It's been 20 years since Satyricon declared "This is armageddon!" on their now landmark third album, Nemesis Divina. Universally hailed as a black metal masterpiece and one of the genre's absolute essentials, the record raised the bar in a number of areas upon its release in 1996. The album has been remastered, bringing out all the subtleties at work and a significant boost to what was already a stellar production, and we've got the exclusive stream below.

By 1996, black metal was in full swing with a number of iconic records already committed to the genre's canon. Raw, abrasive, lo-fi productions were black metal's calling card largely due to bands like Darkthrone, presenting this unforgiving sound in a way that served as the antithesis to everything else in existence at the time. Satyricon never fell victim to truly necro production values, but their first two records more than willingly tossed sonic accessibility by the wayside.

The release of Nemesis Divina was a game-changer, not only sonically, but visually, as well. The relatively pristine production showcased the band's development as musicians without sacrificing any of the cold aesthetics that keep the band's sound well within expected parameters. The artwork was shockingly not only stunning, but cryptic — one that made you want to pour over the lyric sheet searching for clues that would reveal the cover's true significance.

Pre-orders are available now and fans can purchase a variety of physical copies here or digitally through iTunes. The album will be out May 20 on Napalm Records.

Frost delivers a concussive performance behind the kit on Nemesis Divina and has been an integral part of the ironclad duo since 1993, rounded out by mainman Satyr. We had the opportunity to ask the drummer about the 20th anniversary of the record, which can be seen underneath the player below:

Satyricon's sound has evolved far beyond Nemesis Divina over the last 20 years. What stands out the most when you go back and listen to the album?

The album feels very ferocious, driven and wild. I sense the hunger we had as musicians 20 years ago, and I hear that there is more power than control.

What was the reason for brining in Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone to lay down rhythm guitar on the album?

Nocturno Culto joined that band in the period where we made Nemesis Divina and actually became a full member. He was a devoted fan of Satyricon, and Satyr and I were heavily into Darkthrone, so there was a mutual wish of him joining as he happened to move from this desolate place to our area. Having him in the band was great for spiritual as well as for musical reasons.

In 1996, black metal wasn't renowned for album art. Explain the album cover of Nemesis Divina and how it relates to the album.

We were determined to have a visually very striking and unconventional cover, as befitted Satyricon and the album Nemesis Divina. Satyr found an artist who seemed to understand the task and was willing to do it, and he created this beautiful cover art. It reflects well the thematics of the album - force, hatred, revenge and the establishment of a new order. The fiery and earthy colour tones are fantastic.

Are there any plans to perform Nemesis Divina in full on tour or special one-off shows?

In February we did actually perform Nemesis Divina in it's entirety at Rockefeller in Oslo, where we held our very first live show 20 years ago and we will do live performances of the album at various festival shows this summer. A proper celebration of a landmark album.

Thanks to Frost for the interview and, again, pre-order physical or digital copies of the 20th anniversary remastered edition of 'Nemesis Divina.' The record will be released on May 20 through Napalm Records.

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