by Vincent Jeffries

After spending years toiling in the extreme metal underground, Satyricon broke into the top ranks of their genre with the release of Dark Medieval Times. The debut full-length is loud and sinister enough to satisfy even the most demanding black metal fans. Being an independent offering, this record falls short in the production category. But to the band's credit, the sonic limitations of Dark Medieval Times are only a minimal distraction. The muddled drums, buried vocals, and thin guitars still resonate with bile and negativity, which is, of course, high praise for a black metal outing. "The Dark Castle in the Deep Forest" is a particularly wicked number that could best be described as a white noise blackout. It's not the songs, but the spirit that propels Dark Medieval Times, and listeners interested in the highest standard of mid-'90s underground metal shouldn't overlook this effort while rounding out their unholy collection.