EMPEROR - In The Nightside Eclipse CD review

EMPEROR - In The Nightside Eclipse CD
label: Candlelight Records
released: 1994
track listing:
1. Intro/Into the Infinity of Thoughts
2. The Burning Shadows of Silence
3. Cosmic Keys to my Creations and Times
4. Beyond the Great Vast Forest
5. Towards the Pantheon
6. The Majesty of the Nightsky
7. I Am the Black Wizards
8. Inno a Satana

Bonustracks (Re-Release 2004)
9. A Fine Day To Die (Bathory Cover)
10. Gypsy (Mercyful Fate Cover)


COMMENTS:

If someone were to ask me about Symphonic Black Metal and what band or release they should pick up I'd point to this one first. This is where Symphonic Black Metal began. The band's previous work, which is now available on CD, was the raw early Black Metal sound. Some people still call it "troo" Black Metal and yes it's great on it's own level. The follow-up to this, Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, simply continued the theme which was started on here with some added progression. But then that question would never come up atleast not at the present time. All one needs to do is listen to the latest new wave of Symphonic USBM (United States Black Metal) bands. This release has become the influential template for the majority of them. Now paying homage to early Norwegian Black Metal is one thing. But just copying someone elses ideas because you lack any of your own is lazy. That's a sad commentary to the present state of Black Metal in my own country. There will always be copycats who pop into the scene for a while and then disappear. It's happened before in the late 90s. But those who are true to what they believe in will always outlast the sheep.

It also gives credence to the greatness of this release. And it was created in a subtle way by just a simple line-up change and adding symphonic keyboards to their sound. They already had the cold hearted malice within them. So progressing from simple hatred to calculated evil was not hard to do. This was the band's full length debut and to many in the Black Metal underground (The only people who matter) it's considered to be the absolute greatest Black Metal release of all time. I'm not here to debate that point. This is all about why In The Nightside Eclipse is an essential and the four key elements which have made it so.

The first is the guitar playing, after some foreboding moments of the opening intro, the fast riffs kick into gear and never stop till this thing is done. The most amazing as well as disturbing guitar sounds ever in Black Metal. The second is Faust's relentless but varying blast beats. The sound he's giving off in the percussion is vicious. Third are the keyboards played by Ihsahn that serve varying purposes. At times they are used as an electronic chorus to add a haunting background. Other times like a brush in the hand of a painter creating cold and grim looking landscapes. Finally there's Ihsahn's raspy vocals which are more like agonized screams of some beast from another world.


RECOMMENDATIONS:

In The Nightside Eclipse is simply a masterpiece of audio violence and discontent. It leaves the listener suspended in a wasteland of emotional and spiritual disgust. Try as you might to vomit such inner demons from within. Once this release has embedded itself into your psyche there's no release. The talon-ed six fingered hand of some infernal creature has taken hold of your senses. There is no escape.

WEBSITES:

http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
http://www.emperorhorde.com/
http://www.myspace.com/emperorhorde