Emperor
IX Equilibrium

THE REVIEW

Two years after the acclaimed "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk," Emperor returns with another full-length, releasing a work that pushes even further the stylistic innovations of its predecessor, continuing a coherent and increasingly mature discourse: cleansed from the image of hoodlums, desecrators of sacred places, and Satanists, the Norwegians have progressively changed their music as well, making it, if possible, more extreme, hard, and concise.

IX Equilibrium is a truly difficult album: Emperor is the only Black Metal band that has gained an ever-growing audience by constantly intensifying their sound. They are certainly among the founders of this new way of conceiving this music, so tied to a modern sound, made of electronics, thrash, and death that ties into the well-established Norwegian Black.

The second track, "Decrystallized Reason" effectively represents the spirit of the album; the rhythm is always very fast and accompanies Death Metal riffs, which, in their violence, always maintain a distance from cacophony. There is absolutely nothing minimalistic about these Emperors, from the sophistication of the keyboard inserts to the lyrics, always long and fascinating. Electronics play a key role, combining with the rhythm section to create a captivating and tense atmosphere: the sound of IX Equilibrium is the child of a grand and majestic, mad and regal imagination; the compositions are all played on epic and delirious tones, dictated by Ishan's screaming, Samoth's solo hysteria, and Trym's exhaustive rhythms.

Perhaps it is this very frenzy that makes this album hard to digest: the compositions are rich and articulated, the music is often captivating, the technical skills are at their best... but there is never a moment to recover from all these emotions. The heavier soul of the Emperors, represented by Samoth, has taken precedence over that of Ishan's melodic nature: the tracks signed by the latter indeed showcase greater variety, alternating choral and solemn moments (as in "An Elegy Of Icaros") with more thoughtful and reflective passages. But these are rare moments because it immediately returns to the most exasperating fury.

There are certainly cases where this style yields fruits of unexpected beauty, as in "Curse You All Men", but often there's a certain air of routine. Emperor shares both strengths and weaknesses with the latest Mayhem, those of Chimera to be clear: technique, style, and class are often the only positive aspects of these works, which alternate sublime tracks with moments where inspiration is dangerously lacking. Whatever happens, Emperor has certainly done much better, at least in terms of image, compared to the meteors that have passed through their sky: vulgar hooligans, guys dressed as witches, even one of the stupidest murderers, who became a celebrity in the field more for his fascist and intolerant statements ("Homosexuals are cute to stab" - nonsensical if not for the fact he really did it) than for talent. Having freed themselves from such abhorrent humanity, the remaining three continued with consistency along a difficult path, without repeating past masterpieces, but undoubtedly marking their course.

Praise to them.

Rating: 7+