Emperor "In the Nightside Eclipse"

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"

The album cover was drawn by "Necrolord", also known as Kristian Wåhlin, depicting a host of orcs on route to Minas Morgul. The part below 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).

In the Nightside Eclipse has often been referred to as the first true symphonic black metal album. Although all the key elements of black metal are present, such as fast tremolo-picked guitar passages, harsh screams, and raw, lo-fi production, the use of symphonic keyboard sections is a key part of the album's distinctive sound. According to Steve Huey of AllMusic, "Even if the keyboards mostly just outline basic chord changes, they add a melancholy air to all the furious extreme sounds, turning the one-note ugliness of black metal into something emotionally complex."

Most of the music was written and rehearsed before the band entered the studio, however much of the symphonic keyboard sections were composed in the studio at the time of recording as the band did not have a permanent keyboard player at the time. Some of the lyrics on the final version of the album were partially written by Mortiis before he left the band. Samoth has suggested that the frequent use of the word 'emperor' in the lyrics became a kind of metaphor, "for our own entity, for the dark lord, for the devil, for the strong and mighty." Samoth has cited the power of Norwegian nature as a key inspiration on Emperor's music and this album in particular. They also expressed a fascination with the Viking age, Tolkien's literature, the story of Dracula, as well as "everything related to Transylvania, the Carpathian Mountains, the dark corners of Eastern Europe, and folklore." Ihsahn, however, has explained that he never read much of Tolkien's work, although he consciously made use of the language and imagery of fantasy.

The album was co-produced by Pytten, who produced Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas and Burzum's debut album, as well as albums by Immortal and Enslaved. Faust partially credits Pytten with the sound of In the Nightside Eclipse. Although the album was recorded in July 1993, it was not mixed until the following year due to Faust and Samoth's arrests and sentences in jail. In the end, only Ihsahn and Samoth were present for the mixing of the album, though he passed along his input to them in a letter. Ihsahn was ill at the time of recording, and Tchort recalls him spitting blood while recording vocals for the album. Some of the early vocal takes were replaced with ones recorded after he has recovered, as were some of the keyboard parts.

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. In 2014, in celebration of the album's 20th anniversary, the band reissued a remastered deluxe version of the album. It also featured the bonus tracks from the 'As the Shadows Rise' 1994 EP, as well as a previously unreleased alternative mix of the album and pre-production rehearsal tracks from 1993. The album was remastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in 2014.

Track listing

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 & 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" (Italian for "Hymn to Satan")  4:48

1999 remastered edition

1. "Intro/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

The very first press have two folded pages as unstappled booklet, one being the cover and pictures, and the other the lyrics. The CD has no Compact Disc logo, nor any writings on it. No SID codes.

"Inno a Satana" is Italian for "Hymn to Satan".

Both "Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times" and "I Am the Black Wizards" are re-recorded versions of songs that originally appeared on the Emperor EP.

"Beyond the Great Vast Forest" is a re-worked/re-recorded version of the song "My Empire's Doom" from the Wrath of the Tyrant demo with new lyrics.

Recording information:

Recorded during the seventh full moon anno 1993 at Grieghallen Studios.

Mixed in winter anno 1994.

Produced by Emperor and Pytten.