon in making as awesome a sonic impact as humanly possible...

"Rebel Extravaganza" is ample proof of exacly that fact, as it to me shows the way for Black Metal to evolve triumphantly into the new millennium, without loosing any of Black Metal's original rebel-like qualities...

"Rebel Extravaganza" is a tour de force of aggressive, technically adept, well-composed, catchy, razor-sharp, futuristic Black Metal with highly thoughtful, intelligent lyrics, and should appeal to ALL lovers of innovative extreme metal..

In short: A masterpiece!

This album just rocks. This might be their most uncommercial album ever. This stuff is heavy and fast and very creative. Everyone got scared that they would go Industrial on this album, but that was not the case. Fans of the older material might still wish for the keyboards and the mideval themes, but the lyrics here are quite thought provoking. The last track is a little ambient and has some 80's metal vocals thrown in. Satyr's vocals are awesome and has thrown in some distorted vocals in for good measure. Frost's drumming is superb here. I wouldn't recommend this album to someone who hasn't listened to Black Metal yet. Try Shadowthrone first, then Nemisis, and then try this one. This album remains true to the vain of early 90's metal like Mayhem, Darkthrone, and Immortal. If you like fast Black Metal without the Goth, then you should get this.

Many people appear to mixed on this album. When I first heard I really wasn't impressed, but I didn't listen to much extreme metal then. As my tastes evolved I listened again and I was more impressed. What I find interesting is the vast difference between this and Satyricon's debut Dark Medieval Times.

One reviewer refered to this and "Urban Black Metal". This would make a lot of sense. Much black metal has had the majestic medieval feel to it. This has a much more brutal, modern feel to it. This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending which way you look at it.

My way of seeing it is that this album doesn't have the evil feel I associate with some other black metals. Instead it has a more upfront feel. This is certainly good as a progression since music should evolve, and certainly it would harm black metal (which is quite a stubborn genre) to change a bit.

This album does have elements of death metal and industrial in it, but I like to think of it as a modern black metal album that is taking an evolutionary feel. I won't say that any black metal fan would like it. It has a more direct heavy feel so someone used to atmosphere may not like it. But it is original in what is becoming a stale genre.

I will admit, I got into the whole "black metal" thing because I was dating a chick that was into it. She is gone. But the discs stay. These guys do have talent. It is apparent that they put some real thought into this album. The lyrics are more sound effect than anything else, but this works. The percussion is hyperactive, but, again, it works. The tempo shifts are a predictable as a Lake Superior gale, yet again, it works. My point: this album contains all the most predictable elements, but still is a total original blast. That requires talent. It is like a good sonnet, you know the structure ahead of time, but it still satisfies.

I was reading the other reviews of this album, and i thought to myself, i cant allow so much negativity about this album ruin its reputation. this album is absolutely first rate. i think the people who didnt appreciate it wrote it off as junk because the lyrics actually have intellegence and meaning that they didnt get. yes it is fast and brutal. thats not at all the kind of music im normally into. my favorite bands are opeth and tristania. this is certainly different than those two. but that makes this even more impressive, that a brutal band has released a cd that i absolutely love. the best three songs on the cd are tied in bronze chains, havoc vulture, and a moment of clarity. now, i, although lacking in much talent, am a musician. i know about guitar playing, and about drumming. the guitar parts on this album are very odd, but they suit the atmosphere of the record very well, and they are executed with extreme care and talent. frost is the best drummer on the planet unquestionably. he flawlessly belts out 32nd notes on his bass drums at numerous points in the album. thats faster than most drummers can go with their hands.my favorite drumming moment is at about 6 minutes and 5 seconds into filthgrinder, you can clearly hear easily the fastest double bass ive ever heard. if this doesnt impress you, if this annoys you, well, theres something wrong with you. i can understand comparisons with bands like emperor and mayhem, but truely satyricon is the best of the lot. theyre just so much more enjoyable. theres really nothing to complain about on this disc. the talent factor is very high, the intellegence factor is high, and overall, this is one hell of an interesting, totally brutal, and very enjoyable cd. buy it, youll love it.