Satyricon

With this seventh full-length, Satyricon's dark duo Satyr and Frost have gone minimalist. Maintaining their "black 'n' roll" mischief in measured spurts, raw tracks like opener "Commando" hold nod-along potential, but as the album moves forward, the stylistic progression moves backward, unfolding songs built on a more primitive black metal structure. The relentless, cyclical drums of "Die by My Hand" mark the shift as the sluggish melancholy of "My Skin Is Cold" and blood-boiling hatred of "The Sign of the Trident" follow; the slow-burning black metal riffs melt away with album closer "Den Siste."