emperor in the nightside eclipse download blog

In 1994 PG (Pre-Grymm), I was a high-school sophomore with an in-between mulletlong-hair, burnt out on mainstream metal (90s Metal Weirdness, anyone), and I was looking for darker, heavier, faster affairs.

With some recommendations from friends as well as some trusty advice from the long-dormant-and-majorly-missed Metal Maniacs magazine, I would be introduced to a slew of new (to me) bands, including one by a bunch of teenagers from Norway who would be creating, and later changing, the blackest of all musical landscapes to come Grymm gets in the Wayback Machine for a wistful look at one of the defining moments in Black Metal History.

While I was a passing Emperor fan, really just a fan of In the Nightside Eclipse and Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk-era, I was taken by Ihsahns solo stuff.

The Adversary felt fresh, progressive enough, a step away from the later Emperor material of which I wasnt a fan, and it captured the sonic styles and textures that he was never quite allowed to explore while in Emperor.

The record didnt stick with me as I had hoped, while I listened to it occasionally it didnt hold a steadfast position in my discography.

Probably the finest record of 2008, angL has maintained a steady place in the rotation and is a record that Ive showed to dozens of people.

Perfectly produced, perfectly composed and smartly written, angL contained everything that I wanted out of a new progressive metal record.

So, of course, when I heard that Ihsahn would be releasing a new record in 2010, I became justifiably excited.

With some recommendations from friends as well as some trusty advice from the long-dormant-and-majorly-missed Metal Maniacs magazine, I would be introduced to a slew of new (to me) bands, including one by a bunch of teenagers from Norway who would be creating, and later changing, the blackest of all musical landscapes to come and in the process, shaping my future musical tastes.

Yes, you know the controversy surrounding this album, and respectfully, Im not going to go there.

Besides, while their contemporaries in Norway had been in the papers due to similar crimes or actions ( Burzum and Mayhem, to name just two), how many of them could back that up with quality, thought-provoking, and challenging music with multiple layers to peel away and expose to the bitter winds Yeah.

The blackened, rotting ingredients were all there: tremolo-picked melodies, frenetic blast-beat drumming, Ihsahns unearthly screeching and howling, somewhat audible bass (if you purchased one of the later re-issues, that is), choir-like keyboards, eerie spoken word, sudden abrupt endings all of it.

Sure, its all been done to death by many lesser hands since (leering at Cradle of Filth ), but Emperor kept it tasteful not only in the opener, but throughout the album.

It was clear why Ihsahn would lead the charge in the music and lyric-writing.

Even at the young age of 17, he already had a good grasp of layers, melody, atmosphere, and mood.

Even the awkwardly named I Am the Black Wizards, with its complex melodies (which, when played live, is coupled with Ihsahns screeching, which is in itself mind-blowing), abrupt mood and tempo changes, and enthralling atmosphere, showed that Ihsahn really is all of those black wizards, and would later become the 8-stringed guitar master he is now.

That said, In the Nightside Eclipse, despite being groundbreaking for its time, doesnt quite hold up as well as its direct follow-up, Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, in terms of sheer depth and songwriting.

However, Emperor laid the groundwork for many contemporary black metal bands, and cemented them as leaders of their blackened craft with In the Nightside Eclipse.

A sizable debt is owed to Ihsahn and company for their contributions to the black arts.

If you want to know where it all started, In the Nightside Eclipse is your cosmic key.

Emperor In The Nightside Eclipse Download Blog