Review by Luka on November 19, 2002.

Picking up right where they left three years ago with "Rebel Extravaganza" (enough time, it seems, for Satyr’s hair to grow long again), our infamous black metal aristocrats have offered us a devious new aural assault that will once again assure their spot among the genre’s elite. Treading a familiar path, the opening track blasts forth with a thumping, helicopter double-bass riff to conjure that unmistakable Satyricon sound. While ”Volcano” didn’t exactly blow me away completely, as my expectations for this album were great, it did once again strengthen my regard for the band a great deal.

The traditional cold atmosphere the band seems to enjoy has warmed but not by much. Satyr’s guitar still sounds like an icy chainsaw but the songs are written in a simpler framework and seem to be moving towards a more customary structure that’s not nearly as technical as on their previous release. A notable improvement, as the songs from "Rebel Extravaganza" had a tendency to drive themselves into a dead end with overly long and exhausting arrangements. With the un-necessities shed we are left with a more confident and homogeneous sounding Satyricon than ever.

"Volcano" shows the band making another vital change by for the first time in their career writing songs that are actually really catchy! ’Repined Bastard Nation’ steadily drives on a strong double-bass groove for some five minutes, creating an absolute head-banging delight, while other riffs even have an amiable rock-n-roll feel. While this style is most likely an indicator of the band’s future character, it is only in its infancy and typical black metal rhythm and technicality is still abundant. I doubt "Volcano" will be seen as any kind of milestone for the band, and I’ll go as far as saying that this is the first mediocre album Satyricon has put out in a long time. Now mediocrity by Satyricon standards means that it is still head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd so the black metal fan can pick this up in a second. The marvelous cover picture deserves praise as well.

Bottom Line: A bold and confident release from one of black metal’s best. While not a phenomenal follow-up to the last album, "Volcano" is definitely a safe buy.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 7.5
Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 8.5

Rating: 8.1 out of 10

Review by Carl on July 7, 2022.

It sickens my heart (and I mean this in a very good way) to see that gory, old-styled grindcore/death metal seems to be making a return, after quite some time of hanging around in the background while old school death metal, goregrind and brutal death/slam were hogging the spotlight. These last few years there have been some truly great releases by bands such as Pharmacist, Galvanizer, Filtheater, Cadaveric Incubation and very recently Massacred, and among these handsome folk we can also situate Heinous and their debut full length The Basement.

Heinous do not reinvent the wheel here (thankfully), but they deliver the goods in a highly enjoyable and energetic manner. Though not the most original, what they may lack in that category they more than make up for in frothing-at-the-mouth unhinged energy. Savage blasting grindcore parts trade off with slower, early Carcass-like sections, all delivered with hardcore punk energy, creating short sharp shocks of death/grind ferocity, drenched in distortion and feedback. On top of this vile and lethal mixture are the low vocals that have me thinking of bands like Regurgitate and (again) Carcass, and combined with the Repulsion/Disastrous Murmur/early Pungent Stench influenced music, we get an acidic concoction that delivers some serious jabs to the abdomen. Poured into a clear but not overdone production, it all comes bursting out of the speakers without sacrificing the underground spirit this music needs to emanate to stay convincing, and let me tell you, convincing this is for sure! Too bad it's all over in 18 minutes.

This is a very good release in all its aspects: the music tears you a new one without effort, while it all sounds and looks awesome. Playing is tight, the songs are raucous and even catchy at times, and the great cover art makes this a delicious package of death/grind mayhem that should be able to please everyone into the genre.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10