Emperor is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991 by guitarist and vocalist Ihsahn and guitarist Samoth. The group split up in 2001, but reunited from 2005 to 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours, and again reunited from 2013 to 2014. Emperor reformed for the third time in 2016.
Emperor is considered highly influential on the black metal genre by music journalists and members of the extreme metal scene.
History
Ihsahn and Samoth met at a blues/rock music seminar.[3][4] The two began playing together under the names Dark Device, Xerasia, and Embryonic. The duo formed the band Thou Shalt Suffer. Samoth began writing music outside of Thou Shalt Suffer, and with Ihsahn and bass player Mortiis (later of his own eponymous band Mortiis), they founded Emperor. The band released a demo entitled Wrath of the Tyrant. It gained popularity in the underground and attracted the attention of then-start-up label Candlelight. A record contract was signed, Samoth moved to rhythm guitar, Ihsahn continued vocal duties and lead guitars, and Faust was recruited as a drummer. Emperor released their debut EP, Emperor, under Candlelight Records. The band then signed with Deathlike Silence Productions, and planned to release their next album, though they never released any material while signed to DSP.
In the summer of 1992, Samoth, along with other black metallers, burned down old churches in Norway. Also in 1992, in Lillehammer, Faust stabbed a man to death whom he claimed had made sexual advances towards him.[5] He was not convicted until two years later. The day after Faust committed the murder, he burned the Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo with Euronymous of Mayhem and Varg Vikernes of Burzum.[6] In the summer of 1993, the band began working on their first full-length album. Emperor stopped wearing corpse paint, stating that it was becoming a trend and losing its original meaning. In autumn of that year, the police began to investigate the murder of Euronymous, naming Vikernes as a suspect. This investigation led to the incarceration of Samoth for arson, and of Faust for murder.
In 1994, Samoth was sentenced to 16 months in prison for burning the Skjold Church in Vindafjord with Vikernes.[7][8] The arson was committed during a pause in the recording of the Burzum EP Aske ('Ashes'). In 1994, In the Nightside Eclipse was released, and earned Emperor widespread acclaim and a large fanbase.
After Samoth's parole, the band was joined by Trym and Alver on drums and bass respectively, and at the end of 1996, Emperor recorded Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk won the 'album of the year' poll in many metal magazines around the world, including UKTerrorizer and US Metal Maniacs. Alver soon left.
Aside from their European shows, the band played in Mexico City on 24 July 1999.
Continuing as a trio, with Ihsahn handling keyboards, vocals, guitars and bass, the band recorded their third album, IX Equilibrium, and toured Europe and North America. Around 2000, Samoth and Trym gravitated towards death metal, while Ihsahn directed his musical exploration towards his side project, Peccatum. In 2001, Emperor disbanded after releasing one final album, Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise, composed entirely by Ihsahn. Ihsahn later recalled that "When we announced the split up in 2001, we didn't think we would do anything more with Emperor ever again...The decision was also based on the feeling that Emperor had a lot of integrity, and that if we were going to end it, we should end it while we still created great music. For us, the decision was made in the black metal spirit. Since Samoth and I pulled in different directions, we didn't see any point in continuing. The core of the band wasn't intact anymore".[9] Samoth echoed Ihsahn's position: "At that point, we both had other priorities that we wanted to pursue and we both felt that splitting up Emperor was the best thing to do. We really wanted to focus on other things, and felt it was the only right thing to do".[9]
The band played a surprise three-song show in Oslo on 30 September 2005, at which they announced a series of full concerts to take place in California, New York City, and Europe in 2006. As of February 2006, they were scheduled to play at the Inferno festival in April and Germany's Wacken Open Air in August. Samoth was unable to take part in the US tour dates, as his conviction for the arson he committed in 1992 lengthened the process for his visa application, so Emperor performed without him.
On 7 October 2006, Emperor performed at the under-18 Motstøy-festival in their hometown of Notodden. It was held at a small venue called StuA, and with only 450 tickets available, the concert quickly sold out.
On 28 October 2006, Emperor returned to the UK to play at London's Astoria venue. In 2007, Emperor played a series of one-off shows in the United States and two festivals in France and Finland.
Samoth announced on 23 October 2007 that Emperor had begun preparing a second official DVD release.[10] On 8 December 2008 it was revealed that this release would be called Live Inferno, a double live album and a live DVD, taken from their appearances at Inferno and Wacken metal festivals during their brief reunion.[11] It was released on 16 April 2009 in Europe and 21 April in North America.[according to whom?]
On 2 August 2013, it was announced that Emperor would reunite to headline the 25th anniversary Wacken Festival in 2014.[12] In the following months, they were announced as headliners for the 2014 editions of the Bloodstock Open Air and Hellfest festivals. In April 2014, they announced shows in Tokyo and Osaka for July with Trym playing drums due to Faust's visa issues.
On 12 August 2016, it was announced that Emperor would reunite again in 2017 for a special set of performances to celebrate their 20th anniversary second studio album Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk.[13]
On 27 December 2018, the band announced its presentation at the Mexico Metal Fest in Monterrey, Mexico in 2019.[14]
Despite playing a handful of reunion shows, Ihsahn has stated that Emperor has no plans to record a new album. He was quoted as saying: "It's kind of a lose-lose thing. The whole point of black metal, people want something that is real and has integrity of what it is. At this point, none of us can see any reason to do that beyond what we already do."[15]
Legacy
Emperor is regarded as highly influential by music critics and emerging black metal bands.[16] In 2016, Dayal Patterson of Metal Hammer wrote: "Emperor exploded onto the scene in the early 1990s and – though too young to legally enter a pub – quickly proved themselves to be one of Norway’s most significant black metal bands. Twenty years later and their songs sound just as vital and powerful as ever, not to mention unique – despite their enduring popularity, it’s interesting to note that far less bands have attempted to ape their style than other pioneers such as, say, Burzum and Darkthrone."[17] In 2025, Jillian Drachman of Loudwire included the guitar duo of Ihsahn and Samoth in her list of "11 Best Black Metal Guitarists of All Time."[4]
Controversy
In 1995, Ihsahn promoted arson in an interview: "Skjold Church was a large wooden church about 100 years old. The church contained an altar board and preaching chair from the 16th century. All this was said to be of historical, Christian value. So it was to be reduced to a pile of ashes. The material damages are set to be of 13 million Norwegian Kroner. The church was still being used by a large flock of blind followers. It became a victim for true Norwegian spirit on the 13th of September Anno 1992 during a stormy night. Witnessed by the moon, this symbolic act of anti-Christian war enlightened the night with pagan flames. Heathen barbarism is on the rise. We will bring back the forgotten past of strength, pride, and victory."[18]
In 2014, Emperor attracted further controversy when the original drummer, Faust, joined them for live performances. Faust is a convicted murderer and caused some upset by being part of the shows.[19]
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