SATYRICON Drummer: We Are '100% Focused On Writing Good, Powerful Songs'

David E. Gehlke of Blistering.com recently conducted an interview with SATYRICON drummer Frost. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Blistering.com: Do you feel "Volcano" could have been a bigger hit in the U.S.?

Frost: "As far as I know, it did pretty well. It was our first experience on (SYSTEM OF A DOWN's) Daron Malakian's (EatUR Music) company, so we didn't know what to expect. There were some positive things about that corporation like Daron was willing to do things for the band, he loves SATYRICON and he wanted to do something for us. But on the other hand, running a company wasn't really the thing for him and I guess that's the reason he's not doing it anymore. I think that things happened on both the positive sides and negative side. Now we're back on Century Media (for the U.S., Roadrunner for the rest of the world) and it's going well."

Blistering.com: Are you comfortable with the primitive black metal style SATYRICON has taken up?

Frost: "I'm very comfortable with it. I think that SATYRICON has moved in the direction that is right for us and we can do the heaviest work. The style of music that we're doing now is closer to the original black metal of the '80s and our earlier stuff and of course, we have given it a very SATYRICON touch and have done something very unique to it. I don't view it as modern and [all that] detached from general black metal expression. That's mostly done by people who haven't done their history lessons I guess. I like that kind of music, I like more rock 'n' roll based black metal like BATHORY and CELTIC FROST and I definitely like the very strong, dark substance that has found its place in SATYRICON's music. In the later years, SATYRICON sounds far more black and refined that we ever have before."

Blistering.com: What was the goal when you and Satyr headed into the studio to record "Now, Diabolical"?

Frost: "To create really good and powerful songs. We felt that we have started to discover how to do things with 'Volcano'. We had started to put to focus writing songs and making them as powerful as possible. We wanted to take the concept of that to its fullest extent on 'Now, Diabolical' and we were 100% focused on writing good, powerful songs. Each song represents a main idea that is supposed to be permeating all of the different parts that makes up the respective songs. Doing something like that calls for simplicity and rigidity, but also makes the songs come true as a very wholesome unit with power and strong identity. There is no doubt in our mind that this is the right way of doing it. When I listen to the songs now, I feel how nice the energy flows through the songs; I understand it was a very wise move indeed. All of those different tempo changes we had on some of the songs on our earlier albums…"

Blistering.com: What were the feelings when the band enlisted SLIPKNOT's Joey Jordison to take your place for the 2004 North America tour?

Frost: "I feel that I have work to do in the United States and it would be right to go there and play, but I am denied doing that (note: Frost's problems relate to a late '90s criminal charge in Norway). For as long as I can't over there with my band and perform, we have to find someone to step in there. Even if I can't go over there, the band has to, for we have a quite a few American fans. We also want the band to grow and strengthen and go on headlining tours of the states. Because of that, I was glad and thankful that Joey could do the job for me. I know him as a good man and as a good, skilled, experienced drummer. He has all the qualities you could ask for and quite a lot more. He was the man to do the job and he did it well. To sum it all up, I think it was a shame that I couldn't go, but I'm glad he did it."

Read the entire interview at Blistering.com.