Over thirty years ago an extreme metal genre burst into our collective eardrums. A sound so frightening, cold, bleak and stark that it could only be defined as one thing: BLACK METAL!
Only an elite few can be considered pioneers, visionaries and godfathers of that so pure, elite style – bands such as Darkthrone, Mayhem, Burzum, Marduk, Dimmu Borgir. All of them singularly, collectively and definitively interpreting their own audiological artistic representations of the harsh Norwegian environment that they were perfectly cocooned within.
But one band stood out even amongst the aforementioned artists and that was Emperor. Refusing to be “just another” black metal band, Ihsahn (lyrics, vocals, songwriting and guitar), Samoth (guitar) and Faust (drums) plus later Trym (drums) were iconic visionaries who expanded the harsh nature of the “black” genre, accentuating its foreboding existence by incorporating layers of melody and extreme symphonic pageantry.
On the eve of their upcoming Australian tour where Emperor will be returning to our shores once more to perform the magnificent In The Nightside Eclipse album in full, following on from the sellout tour here back in 2019 that gifted us Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk, again in its entirety. I recently had the absolute honour and privilege of speaking to the incredible and humble Ihsahn about Emperor’s past, being considered a “Godfather” and visionary, to the obvious will we ever get to hear new any new Emperor material in the future?
I reflected and explained to Ihshan a few personal little fan stories of mine – never once thinking that I would ever interview him – that were Emperor inspired to which he graciously responded “Oh you’re too kind!”, continuing “I am very flattered that I have been a part of music that people have connected to as strongly as I do with my favourite music, I think that is very humbling and an amazing consequence as to the love of music!”
Both contemplating and reflecting on such a connection to the bonds of music that bind us all together, and with The Nightside Eclipse being almost thirty years old and Australia about to witness its live grandeur, the opening question for Ihsahn was regarding both he and his bandmates being so young when it was written. Was he aware that when it was created that he would redefine and change black metal’s identity?
“Back in those days, what the leading element was that we were very young and had no experience,” he offered. “I joined my first band with Samoth when I was thirteen and I started writing and recording my own music when I was ten! We didn’t think of the music and the imagery and the atmosphere as something separate. We didn’t conceptualise it as an external thing, we lived it. Even going to rehearsal or just staying up at night and going into the woods…we lived that atmosphere 24/7 trying to be in that state of mind of that emotion that we wanted to express!”
On Emperor creating and forging a more orchestral inspired black metal path than their peers Ihsahn goes on to explain. “From a musical standpoint me and Samoth had been in bands together before such as Thou Shalt Suffer and Embryonic and I had been adding some keyboard layers. As you know Emperor started off as a separate thing on the side from Thou Shalt Suffer which was more technical and epic if you will, with Emperor being more inspired by early Bathory.”
“Then Emperor became with the first demo out – which was really primitive, no keyboards, nothing – that became the main focus point and we brought in all those influences of keyboards. I guess we felt our way (on the first self titled EP) was almost a mix between the demo and the first new songs were I Am The Black Wizards and Cosmic Keys To My Creations and Times were more epic sounding, in a nice little place even a further step we still kept on to the songs from the EP and added more songs.”
Here he pauses to reflect for a moment then musing proudly that, “…we found more of our expression by doing the black metal thing but trying to get that epic atmosphere across by adding those keyboard layers. In my view, remembering back, it was really Anthems (to the Welkin at Dusk) where we had found our platform and then wrote a full album based on where we had gotten to. Emperor was signed when I was sixteen and we recorded In The Nightside Eclipse when I was seventeen.”
Finishing this chapter Ihsahn says of his early formative years, “it was just pure intuition and trial and error really. As I said we lived it, we listened to old Bathory and Celtic Frost at the same time we would have hours of candlelight listening to horror movie soundtracks. It all just naturally bled into expressing what we were living!”
During the course of this hour-long HEAVY Magazine Emperor special and coinciding with their upcoming Australia / New Zealand In The Nightside Eclipse Tour, frontman Ihsahn gives us an in depth and personal reflection of his musical career. Delving into Emperor’s past and subsequent demise due to musical divergences pertaining to both his and Samoth’s drifting down separate artistic paths. But also how they reinvigorated one another’s passion to bring Emperor back to life. Included within is a selection of essential Emperor songs from their back catalogue which would lead us to the obvious billion dollar question asking if we would ever hear new Emperor and record together again as well as how Ihsahn deals with hearing people refer to his status as being a visionary and godfather of extreme metal. Much much more is to be discovered that is absolutely essential listening if you have ever wanted to delve into the mind of one so attuned to musical brilliance.
Emperor 2023 Australia & New Zealand tour w/ special guests The Amenta
May 17th-Melbourne, The Forum
May 18th-Sydney, Metro Theatre
May 20th–Brisbane, Eatons Hill
May 22nd-Auckland, Powerstation *
*The Amenta not appearing/ Exmordium Mors appearing
TICKETS ON SALE at:
MELBOURNE, SYDNEY www.ticketek.com.au
BRISBANE www.oztix.com.au
AUCKLAND www.aaaticketing.co.nz www.facebook.com/emperorofficial
For any further queries please email [email protected]
