In the Nightside Eclipse
samoth - guitars
ihsahn - guitars, synth and vocals
faust - drums
tchort - bass
1. intro
2. into the infinity of thoughts
3. the burning shadows of silence
4. cosmic keys to my creation & times
5. beyond the great vast forest
6. the majesty of the nightsky
7. i am the black wizards
(guitar tab)
8. inno a satana
Hailed by many people as the finest example of black metal, I'm inclined to agree. This album is really great. It features great atmospheric synths and evil chromatic riffs. An odd thing about this album is that the vocals aren't louder than the instruments like in most bands. They seem to harmonize with rather than dominate over the guitars. It seems that they consider the voice more of an instrument than the main theme of the band. One of the odd and great things about this album is that there seems to be a swirling mass of chaotic noise but it's actually music. Unfortunately, the vocals get lost in the fray and the keyboards are at times too loud, this is a monumental Norwegian black metal album.
Production rating 7/10
Songwriting 10/10
Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Ihsahn - main lead guitars, all vocals, synth
Samoth - lead and rhythm guitars
Alver - bass guitar
Tyrm - drums and percussion (Enslaved)
1. Sl svartr (The Oath)
2. Ye Entrancemperium
3. Thus Speak the Nightspirit
4. Ensorcelled by Khaos
5. The Loss and Curse of Reverence
6. The Acclamation of Bonds
7. With Strength I Burn
8. The Wanderer
This is a pretty noisy album. The drums are pummeling, while the guitars are being tremolo picked. In the backround are the synths. Ihsahn does some really good vocal work here. In every song, there's a lot of stuff going on. I think the best song on here is "The Loss and Curse of Reverence." There's some harmonics in there that sound really good. The problem with the album is that it is so noisy and swirling that it creates a vortex of noise and you can't hear much of anything except drums and vocals.
There is a little video of it too, that is if you have a computer. I don't like this music videos in general and I didn't care for this one. The only thing "cool" about it is that Ihsahn looks really evil when he looks at the camera.
To me, the songs weren't all that great. It seems they're trying too hard to be chaotic and destructive. Instead of letting it flow, they seem to force it.
Production rating 7/10
Songwriting 6/10
IX Equilibrium
Ihsahn - lead guitars, vocals, synth, bass
Samoth - rhythm guitars
Trym - drums and percussion (Enslaved)
1. Curse You All Men
2. Decrystallizing Reason
3. An Elegy of Icaros
4. the Source of Icon E
5. Sworn
6. Nonus Aequilibrium
7. the Warriors of Modern Death
8. of Blindness and Subsequent Seers
As far as I can see, this album triumphs where Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk failed. This offering is far superior in all areas to its predecessor. The first thing I noticed about this album is how clear and crisp it sounded. A real first for Emperor. The guitars have a really good crunchy metal sound. The drums are unbelievably tight. Especially the double bass. Ihsahn's vocals have expanded in range, doing low death growls, trademark Emperor howls, and even King Diamond falsetto!!! In an interview, Ihsahn said he felt he was more like Rob. Halford of Judas Priest. Whatever.
Most of this album is death metal riff stacked with death metal riff. I seriously enjoyed the brilliant musicianship and the new death metal dimension to Emperor's sound. This cd is a must for every metal maniac.
Production rating11/10
Songwriting 9 or 10/10
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