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Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk

Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk Audio CD

A fair review of the Emperor "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Emperor reviews here, or go back to the Emperor tabs.

Band: Emperor
Title: Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Rating:

Release Date: 1997-07-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Alsvartr (The Oath) 2: Ye Entrancemperium 3: Thus Spake the Nightspirit 4: Ensorcelled by Khaos 5: Loss and Curse of Reverence 6: Acclamation of Bonds 7: With Strength I Burn 8: Wanderer

Almost as vast as the sky
What stands out most is the incredible guitar work - one minute the guitars are crushing your skull with their sheer weight, the next they're flying off into the beyond, before returning to the scene of the crime, a hundred times more bloody, more brutal. So much work went into this album, and it paid off tenfold.

Transcendental and yet burning with aggression. . . it is seldom one hears these ingredients combined to form such a powerful and empowering whole. Even though the music is deadly fast you almost seem to float through it, or rather it washes over you like an immense wave.

With 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk', Emperor went beyond the parochial concerns of much black metal, into a new aeonic awareness. 'The Acclamation of Bonds' even has a 'positive' theme, speaking highly of "the bonds of trust and unity", but while honour and kinship are hailed, the dominant theme is still that of the strong individual, the wanderer who walks among his or her own kind as a wolf among sheep, and who seeks solace in the high and lonely places rather than suffocating amidst the masses.

'Welkin' is an archaic English word for sky, and this album is almost as vast. It is the work of a mature and powerful band, who had fully realised their compositional skills and knew exactly what they were capable of. If you listen to it as background music this may not be apparent, but a deep meditation on it can merge your mind with Eternity itself.

One of the best Black Metal CD's I own
Their music creates an atmosphere that is breathtaking and beautifully symphonic. Emperor has always been one of my all time favorite Black Metal bands. Ihsahn's vocals are amazing, and Samoth's guitars are consistently brutal. The production is better than a lot of Black Metal you normally would hear, which is a good thing because all the instruments stick out along with the vocals. This is currently the only Emperor CD I own because none of their CD's are available in stores anywhere near where I live. I have heard a few of their other CD's, like "In The Nightside Eclipse", "IX Equilibrium" and "Prometheus" but this is by far my favorite. There is not a weak song on here, but the highlights include "The Loss & Curse Of Reverence", "Ye Entrancemperium" and "With Strength I Burn". I recommend this album to anyone into metal in general, but especially Black Metal fans. . . this album belongs in your collection.

Pretty good...bad production.
It's extremely orchestral and symphonic yet maintains its metal edge at the same time. Amazing instrumentals in this CD. The only complaint I'd give is that the production stinks. You can hardly hear the vocals. You do get used to it after awhile, but it isnt too pleasant at first. But I'd recommend this album anyway since it has some goddamn amazing riffs, orchestral sounds, and symphonic layouts to it.

An essential album for any black metal collection
The vocals, synth, drums, guitars, and bass all blend together fantastically to create a classic album in black metal history that makes it easy to understand why many bands have been inspired by the mighty Emperor. Whether or not this is "true" black metal doesn't really matter because either way, this is an amazing cd from start to finish. Although the songs don't quite contain the raw feeling of Emperor's earlier work, this is a more refined Emperor. The bonus tracks on the Candlelight re-release are a nice addition as well. Anyway, this is one cd that no metal fan should be without as it will always be remembered as a genre defining classic.

To The Welkin Indeed...
Magnum Opus, many would propose. .

Emperor have truly bestowed upon us. Edvard Grieg, if he were still alive, would have been proud to know that Emperor chose to play in his memorial hall. Quite the memory. . .

Of course fans will describe this as one with Black Metal history, and that isn't saying it was made in a cave *cough-DarkPrince-cough* excuse me. The way I took in Emperor was from last to first. -Prometheus: . . . - garnered the initial attention, then through -IX Equilibrium-, and then on to here. I knew that even the legion of demons on the cover were here for a reason too, most likely sent by their pathetic master Satan (a friggen bipedal 7-foot tall ram) to uncover pieces of this beauty within key churches (lower/top left) and soaring keeps (all over top). Absolutely spectacular. . .

Now production really isn't done the best it could have been, but that doesn't mean it isn't bearable and isn't done in the best manner. Despite what many say about this, the production is actually very suitable for this type of music. The presence of evil, gloom, despair, and darkness altogether comes together extremely well. Ihsahn brings chilling screams all over, along with his melodic singing attune with his incredibly catchy guitar work. Trym definitely brings out brooding spirits, catapulting his drum work to a work of his own. Samoth, as intricate as he always has been, puts forth quite the effort whilst Ihsahn performs his part. Alver, the unknown bassist, sadly cannot be heard anywhere except on the first track. This however does not let up in any way, as -Anthems. . . - is able to reach astounding proportions without him.

I feel, for some reason, that this album tells what is happening on the cover. . .

"Alsvatr (The Oath)" proves to be one of the greatest intro's representing the album it sets the stage for. The acoustics are truly peaceful, as owls hoot above the willows and a surge of evil creeps amongst the forest beside the lower church. Ihsahn is apparently the leader of the demon legion here, and his voice takes that of many as the demons soon appear in the darkness. A scream can be heard at about 2:09, which tells you that they are coming. More and more screams pass Ihsahn's mellow voice without a glimpse as they are taken to their doom, whilst Ihsahn continues past his own. As he steps out of the forest, minions still lying in wait, he yells. . .

"O' Nightspirit!
I am at one with thee.
I am the eternal power.
I am the Emperor!"

And thus begins his assault. However, it is here where the track takes an unpredictable turn. From the night silence of creeping evil the atmosphere transforms into an arena filled blaring trumpets, pounding drums, and honored knights who are ready to perform their feats in battle.

"Ye Entrancemperium" proves them utterly wrong, as the track (pretty much a continuation of Alsvartr) begins as any offense would; charging with full speed and a melody to takeover any opponent. The keyboards are clearly heard amidst Trym's unmatched drumming speed throughout the track. Ihsahn lets the signature Emperor sound loose as he and Samoth prove Black Metal can outperform all else. The track becomes too good to be true from 3:30 and on as it really starts to become a masterpiece. This track details the fall of hope as the knights are overwhelmed by Satan's demonic horde. It seems logical that Ihsahn would not include himself in the actual takeover (as he is the leader of this particular force), but he finds that this doesn't benefit him whatsoever. It ends with the finding of the first piece of -Anthems. . . - and the capture of the lower church, as other knights look from above.

This is only 1/4 of the art -Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk- defines itself as. I would highly recommend this to any fan of Black Metal or anyone who loves Metal and is looking for a good listen. Genuine in its own league, Ihsahn took his crew another step into a direction that created a greater world of his own.

You can see a complete list of all Emperor discography, or go back to the Emperor tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.