SATYRICON - Nemesis Divina (12" Gatefold LP on Black Vinyl, 20th Anniversary Edition) **Damaged Cover

“There are, at most, only a handful of albums and songs that truly define modern-day black metal. Nemesis Divina is definitely one of those records, and Mother North is definitely one of those songs,” Satyr boldly—and rightfully—claims.

When Satyricon released their third album in 1996, their status as one of the most significant and creatively vital bands in Norwegian black metal was already beyond dispute. But Nemesis Divina was no ordinary record, nor just another step along the path to infamy. From its uniquely vibrant and striking artwork—which defied black metal conventions with vivid colors and a refined aesthetic core—to its supremely confident and idiosyncratic songwriting, the album introduced a new level of sophistication and vision.

Nemesis Divina almost single-handedly dragged black metal from its deliberately obscure and shadowy origins into the glaring spotlight of the international metal scene. It revealed a band that had fully matured, with the technical skill and musical intuition to realize the full potential of their artistic ambition. Sonically devastating and compositionally meticulous, songs like Mother North and The Dawn of a New Age redefined what black metal was capable of—expanding its boundaries while honoring the genre’s timeless spirit and visual ethos.

To mark the 20th anniversary of this landmark work, Nemesis Divina was re-released in the spring of 2016 via Napalm Records. The album was newly remastered by Satyr himself and featured revamped, upgraded packaging—fitting for a record that left an enduring mark on both the black metal scene and underground heavy music as a whole.

Satyricon followed the reissue with a limited run of exclusive live performances, playing the album in its entirety for the first and only time. “It’s not what we do, and it won’t happen again!” affirms Satyr. “This band, as you know, is definitely not retrospective. But we started playing live in 1996. Our most groundbreaking, milestone record came out in 1996. It’s the only one we still include multiple songs from in our set to this day… so if we’re ever going to do a reissue, do anniversary shows, and make it a big deal, it’s going to be Nemesis Divina. And it has to be now.”