rozhovor_2015-05-03_Satyricon_en - HELLMAGAZINE

One of the Norway´s finest metal bands SATYRICON has just released their live album entitled ”Live at the Opera”. We had the opportunity to talk to Frost who answered all of my questions.

Live at the Opera – the first stand-alone live DVD since 1992. Why did it take so long to release a live      record?

We have never had any plans of releasing a live album; shows are always about the moment and about being there. We wanted to document and record the Opera show though, as it was a specially written work performed at one particular event. It was such a unique spectacular happening that it deserved to be filmed and recorded, and the choir arrangements make the songs themselves becomes something different. They ought to be shared with a bigger audience.

What do you think is more important for bands: CDs, live recordings or live shows perhaps?

It’s all important, but the music itself is what everything else revolves around, and hence the albums is the most important of all.

You aren´t touring that much as you used to several years ago. I suppose you´re still very related to music. Do you have also some other projects?

We are currently spending a lot of time in our rehearsal place, making music and preparing the upcoming tour. In parallel, we have also started work on a cover album that we intend to record later this year. Finishing the Live at the Opera album and DVD also took much time and effort. So we have been hiding in our creative cave for a long time now. But as these coming releases happen, there will be substantial live activity following them.

If you have free time. How do you spend it?

Sometimes necessary relaxation, other times recreational activities, and other times enjoying some hedonistic pleasure. There isn’t much free time these days, though...

Let´s get back to the new DVD. Who has helped you with the orchestral or better to say choir
arrangements for the show?

Kjetil Bjerkestrand wrote the choir arrangements, and did some truly beautiful work. He had a profound understanding of what we wanted to do with this project, and he grasped Satyricons music very well. Satyr supervised the arrangements and secured that we got the right solutions for our songs.

Was it very different to perform with the choir?

Not at all, the choir is very disciplined and trained, and under the guidance of the excellent choir master David Maiwall they were neatly syncronised with Satyricon.

Did you enjoy the beautiful opera hall? It´s so incredible venue to perform black metal actually.

Absolutely. It gives a solemn, ceremonial and grand aura – a perfect setting for a show like the one we did.

How did you choose the setlist for this occasion?

We picked those songs that we felt would benefit the most from the adding of choir arrangements, and of course we kept in mind that the Opera show was also the first show on the tour following “Satyricon”, hence we had to pick quite a few songs from that album.

This year, you´re touring only in April. Are you preparing also some more legs? This tour consists of
only very few countries.

Since we are in reality in the midst of a very creative period where we compose and rehearse new material, we will probably not be touring more this year. It’s important for us to be focused on these creative processes; too much touring at this point will interrupt our work. More touring will start to happen again later, probably from 2016.

It´s been many years since you first appeared on the scene so to say. What has changed in music the
most in your point of view?

It has gotten tighter, more authoritative and also more dynamic and vital. I believe we have grown a lot as musicians and live performers since the beginning. And there’s still a long road ahead...

You started doing music almost 25 years ago. Now you´ve become very well-known act not only in
your home country. Have you ever thought of anything like this to happen?

We didn’t see it coming that far in the very beginning, but we have always been determined, ambitious and taken on a conquering spirit. And the growth has happened very gradually for us rather than being any overnight happening.

I know it´s very difficult but what do you consider as the most important moment in the history of
Satyricon?

I don’t think I can pick any one particular moment – that would be the formation of the band, in case  but rather do I think that there is a string of moments that is pivotal to Satyricon. Our albums. They are what constitutes this band.

When can your Slovakian fans expect you to play in our country again?

I would say 2016. We would very much like to come back – we had a fine experience in Bratislava the last time.

Thank you so much for your time and this interview!

Added: Dominika Nováková
Added: 03.05.2015
Photo: Per Ole Hagen