Emperor Albums (8)
'Wrath of the Tyrant'
Release Date 3/7/2008
Tracks 9
Label Back on Black
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise'
Release Date 10/9/2001
Tracks 9
Label Candlelight
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
If there's one band that truly embodies anti-commercialism, it's Emperor. Generally regarded as the one true master of the Norwegian-bred black metal art form, the band concocts a staggeringly violent whirlwind of carefully constructed noise resulting in nigh-impermeable records piled high with complex arrangements and heart-bursting violence. So it's no surprise that, for its swan song, the band would issue Prometheus, a birth-to-death concept album of such weight and density that it takes roughly two dozen listens to even begin to appreciate the depth of its composition and its painstaking attention to detail. Accompanying the release of Prometheus was the announcement that it would be Emperor's final word as a band, and listening to the record, it is increasingly apparent that the bandmembers were beginning to take divergent musical paths; drummer Trym and guitarist Samoth had started expressing more interest in gut-level power punches, while frontman Ihsahn wished to pursue more cerebral art, evident in his classical project Thou Shalt Suffer, and the strange, progressive output of side band Peccatum. With Trym and Samoth investing the majority of their time in their relatively straightforward, speed-obsessed black/death unit Zyklon, Ihsahn willfully conceived, wrote, and produced the psychologically rigorous record in its entirety, handling all vocals, bass, keyboards, programming, and the majority of guitar tracks himself. Earlier albums were certainly more collaborative, although Ihsahn's influence was always prevalent in Emperor's work. Previous release IX Equilibrium was more immediate and simply arranged, albeit still putting forth the brainy, symphonic battery of much-praised earlier records In the Nightside Eclipse and Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk -- but Prometheus is an altogether different beast that still manages to stay true to the Emperor canon, boasting the group's best production to date with a mix that emphasizes clarity by pushing guitars to the forefront, more carefully integrating the keyboards, and bolstering the flat drum sound that marred previous recordings. In addition, Ihsahn more cogently utilizes his variety of vocalizations, from mid-rangey black-throated screams to King Diamond-esque operatic singing to a deep, echoed spoken tone, all tying tightly into the lyrical story line. Meanwhile, a tangled maelstrom of instrumental madness swirls behind him, the occasional melody or riff leaping out of the storm like a viper striking out from thick brush -- a device that Emperor easily mastered during their career. Middle three tracks "The Prophet," "The Tongue of Fire," and "In the Wordless Chamber" are the album's most prominent manifestos, balancing memorable hooks with molten-hot, broiling ebullience, especially the latter track, which sports a Viking-horn call that rallies the chainmailed troops for battle. "The Eruption" is an apt opening cut, kicking in with a delicately ominous harpsichord intro before bursting with effervescent rage, and "Thorns on My Grave" is a fittingly cold, harsh, and chaotic finale to both Prometheus and Emperor's legacy. Those willing to invest a significant amount of time into Prometheus will be thoroughly rewarded on intellectual and emotional levels -- especially when drawing parallels between the album's elaborate concept and Emperor's musical reign -- while more practical listeners unwilling to slap on headphones and willfully ingest the lyrics will find the record impenetrable. Certainly, In the Nightside Eclipse and Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk will still stand as two of the genre's defining moments, both albums redefining the creative boundaries of black metal in the mid-'90s, but Prometheus should proudly stand beside them, full of sound and fury, signifying a whole hell of a lot: Emperor, being all it can be, plunging the sword into its own breast after winning its most important battle (and possibly the war), willfully doing so before the plague of weakness has a chance to infiltrate its body. No act could be more anti-commercial. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
'Thou Shalt Suffer: Somnium'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 1
Label Candlelight
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Emperial Live Ceremony'
Release Date 4/10/2000
Tracks 10
Label Candlelight
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
As black metal's fully enthroned reigning kings, Emperor are truly an interesting, intriguing act, combining the soaring, operatic, orchestral sensibilities of classical music with the pomposity, technical skill, and brutality of various types of heavy metal. What emerges from that Norwegian cocoon is something entirely new, or if not entirely new, then a fully realized version of something that had been attempted by other acts. This live disc, which also incorporates multimedia -- a video for "I Am the Black Wizards" and Emperor screensavers -- was recorded and engineered during European touring for Equilibrium IX. Whether or not the tracks have been overdubbed -- after all, black metal is not an easy medium to work in -- remains fairly dubious. The drums have certainly been triggered, but whether additional vocals or guitars were cut, who knows. One thing is certain, Emperor prove mightily adept at conveying the full range of human emotion in song; from soaring, anthemic leads, to deep, murky Mahler-esque moods; to capturing the frightening solitude of a cold Scandinavian winterscape. Emperial Live Ceremony is not one of the best live albums ever recorded -- or, for that matter, overdubbed and studio crafted, but it does indicate this outfit's superior abilities, songwriting abilities that eclipse most others working in the black metal idiom. ~ Patrick Kennedy, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Emperor needs little introduction. As one of the leading exponents of the extremely ill-reputed Norwegian black metal scene (known for true-life demonic acts ranging from church burning to outright murder), the group's fearsome reputation -- on and off the stage -- precedes them. And with their third full album, IX Equilibrium, the group once again shows absolutely no mercy for lesser mortals by delivering another sonic onslaught of nearly impenetrable proportions. Drummer Trym doesn't so much keep time as pummel his kit incessantly, while guitarists Ihsahn and Samoth contribute an equally oppressive wall of sound laced with keyboard textures so demonic they were seemingly concocted by the great horned one himself. The third track, "An Elegy of Icarus," is the first to scale back the violence during its heavily symphonic intro, but the furious pace resumes immediately thereafter, never to slacken again, albeit briefly on the nearly melodic "The Warriors of Modern Death." Far from a masterpiece, but hardly a stinker either, IX Equilibrium falls quite short of the group's earlier albums through sheer lack of diversity, and will prove indigestible to all but the most committed black metal fans. But that was most certainly Emperor's goal in the first place. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk'
Release Date 7/8/1997
Tracks 8
Label Century Media
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Whereas Emperor's debut poured sorrow from every measure, Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk takes a more regal stance by adding a classical influence to the keyboard lines (the album was recorded in the Memorial Hall of Grieg). Not only is the music more complex, it's also a bit more varied and accessible; the vocals don't rely exclusively on death metal's throaty growling and sometimes match the band's scattered passages of melodicism. Less sorrowful than In the Nightside Eclipse, Emperor's bleak outlook is nonetheless intact. This is an album by a band fully intent on realizing its creative potential, displaying no intention of compromise while simultaneously raising the stakes for a genre most fans were starting to think had dried up. The Reverence EP, which preceded the album, is included here in its entirety, featuring a CD-ROM video and an orchestral version of Eclipse's "Inno a Satana." ~ Jeremy Ulrey & Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'In the Nightside Eclipse'
Release Date 1/1/1994
Tracks 9
Label Century Black
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Displaying much more emotional range than many of its contemporaries, In the Nightside Eclipse combines black metal's noisy fury with synth arrangements and dark, haunting medieval chords and melodies, thus evoking moods of sorrow and loneliness. Awash in pagan imagery, the album was recorded in the Memorial Hall of Edvard Grieg for additional atmosphere, indicative of the record's ambition and of the band's willingness to experiment and push the limits of the death metal genre. In fact, In the Nightside Eclipse, although not quite as complex or accessible as its follow-up, is arguably the definitive Norwegian black metal album. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
