the best cd ever? - one of black metal s high points. possibly Emperor s best album EVER! if you like them or black metal, you must have this in your library.
THE BEST BLACK METAL ALBUM EVER - After a very impressive release with In The Nightside Eclipse , Emperor comes screaming back with this crowning achievement!! After Nightside The band was rocked by various issues, wich has been covered so I m not going to discusss it, and it was a question wheather they would continue as a band. The answer is definetly YES!! Ihsahn put the skeleton of the album together and, communicating with Samoth, worked out the songs. With new drummer Trym(ex-Enslaved) and new bassist Alver, Emperor have created a very extreme album, but at the same time, very emotive and atmospheric. With the opening track, they seem to capture the sounds of the northern forest before the second track blows up in your face! From that point on, it is a roaller coaster of sounds and atmosphere. The track that stands out is the 8 min. plus With Strength I burn wich captures the bands brutal, but atmospheric and emotive style like no other song. In addition, the lyrics tell a haunting story with properly sung parts. As the album draws to a close, we are treated to a classical, symphonic piece to show the bands classical European influence. If there is one negative thing that could be said, it is the production. It is common for black metal bands to have a merky, analog sounding production to create an ambient atmosphere, and this is no different. It sounds like all the music is recorded on just one track. The music is still legible and awesome, but it is merky and the vocals at times are VERY hard to hear. Mayhem created this style of music with the songs on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas , but Emperor has perfected it!BY FAR THE BEST BLACK METAL ALBUM EVER!!