Band:	Satyricon
Album:	Intermezzo II
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	May 10, 1999
A review by:	Sephiroth

01. A Moment Of Clarity
02. I.N.R.I. [At 251 BPM] [Sarcófago cover]
03. Nemesis Divina [Clean Vision Mix]
04. Blessed From Below [Melancholy/Oppression/Longing]

This EP, published in 1999 show us the new skin of Satyricon. From the beginning, watching to the CD layout and cover, we understand that something is changed. The rinnovation involved the music and the aestethic style: no more classical face painting for Satyr [with his head now completely shaved] and Frost, but a dehumanized look, a make up realized with geometrical lines.

The tracklist presents us 4 tracks: ?A Moment Of Clarity? a track taken from the following new album, ?Nemesis Divina?, from the homonym previous album, a cover and an ?experiment?.
Leaving the comment of the new song's style to the review of ?Rebel Extravaganza?, and saying that Nemesis Divina [although it should be a ?Remix?] is almost the same that was on its album, [it's only been removed the acoustical outro], it's now interesting to examine the two experimental tracks.
INRI is a fast, short and ultraviolent track, with Frost's drums going hyperspeed [he's now one of the greatest and fastest drummer in the BM scene]. Originally a song by Sarcofago, it's been edited and partly rewritten [as the booklet says] by Satyr. I personally don's know the original so I cannot say how it was changed or bettered.
Anyway, nothing particular.

The most interesting track in this EP is the last: ?Blessed From Below? that is a slow, atmospheric ambient track divided into 3 parts: Melancholy, Oppression and Longing. The synths and the industrial sounds finally appear, together with some great slow and oppressive guitar riffs, a slow beat and Satyr voice, slow but evil as usual. Something totally different from the Norwegian black metal that Satyricon used to play, but anyway, it will remain only an experiment on this EP.

It's important to notice how this EP is meant to be a link and a passage from the old Satyricon style [Nemesis Divina] and the new musical direction, presented through ?A Moment Of Clarity?. A style that will be deeply developed and explored in the ?Rebel Extravaganza? album.

If you love to madness Satyr's band you could appreciate this EP, but if you already own both Nemesis Divina and Rebel Extravaganza it's something you can miss.