Metal fans often seem to have problems deciding what constitutes “true black metal.” Is it lo-fi production and satanic lyrics? Perhaps it’s tremolo guitar riffs and non-stop blast beats. Whatever the essential elements may be, there’s no denying that the message of black metal is “fuck the rest of you, I’m doing it my way.” Few things are more in keeping with that attitude than naming your band Emperor and declaring “Yes, we are the best” at the tender age of sixteen. And with the quality of music they produced, it’s not hard to agree with them. Sure, some people may feel that Ihsahn, Samoth, and company are all that is wrong with black metal, but the majority of us know who sits upon the dark throne. The very fact that the debate over whether 1994’s In the Nightside Eclipse or 1997’s Anthems to the Welkin At Dusk is the quintessential black metal album overshadows the fact that members of Emperor served jail time for cold-blooded murder and arson says something about Emperor (compare Mayhem, Burzum, or Gorgoroth, where tales of controversy overshadow their music).
Emperor may have recorded only four albums, but each one is essential in its own way. Their 2006 reunion resulted in one of the best live black metal recordings ever captured. After a 2013 full of successful comebacks, perhaps 2014 will bring us some new Emperor tracks from Ihsahn, Samoth, and Faust. Until that time, though, the Last Rites scribes present to you thirteen of the greatest songs Emperor wrote.
• • • • •
INNO A SATANA
[In the Nightside Eclipse, 1994]“Inno A Satana” is not only a live favorite of Emperor‘s, but also one of the group’s catchiest songs. There is something about Ihsahn’s clean-singing that is both infectious as well as subtle in a slithering kind of way, slowly creeping into your brain like a boa constrictor sneaking up on its prey. Those who will have the opportunity to see Emperor perform in the future better get ready to hear this one. [Konrad Kantor]
• • • • •
ENSORCELLED BY KHAOS
[Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, 1997]Admission: I’ve got no clue what it means to be ensorcelled by anything, let alone by “khaos”. What I do know, however, is that this song demonstrates the increasing mastery with which Emperor was able to deploy its symphonic elements by this point. The first synth-string break emulates triplet arpeggios in the guitars, and then flawlessly introduces some majestic octave-interval jumps that are backed by (artificial) grand piano (which also calls to mind Satyricon’s similarly excellent “Forhekset”). But then, just in case you were concerned that Emperor had forgotten how to rage, the song’s last minute-and-a-half occupies itself with blasting the entire universe to bits and rebuilding from the ashes a new monument to self-assured (and more than well-earned) arrogance. [Danhammer Obstkrieg]
• • • • •
THORNS ON MY GRAVE
[Prometheus – The Discipline of Fire and Demise, 2001]NOW THAT I AM GONE… LAY THORNS ON MY GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVE!!!
The final shriek of the final track on the final Emperor album. What a way to end it all- not with a bang or a whisper, but with the thud of a closing door. That’s it, kids. Pack it up- nothing more to see here. What’s interesting about this song is that it remains at a nearly constant level of metal-ness for nearly six minutes, and yet has such a morose atmosphere hanging around… Is it the lyrics, which are more on the depressing side than usual with Emperor? Is it the finality, knowing that this is the end of the line? Well, yes and yes, but the real reason is, as it always has been with these guys, Ihsahn. Dude is weaving notes into the background designed to break your heart without you realizing it. That’s what made Emperor special throughout their run, and what has spawned so many inferior imitators over the years. This is how you put a final nail in a coffin, kids. [Chris Redar]
• • • • •
INTO THE INFINITY OF THOUGHTS
[In the Nightside Eclipse, 1994]Sorry to bring the pain, nerds, but here’s the thing: In the Nightside Eclipse is Emperor’s best album. As the leadoff track, then, “Into the Infinity of Thoughts” does a mighty job of introducing the hapless listener to the unparalleled atmosphere and peerless black metal riffcraft that will dominate the remainder of the album. No other album seems to capture as well the sound and aesthetic of the Grieghallen studio, but, as always, the real story here is the song, which moves from expansive, sorrowful tremolo arpeggios to aggressive, downward-stabbing riffs, and from a classic heavy metal leaning gallop to a speedy version of the always classic black metal 6/8 meter. (The song’s middle half also features an emotive chord progression that would later be quite closely followed by Cradle of Filth in “Funeral in Carpathia.”) And then – whooooosh! – it just burns itself out, full stop – and yet, don’t be surprised if it sets your mind to wandering eternally in that ominous, blue-drenched landscape of the cover art, where the forests have eyes, the moon is always full, and death cracks down from the heavens. [Danhammer Obstkrieg]
• • • • •
COSMIC KEYS TO MY CREATION AND TIMES
[In the Nightside Eclipse, 1994]Sometimes, while working through a band’s catalog backwards from their perceived creative zenith, you discover that no, they’ve always been this good. As someone who ignored Anthems and Nightside Eclipse in favor of IX Equilibrium and Prometheus, that’s pretty much what happened to me while preparing for this feature. I had heard bits and pieces of both, but largely in passing, so it wasn’t like they had become regular occupants of my playlist. That’s something I will always have to hold a bit of shame for. This track, from Nightside Eclipse, jumped out in particular. It’s a prime example of how the band was doing the same thing at the end as they were in the beginning. They were more raw back then, for sure, but still challenging the conventions of a budding genre and carving out a niche that no other band is ever likely to occupy. [Dave Pirtle]
• • • • •
YE ENTRANCEMPERIUM
[Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, 1997]If you’re like me, and truly believe that Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk is the most important album of the 90’s, this song might as well be the song that comes to mind when you think of black metal. After the mystical intro, the level of intensity when Ye Entrancemperium blasts off is just unprecedented. From the blast beats, all the way to the tremolo keyboards, this thing absolutely rips. [Konrad Kantor]
• • • • •
IN THE WORDLESS CHAMBER
[Prometheus – The Discipline of Fire and Demise, 2001]In 2001, my familiarity with Emperor was limited to a few sampler tracks and a 1999 live show (though I may have been there more for Witchery and Borknagar). I liked them enough to say I liked them, but I didn’t understand why so were so revered by fans. Prometheus changed all that, and “In The Wordless Chamber” was one of the biggest reasons. Massively soaring and epic, Emperor wasn’t just pushing the boundaries of black metal anymore, they were completely destroying them while transcending the genre entirely. Polished, structured, complex – it was everything I had come to not expect from black metal. It fundamentally changed the way I heard the band from that point on. When I finally revisited the back catalog courtesy of Scattered Ashes, my mind was simply blown. The reverence finally made sense to me, and I was feeling it, too. [Dave Pirtle]
• • • • •
CURSE YOU ALL MEN!
[IX Equilibrium, 1999]Who went and spilled their death metal all over Emperor? “Curse You All Men!” opens IX Equilibrium with the subtlety of hammers being thrown at a brick wall. Trym’s gymnastic routine behind the kit works in tandem with Samoth’s fiery rhythm section to drown out the already faint keyboards, casting doubt on this being an Emperor record until about minute three. That’s when Ihsahn belts out some of those classic operatic vocals of his- for exactly four words. Emperor chose quite an aggressive track to kick off their third full-length, to say the least. The rest of the album shakes things up with different vocal styles and key/string passages and such, but this track runs red all the way through. [Chris Redar]
• • • • •
AN ELEGY OF ICAROS
[IX Equilibrium, 1999]Spend any length of time researching reactions to Emperor‘s shift from their In the Nightside Eclipse days to what they represented once 1999’s IX Equilibrium dropped and you’ll find an impressive flock of folks bitching about the lack of pure symphonic black metal. I, however, land comfortably within the opposing camp and have always felt that Emperor hit their creative peak with their late 90’s output. “An Elegy of Icaros,” in particular, represents one of the more gratifying snapshots of the band’s more progressive stance that culls influence from all manner of metal angles. Light orchestral keys open to a generous use of clean vocals and a strong “epic” emphasis; Viking-era Bathory-styled leads wriggle alongside surprisingly heavy riffing; and a ferociously un-metal mid-point caps things off with nearly two minutes of infectious, melodic lilting pretty enough to conjure visions of a bizarre Victorian ballroom gala with swirling dancers pointing toes and batting eyes through panda-painted paper masks. It’s a flagrantly pretentious black metal extravaganza that’s mostly free from black metal’s conventional shackles – Emperor at their best. [Michael Wuensch]
• • • • •
WITH STRENGTH I BURN
[Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, 1997]If a masterpiece is naturally made up of shorter masterpieces, “With Strength I Burn” serves as a brilliant climax for Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. Nowhere else did Emperor’s relentless black metal find a better balance with their symphonic, evocative side, interchanging vast majestic arcs with a storm of speed that adds up to nothing short of perfection. Ihsahn’s vocals are in particularly high form throughout the song’s reined-in passages, exuding an air of nobility that can only be matched by a set of guitar melodies leading off the third act (4:46) before the maelstrom suddenly and violently arrives. The lyrics paint a picture of an afterlife that cannot possibly be understood or conceived, and a protagonist that will stand defiant in the face of any who would claim to have attained this understanding. With that being said, the song that contains these words is more than fit for any mythical hall of kings that has ever been thought up by mere mortals. Timeless, otherworldly genius. [Zach Duvall]
• • • • •
THUS SPAKE THE NIGHTSPIRIT
[Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, 1997]With its combination of inhuman drumming, inside-out-neo-classical guitar riffs, half-horror-movie-half-Tchaikovsky keys, and Ihsahn’s full range of vocals, “Thus Spake the Nightspirit” stands as one of the most outright batshit crazy songs in Emperor’s catalog. Yet, thanks to some well-placed “hooks” – that term being used lightly and in the most malevolent sense possible – it also remains one of the most infinitely listenable, while fitting brilliantly into the album that contains it. The opening passages act as a renewal of energy after the preceding “Ye Entrancemperium” likely drained the listener, ensuring that Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk was only due to get more intense, more insane, and more unrelenting as it passed. The haunting and strangely calming finish, on the other hand, serves to settle things before the ensuing track once again ups the assault. Supremely kickass on its own, but a revelatory and essential cog within its broader context. [Zach Duvall]
• • • • •
I AM THE BLACK WIZARDS
[In the Nightside Eclipse, 1994]This curiously named tale of dark sorcery and ultimate power highlights everything essential in an Emperor song: interlocking jigsaw-piece guitar lines, frigid Norwegian atmosphere, blast beats that echo off the mountains, ultimate declarations of power. “I Am the Black Wizards” is not merely a story of ancient power awakening. It is a declaration of intent. First appearing on the Emperor EP in 1992, this song would lead the band on to ultimately dominate the black metal world. Absolutely as essential as anything penned by Euronomous and Dead, Fenriz and Nocturnal Culto, or any other songwriting duo you care to name. [Keith Ross]
• • • • •
THE LOSS AND CURSE OF REVERENCE
[Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, 1997]This mashup of menacing melodies and diabolical esoterica is such an iconic piece of black metal history that contemplating on its gestalt piggybacks you straight into the heart of the meta-level territory where meaning of life and pre-Big Bang nothingness reign supreme. Essentially, it is and will forever be, so fuck whys and wherefores, make most of its existence, rinse, repeat, die happy.
Now that we’ve acknowledged the irrelevance of hominine philosophy and the words that follow, let’s honor this monumental composition that set the parameters for controlled, whetted-to-the-extreme chaos in black metal. The beauty of the song − and the whole of Anthems − lies in the mix that leaves no breathing room for anything and agitates every instrument to struggle for their very existence, turning this potentially disciplined assembly into a tornado blitz of violently sprawling riffs, Poe-esque synths and stop-at-fucking-nothing drumming. Its culmination comes with the most militaristic hellfire riff (at around the 4:15 mark) that Ihsahn and Samoth have ever been able to conjure up, leaving you with nothing but oblivious “what the fuck just happened” even after the 89 435th listen.
They used to play this on mainstream TV in the middle of day. Those were the days. [Juho Mikkonen]
• • • • •
