Emperor - 'Emperor' and Wrath of the Tyrant
This CD features Emperor's debut release, and also their debut EP I believe. Boy, was I in for a surprise with this release - talk about extreme necrophilia noise.
I almost didn't like it at first, though luckily I knew most of the tunes from In the Nightside Eclipse. If you have heard In the Nightside Eclipse then don't worry, this release is far more raw. In fact it's definately worth getting this release if you have all 3 proceeding albums.
This CD features distortion is approaching the level Burzum operates at - an indication of just how necro this album is.
"Emperor" consists of 4 songs which all kick arse. The one I hadn't ever heard before - "Wrath of the Tyrant" has one of the most amazing chord sequences ever, with loads of variation, intensity, innovation, ear piercing screaches and an up-beat drum tempo... As you might expect - this is one track that's been played ever since purchased in Amsterdam.
The second part of the CD (- a bonus section no less) - Wrath of the Tyrant - is perhaps the more difficult part of the CD to get into. Two of the songs were on the "Emperor" part of the CD which is bit of a shame. However the fact that the second versions sound like they have been obtained from rotting corpses in Kosovo does have some necro appeal. The reason I say the "Wrath of the Tyrant" CD is a little more difficult to get into is because you really have to use your powers of listening to discern the melody and harmony from the Buzumesc disto-noise.
I think the difficulties can be considered a challenge any warrior of metal can be proud of taking on though. The rewards are clear - definite noisecore dark black extreme metal. This album isn't for pussies. If the other Emperor releases were too extreme then don't get this album. If the other albums were just right then splash out on some more black metal - it's definitely worth it! Fast, furious and definitely metal!
Imagine Burzum, Cradle of Filth and Bathory all merged into one sound. This is the sound of In the Nightside Eclipse. The comparative decline of the Scandinavian Black Metal Scene has left just a few hardcore bands standing, and Emperor is at the forefront of this scene.
This offering features some of the fastest and most intense drumming from Emperor’s now jailed drummer - Faust. The vocals could be sampled from a still living but decapitated pig, and basically take Black Metal vocals to an extreme. The guitars have been given sounds which are distinctive to Emperor, and really do sound good. The keyboards add a dark but captivating atmosphere to most of the tracks, ecspecially ‘Into the Infinity of Thoughts’, and make this album stand out from the other albums they have released; although they continue to use keyboards after this album, they never reach the epic-Bathoryesque levels attained on this release.
Some of the tracks have been featured on Black metal samplers. ‘Inno a Satana’ was featured on Candlelight Compilation, and ‘The Burning Shadows of Silence’ on Blackened (Vol.2). A few almost unnoticeable changes can be heard on these two tracks, but the other tracks well make up for the repetition if you’ve heard these.
Emperor: Reverence
A three track collection from Emperor at (arguably) their artistic peak, after the very well received Nightside album, this is a relativley rare EP with video on the CD version. It comprises a track from Anthems, 'The Loss and Curse of Reverence', anoher track `In Longing Spirit` and a classical reworking of Inno A Satana, here presented as Opus A Satana.
In Longing Spirit is a slight deviation from Emperor's usual style, starting very slowly, progressing to intense black melodies and screaming. The last track however is the gem of the EP - and makes it worth money you may splash out - with high quality classical - as in a classical symphony version; a resampling of the original : go back to the original and hear so much stuff that you hadnt noticed before, special melodies soar up when stripped of the distortion and blasting beats. This is the track that people who claim Emperor is `just a load of noise` will feel like twats for liking then learning who it is.
The gods of metal are truly present in this EP, but try and get it for free rather than spending lots of money on it.
Emperor: Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk is the long awaited release from Emperor. The first track opens with majestic, martial sounds of metal (without guitars). It is so mellow, it could be listened to by lightweights except the melodies are dark…dark enough to provides a suitable introduction to one of the most intensely mad metal tracks, and most of the album.
The drumming is fast, simulating a battle with Osama in Afghanisatan, though this probably does an injustive to the drummer...imagine a point defence anti-missile gun instead. The drumming changes enough to stay interesting throughout the album as well. The guitars are played in suck an extreme manner that they are barely recognisable as guitars. The vocals again sound like decapitated pigs; someone must get through a lot of lozenges.
The use of keyboards on this album is of particular interest. It provides the melodies for the vast majority of the tracks, and gives the album the feel of a completed piece of work. The melodic work performed by the guitars and keyboards may be innovative but may not be to everyone's taste. Likewise, some death metal enthusiasts (from the early 90's) may object to the use of 'proper' singing. I personally feel this adds yet more darkness to the sound of the album. It's use on 'With Strength I Burn' is particularly effective.
Once I had overcome the rather cheeky claim that "Emperor performs sophisticated Black Metal exclusively" (on the back case of the CD), I soon discovered an album which should, yet again, set the pace for future black metal.
It was with high expectations that we made our way to London, knowing that Emperor were going to bring the ruckus. This was a night of True Metal. We arrived to see Peccatum about half way through. What we saw was interesting as they are a project of Ihsahn from Emperor, also comprising clever guitar and keyboard interplay, and three vocal styles, including shrill tones from a girl who sometimes sounded like a cheesy wicked witch - but still effective. They got heavier towards the end and seemed to go down well.
Limbonic Art started well, with some good atmospheric tones, but needed a little bit more variety, people were getting impatient to hear Emperor. They played a good standard of dark metal, but before we knew it, it was time for Emperor.
After a fuckup after the first song with the sound the (underpowered) PA came back and people knew it was time to keep it real and go mental. The band played a well balanced mix of tracks from all the albums, but it seemed to be the tracks from "Anthems..." that went down the best, especially the caning "With Strength I Burn", surely their mightiest epic so far. They played fucking TRUE METAL and mashed up any weak dodgy goths that lurked near the moshpit.
A night to relive - Long Live Emperor.
Album : Imperial Live Ceremony
This was recorded at the gig when ZeroZero massive went to in London (see above). Bit of a corporate ass wipe this album - the tracks don't sound good live on this album. In retrospect I can see why the gig had tinny and too quiet amps pumping out metal at the LA2 - the gig was designed to be recorded. What an Emperor live album should have had is bootlegs, loads of old and unreleased songs played live throughout Europe and more variation. Instead we're treated to too much Equilabrium X and not enough epic shit. The CD-ROM video is pretty pathetic as well - trying to spot your mates in the crowd is near impossible though might remind you of the night. The screensaver is also rather dissapointing - probably made in a basic screeen saver creator - it misses the mark and fails to put metal in the proud place on your desktop it deserves. Not really worth the money, try and get a copy instead.
Not sure what this album would be like, I waited till I came across it at a secondhand shop. I soon discovered that I'd been missing out on some of the most extreme metal innovation yet.
Opening with some cracking tracks, this album is all about slow and extreme power/death/doom chords. Emperor and Thorns tracks are found throughout and fit together very nicely indeed. The use of some intense distortion and aged organs has ensured that this album has the most distinctive sound of all of the Emperor albums. Not only do we find noises, guitars and vocals that could kill your grandparents, but we also find some of the best doomy classical electronic compositions we've heard. For levels of innovation and complexity this album wins against the competition hands down. In addition to a innovative style and sound, this albumn goes from fast to slow in a second and those chords are dark...very dark indeed.
Unless you're a weakarse, you'll be on the lookout for this album. Nuff said.
Equilibrium IX
There's a reason for taking a year and a half to do this review : its a bit of a mystery to me. Having come to the conclusion that this album is an enjoyable experience, it became time to review it.
You can probably tell by now that this album must be a little different to other Emperor releases. Perhaps to the unacquainted ear, this release is similar to Anthems or In the Nightside, but things truly have changed. The sound is less necro, and more produced - perhaps seemingly too produced for Emperor. Things are still steaming ahead at top speed and the vocals are still guttural and hoarse. ( The lapse into 80s esq-Maiden vocalisation on The Sword of Icon really didn't go down too well however). Songs are still complex with many sections, fast and slow, melodic and satanic. Nordic vocals of course make an appearance on tracks such as Nonus Aequilibriu which is perhaps the best track on the album.
This album can be seen as a continuation away from the really early necro stuff and moving on from Anthems. Its good that this album has its own particular vibe. I'm simply not convinced its as good as the other releases. Thorns was a far better album as was Anthems, but thats not to say that Equiibrium won't kick your arse. Perhaps the next album will give more of clue as to what direction the band is moving in.
Good Links: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Underground/5390/emperor.html
Emperor - Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise
Prometheus is the closing chapter of the Emperor story, completed by Ihsahn with help from Samoth and Trym. Starting off as pioneers of traditional black metal in Wrath of the Tyrant (complete with rasping high-pitched vocals, overly distorted guitars and furious drumming), progressing onto the epic soundscape of 'In the Nightside…' and finally the all-time masterpiece 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk' which included some of the most complex tracks created in the Black Metal fold, Prometheus is the real sequel to Anthems.
Like Anthems, Prometheus builds up over the entire album, with various ideas explored ever more carefully to reach a crescendo of speed and culmination of ideas in He Who Sought the Fire and Thorns on my Grave. Unfortunately, the downside of this is that the first few tracks are pretty unexceptional, and the album really needs to be listened to as a whole, none of the tracks standing out as outstanding on their own, with the possible exception of In the Wordless Chamber which has some particularly good riffs and features the use of a viking horn!
The general feel of the album is
far more pleasing and serious sounding than Equilabrium, which seemed to be
all over the place. The album as a whole makes more sense, stradling a kind-of
in-between position between Equilabrium and Anthems; Prometheus is far heavier,
colder and faster than Equilabrium and the ideas better developed though the
vocals continue to lack the evil of earlier albums. As a concluding album,
this is a fair attempt and worth checking out for an Emperor fan.
