In the Nightside Eclipse
| In the Nightside Eclipse | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Emperor | ||||
| Released | 21 February 1994 | |||
| Recorded | July 1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen | |||
| Genre | Symphonic black metal[1] | |||
| Length | 48:29 | |||
| Label | Candlelight | |||
| Producer | Emperor, Pytten | |||
| Emperor chronology | ||||
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In the Nightside Eclipse is the first studio album and fourth official release by Norwegian black metal band Emperor, released in 1994 through Candlelight Records. It was the last album to feature drummer Faust and the only one to feature one-time bassist Tchort. Considered a landmark in the black metal scene, the album has been ranked by critics as one of the most influential albums of the genre. It also contains one of Emperor's best known tracks, "I Am the Black Wizards".
Background
The album cover was drawn by "Necrolord", also known as Kristian Wåhlin, depicting a host of orcs on route to Minas Morgul. The part under the band logo is based upon a section of a larger engraving called "Death on a Pale Horse (Revelation)" by Gustave Doré. That section itself was also used as the album cover for the Emperor (EP).
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
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] In 2005, the album was ranked number 292 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[2]
Reissue
In 1999, the album was remastered and reissued, with two cover songs as bonus tracks: "A Fine Day to Die" by Bathory, and "Gypsy" by Mercyful Fate. For the reissue, the opening tracks "Intro" and "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" were combined, whilst the album was packaged in a paper slipcase covering the traditional jewel case, with both featuring the same artwork. A second reissue followed in 2004, which included videos of live performances from 1997.
Legacy
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]
In July 2014, In the Nightside Eclipse was listed at number eleven in Guitar World magazine's list of "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994".[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | 0:51 | ||
| 2. | "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" | Samoth | Ihsahn, Samoth | 8:15 |
| 3. | "The Burning Shadows of Silence" | Ihsahn, Samoth | Ihsahn, Samoth | 5:36 |
| 4. | "Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times" | Mortiis | Ihsahn, Samoth | 6:06 |
| 5. | "Beyond the Great Vast Forest" | Samoth | Ihsahn, Samoth | 6:01 |
| 6. | "Towards the Pantheon" | Ihsahn, Samoth | Ihsahn, Samoth | 5:57 |
| 7. | "The Majesty of the Night Sky" | Ihsahn | Ihsahn | 4:54 |
| 8. | "I Am the Black Wizards" | Mortiis | Ihsahn, Samoth | 6:01 |
| 9. | "Inno a Satana" (Italian for "Hymn to Satan") | Ihsahn | Ihsahn, Samoth | 4:48 |
| 1999 remastered edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" | 9:06 |
| 2. | "The Burning Shadows of Silence" | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times" | 6:06 |
| 4. | "Beyond the Great Vast Forest" | 6:00 |
| 5. | "Towards the Pantheon" | 5:58 |
| 6. | "The Majesty of the Nightsky" | 4:53 |
| 7. | "I Am the Black Wizards" | 6:00 |
| 8. | "Inno a Satana" | 4:48 |
| 9. | "A Fine Day to Die" (Bathory cover) | 8:28 |
| 10. | "Gypsy" (Mercyful Fate cover) | 2:57 |
Total length: |
59:51 | |
Personnel
- Emperor
- Ihsahn – vocals, guitar, keyboard, mastering, production
- Samoth – guitar, mastering, production
- Faust – drums, mastering, production
- Tchort – bass, mastering, production
- Additional personnel
- Charmand Grimloch – keyboard (track 10 on 1999 edition)
- Trym – drums (tracks 9, 10 on 1999 edition)
- Alver – bass (tracks 9, 10 on 1999 edition)
- Tim Turan – mastering
- Pytten – production
References
- 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "In the Nightside Eclipse - Emperor : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ↑ [...], Rock Hard (Hrsg.). [Red.: Michael Rensen. Mitarb.: Götz Kühnemund] (2005). Best of Rock & Metal die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten. Königswinter: Heel. p. 96. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
- ↑ Ramirez, Carlos (6 January 2009). "10 Great Black Metal Albums – IGN". ign.com. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- ↑ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
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