In the Nightside Eclipse is the debut studio album and fourth official release by Norwegian black metal band Emperor. It was recorded in July 1993 at Grieghallen and released in 1994 by Candlelight Records. This was also the last album to feature drummer Faust and the only one to feature one-time bassist Tchort.
The album is considered a landmark in the black metal scene, ranked by critics as one of the most influential black metal albums. It also contains one of Emperor's best-known tracks, "I Am the Black Wizards".
Background [edit]
The album cover was drawn by "Necrolord", also known as Kristian Wåhlin, depicting a host of orcs en route to Minas Morgul.
Critical reception [edit]
In his review, Steve Huey of AllMusic gave the album five stars out of five, writing, "In the Nightside Eclipse resoundingly demonstrated that there was real musical substance and ambition in the world of black metal. [...] [it] somehow managed to capture the essence of the genre while completely rewriting its rule book", commenting that it was also "the first [album] to fuse black metal with progressive and symphonic elements, setting the stage for a bevy of future experimentation in the genre, [...] As such, it certainly possesses the farthest-reaching legacy of anything from Norway's bloody first wave, and ranks as one of the most important heavy metal albums of the '90s."[1]
Reissue [edit]
In 1999, the album was remastered and re-released, with two cover songs as bonus tracks: the first is Bathory's "A Fine Day to Die" and the second is "Gypsy" by Mercyful Fate. For the re-release, the opening tracks "Intro" and "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" were combined, and the album came packed in a paper slipcase to cover the traditional jewel case, both featuring the same artwork.
Legacy [edit]
In 2009, IGN included In the Nightside Eclipse in their "10 Great Black Metal Albums" list; according to IGN, "Emperor inspired the wave of overtly-technical black-metal bands that would rule the underground in the early 2000s. Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth owe a huge debt to this album."[3]
Track listing [edit]
All lyrics written by Mortiis, Ihsahn and Samoth, all music composed by Ihsahn and Samoth.
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| 1. |
"Intro" |
0:51 |
| 2. |
"Into the Infinity of Thoughts" |
8:15 |
| 3. |
"The Burning Shadows of Silence" |
5:36 |
| 4. |
"Cosmic Keys to My Creations and Times" |
6:06 |
| 5. |
"Beyond the Great Vast Forest" |
6:01 |
| 6. |
"Towards the Pantheon" |
5:57 |
| 7. |
"The Majesty of the Night Sky" |
4:54 |
| 8. |
"I Am the Black Wizards" |
6:01 |
| 9. |
"Inno a Satana" (this track's title is Italian for "Hymn to Satan") |
4:48 |
|
|
| 1. |
"Into the Infinity of Thoughts" |
9:04 |
| 2. |
"The Burning Shadows of Silence" |
5:36 |
| 3. |
"Cosmic Keys to My Creations and Times" |
6:06 |
| 4. |
"Beyond the Great Vast Forest" |
6:01 |
| 5. |
"Towards the Pantheon" |
5:57 |
| 6. |
"The Majesty of the Night Sky" |
4:54 |
| 7. |
"I Am the Black Wizards" |
6:01 |
| 8. |
"Inno a Satana" |
4:48 |
| 9. |
"A Fine Day to Die" (Bathory cover) |
8:26 |
| 10. |
"Gypsy" (Mercyful Fate cover) |
2:54 |
Personnel [edit]
- Emperor
- Additional personnel
- Alver – bass guitar on "Gypsy" and "A Fine Day to Die"
- Trym – drums on "Gypsy" and "A Fine Day to Die"
- Charmand Grimloch – keyboards
References [edit]
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| Studio albums |
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| Live albums |
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| Compilation albums |
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| EPs |
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| Split albums |
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