Emperor’s 1993 self-titled EP represented a portent of things to come with regard to the band’s sound. Many of the tracks on “Emperor” are re-recorded songs from their legendary demo, “Wrath of the Tyrant”; while “Wrath…” is well known and praised for its lo-fi recording and distinct 2nd wave black metal aggression, “Emperor” boasts a more polished production, which really allows the majestically incorporated synthesizers to create a powerful, evocative atmosphere of primeval darkness, and the re-recordings of such songs as “Night of the Graveless Souls”, “Cosmic Keys to my Creations and Times”, and of course “Wrath of the Tyrant” are displayed in a new light which aptly showcased the band’s immense talent at that time, a talent which also included the legendary dungeon synth progenitor, Mortiis, who played bass and wrote many of the lyrics.
While “Emperor” may not be as auditorily stunning as “Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk” or “Equilibrium”, and other later works, it was -and remains- a landmark release for the legendary band, and raised the bar for many other early 90’s black metal acts that would follow.
Listen Below:
Towers of Rust 