Okay, there is no denying Emperor are one of the all time biggest black metal bands - but I always find it so intriguing when people ask which is your favorite Emperor album.

Note: this is a poll for their four full-length albums. I never liked it how people could vote for a twenty minute demo over a full-length album however fantastic the 'Emperor' E.P. is.

Each of their albums are big milestones and each are utterly brilliant in their own way.
'In The Nightside Eclipse' was the first full-length and is many peoples favorite today with the raw production and everything sounding very 'black metal'
My own opinion on this albums is the songs are superb, but the sound of the drums really lets it down!

'Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk' was the next and introduced Trym to the band. They clearly push their sound on this album and dont stick to the conventional black metal type of music.
The album is rather different and even epic with tracks like 'With Strength I Burn'

'IX Equilibrium' pushed even further wit htheir sound. They almost dont sound like a black metal band any more, they are clearly not afraid of experimenting and making something different.

'Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire & Demise' is their last album and is again very different. The album is rather progressive and hardly black metal at all. Also the whole album was written by Ihsahn.
The album follows through an imaginitive story which makes going through with the lyrics add a new dimention to the music.

Each album has many reasons why it should be your favorite but just pick one and let us know why.

My favorite Emperor album is 'Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk'
The albums keeps changing and keeps your attention at the music at all times. No track on the album is a bad track.
Even though I am more into heavy metal then black metal, this album may be my favorite album of all time.

I feel 'In The Nightside Eclipse' is rather overrated, and 'Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk' underrated for what it is. I think people that dont recognise it as a masterpiece should go back and listen to it again a couple of times and digest it properly.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this poll goes. I predict the main competition will be between the first two albums.

thnk's Baz for open such original pool

Hmm it is hard quasten, but I fote for it
''In The Nightside Eclipse'' because ''Cosmic keys To My Creatures And Times'' and''Im Black Wizards'' are my fav Emperor songs for all time

Just wanna noticed that EP are great too ''Emperor'' and ''As The Shadows Rise'' because lock at those covers its art

''Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk'' its not anymore so black metalish how previus Emperor album, but lyrics are like old Emperor and its firts album whit band cover :cry;

''IX Equilibrium'' Its more avangard not BM album and seems Emperor has changed, even song titles are changed, but lyrics still are poetic and cover ehh its ok

''The Discipline of Fire & Demise'' thy totly last them BM elements and listen it i think its German band not Norvegian and album cover are more like German and in some parts its remainds me musicaly Bishop of Hexen specely keybords and Lunar Auror and Nocturnal Mortum, dunno why

''Emperial Live Ceremony'' its full lenght too but live, i never had hear it, but I chack track list and there are old good songs of BM times and probobly I like it, I like live albums

Ever since I received all of their albums I have been trying to figure out which one is my favorite and I can't really decide. I've listened to Prometheus the most because it has my favorite Emperor song, The Eruption. However, I voted for In the Nightside Eclipse because it is consistent, it has the best vocals, and I especially like the keyboards on that album. The keyboards help create an atmosphere without being overpowering. Even though the production isn't that good, I think In the Nightside Eclipse is my favorite Emperor album.

Edit - Equilibrium is my favorite. In the Nightside Eclipse is overrated.

talking about songwriting, my favourite is "Anthems...", but as the production makes it impossible to enjoy I voted for "In The Nightside Eclipse", which is also awesome.

I have three of the four Emperor full length albums - ItNE, AttWaD, and Prometheus. Of the three, the first two are pretty much neck and neck, with Prometheus falling behind due to the fact some of the songs just annoy me - particularly "Thorns on my Grave" for some reason.

With "ItNE" I enjoy the wall of sound - the fairly typical black metal production, along it Ihsahn's voice fairly buried in the mix - thus adding to the wall ouf sound as opposed to standing out in front of it. All the songs are solid with a couple absolute barn burners.

With "AttWaD" the wall of sound remains basically intact, only with a little more depth thanks to adjusted production. The drums have a little more of battery feel to them. The two opening tracks "The Oath/Ye Trancemperium" are my favorite bit of Emperor... the spooky-then-triumphant intro leading into the blistering punishment of "Ye Trancemperium."

It's about a dead heat - until you factor in the bonus tracks on the cd's... then "ItNE" wins thanks to a great cover of Bathory's "Fine Day to Die" and an absolutely hilarious cover of Mercyful Fate's "Gypsy" - Ihzzy trying to sing in King Diamond's falsetto is too hilarious and is the clincher.

wow. well im surprised so far!

Streetcleaner: what is it about the production for 'Anthems...' that you dont like? - for me 'In The Nightside Eclipse' sounds far worse because you just cant hear much drum at all, and i think that is one of the msot important parts of the music
'Anthems...' allows you to hear the drums - the only thing people seem to complain about for that album is the vocals are a bit too far down on the mix, but i dont see that as much of a problem

@Baz - I agree drums are importan, and i disagree I hear in Nightside ... drums, I think I cant hear druns so heavy, I hear more keybords in last Emperor album and erlyy are early stuff,

Written by BitterCOld on 13.09.2006 at 01:29

... "ItNE" wins thanks to a great cover of Bathory's "Fine Day to Die"...

Man I love that cover. It's 'In the Nightside Eclipse' for me, too. All-round great album.

Baz , with this pool you are asking for the impossible... but I would like to add their Live CD. its actually the CD i have been listening the most to for a while

@Basso haw you original live or doun;loudet live?
I just wanna get it its only waht I hawnt hear of them

well i didnt include the live album because it isnt a studio album
i mean it isnt like a major release of theirs however good it is
i just think its a bit annoying because the live album isnt even the full show either.
at least i will get to see a full show live in person soon

If it wern't for the production id say In the Nightside Eclipse. But my favorite is Promethius i love that album.

ITNE, hands down. Every song is just an absolute masterpiece. But I guess Anthems is a lot more accessible, some people cant get used to the production. I for one enjoy the "Wrath of the Tyrant" comp, the old version of IatBW is just as good as the ITNE one (in its own way, a little darker but less epic).

ITNE for sure. Was the first stuff I listened to and I loved it.

Written by Bad English on 15.09.2006 at 11:41

@Basso haw you original live or doun;loudet live?
I just wanna get it its only waht I hawnt hear of them

I am ashamed (as a fan of Emperor) to say this but it is downloaded. It was out of stock last time I wanted to order it so I never ordered it, and since then I have forgot to buy it :/. Will change soon hopefully.

As defence I can say that I have their live dvd , wich is from the same show ^^.

In The Nightside Eclipse for me, the songs are just amazing what else is there to say. Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk is another brilliant album, and likewise Prometheus, i havent heard the fourth yet.

For me "In The Nightside Eclipse" is an awesome album. I truly like the grim atmosphere and Ihsahn´s high vocals.

Anthems for me... It's one of my few favourite albums of all time.

Have to say though, that if In The Nightside Eclipse had been produced just a *little* bit better, I wouldn't be able to separate the two. I love all four though, and the live album is absolutely brilliant also.

i seem to have been drawn towards 'IX Equilibrium' a lot recently - i lsitened to it again last night and i just cant describe how much i love that album!!
'Anthems...' remains my favorite, but 'IX Equilibrium' is definitly my second favorite.
all Emperor albums are masterpieces though - i went through with 'In The Nightside Eclipse' earlier today with the lyrics, and it just brought out a new dimension to it all. all of it is fantastic stuff
hahaha, ill ever be able to get enough Emperor

I'm irresolute about the choice between "In The Nightside Eclipse" and "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk"...
In the end I voted "Anthems..." but only cause the production of ItNE is lower, IMO I consider them almost equal... great albums!

My favourite would definitely be In The Nightside Eclipse. It's a very atmospheric album and the only reason I prefer it over Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk is because it's just got a bit more edge to it. The use of keyboards on this album also really appealed to me. It's used effectively more as a background instrument which I personally prefer. The lyrics are excellent as far as I'm concerned. I think it's more of an album that has to be listened to closely and a few times to actually give the listeners the full brilliance of it. I found myself absolutely loving it after I listened to it over and over again and now it just never seems to get old.
Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk would be my second favourite of their albums. Both are black metal masterpieces nevertheless.

ooh. it would have been 'Anthems..' a year ago, but i've realized that 'IX Equilibrium' is the album that i felt closest with. the riffs overall are probably their best. along with 'Depraved' and 'Inno a Satana'

"In The Nightside Eclipse"... for great BM atmosphere and tones...

In the nigtside eclipse is the best album:) The best album in 94 after Gorgoroths Pentagram:P

I own prometheus, in the nightside eclipse and anthems, my favorite is probabley in the nightside eclipse because it will always withold the most classic songs of all time. Anthems comes in second, its pretty heavy and the songwriting is crazy, prometheus is a tad differrent but I like that album alot though.

I must say it is "In the Nightside Eclipse" easily. No matter how much i love their entire discography i don't think they ever managed to match the greatness of this album, but then again it was my first album of them and the one that got me into their music so i might not be thinking completely unattached. Except from the exceptional riffing,vocals, drums etc. what makes this album special is the atmosphere it has.It is so "nightly" and "forestly" and unique. The lyrics are quite naive and poor but the entire feeling and feedback this album gives you more tan makes up for it.

Second i would pick Prometheus.... The songs are great and all the different elements incorporated fit very well. My only objection is that at some moments it is so full of vocals and instruments that a kind of "music panic" evolves, if you get what i mean and it gets quite disturbing...

then i would pick AttWaD and last IX Equillibrium

I love that about prometheus, its chaotic when all the intruments ( including keys ) overlap each other...

Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
The most melodic, beautiful and emotional of their releases. Contains a dark and sad atmosphere. It was also my first contact with Emperor and I bought it for only $5!

i dont think in the nightside eclipse is overated....i think it is one of if not the best album ever made. Songs like i am the black wizards, towards the pantheon, cosmic keys to my creation and times, and into the infinity of thoughts, make this album unforgetable. anthems and ix equilibrium are a very close second in my opinion. the reason why i give nightside best album is because of its sheer savagery and rawness, which is captured by the production. the production is not perfect, but i think together with the songwriting and musicianship is what makes this album timeless.

My vote goes to In The Nightside Eclipse, but Anthems To The Welikin At Dusk comes very close. I like the raw sound and Ihsahn's vocals are awesome and it has the best lyrics, as well as cover art. Emperor are one of my fav bands and I have no idea how I missed this poll until now.