Ranking The Albums: Emperor

Written: 21st December 2025

Few bands reshaped the landscape of extreme music as profoundly as Emperor. Emerging from the volatile Norwegian black metal scene of the early 1990s, they transcended the raw orthodoxy of their peers, forging a sound that combined ferocity with sophistication. Across four studio albums, Emperor evolved from frostbitten mysticism to avant-garde complexity, leaving behind a small but virtually unparalleled catalogue. For this ranking, I have focused solely on the four studio albums, excluding demos, EPs and live releases. This is intended as a celebration rather than a definitive verdict, so feel free to share your own rankings and thoughts at the end.

 4. IX Equilibrium (1999)

Although this album sits of the bottom of the ranking, it still crushes much of the black metal of the era to dust. Recorded as a trio following the departure of Alver, IX Equilibrium detonates with volatility, signalling a band intent on dismantling boundaries. Curse You All Men! opens with riffs that slice like jagged ice while drums pound with merciless intent. Clean vocals erupt during An Elegy of Icaros, unsettling and theatrical against the venomous shrieks that dominate the record. The sound feels compressed, almost suffocating, forcing the listener to wrestle with its density.

Beneath the malevolence lurks a nagging curiosity. There is clearly a hunger for transformation within the songwriting: The Source of Icon E coils through labyrinthine passages, foreshadowing the cerebral landscapes of their swansong. It is not an immediate or forgiving album but its feral energy and structural audacity rewards those prepared to embrace it.

Three favourite tracks: Curse You All Men, An Elegy of Icaros, Of Blindness and Subsequent Seers

3. Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise (2001)

Emperor’s final album is a fortress of complexity. The Eruption surges with orchestral might, colliding with pointed riffs in a display of controlled chaos. Stunning rhythmic foundations create momentum that feels volatile yet precise. Ihsahn’s increasing command of the band saturates every moment, sculpting a more progressive soundscape that defies boundaries, hinting at what was to come during his solo career. The production gleams with clarity, exposing layers that twist and writhe.

Hints of avant-garde black metal surface throughout, with striking details like the harpsichord introduction to The Eruption adding unexpected texture. Lyrically and musically, this album interrogates autonomy and mortality. In the Wordless Chamber drifts between sombre reflection and violent upheaval, embodying the record’s duality. Some recoil from its opacity but in many ways, it is Emperor’s most audacious creation. Even in its most technical moments, this album eclipsed the creative reach of nearly all contemporaries, asserting dominance through sheer intellectual force.

Three favourite tracks: The Eruption, The Tongue of Fire, In The Wordless Chamber

2. In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)

Expanding on the primal aggression of the Wrath of the Tyrant demo and the embryonic Emperor EP, the step up in quality to this debut full length album is staggering. The line-up at this point consisted of Ihsahn on vocals and guitars, Samoth on guitars, Faust on drums and Tchort on bass. It would be short-lived as Faust and Tchort were later imprisoned for violent crimes and arson, making this the only Emperor album to feature them.

From the opening surge of Into the Infinity of Thoughts, the album immerses the listener in a soundscape that feels vast, unyielding and monumental. With one album, Emperor catapulted black metal forward. Keyboards shimmer, creating a chilling spectral atmosphere. Percussion drives with relentless urgency, while Ihsahn’s vocals slice through the haze with vehement clarity. The production is stark, yet that austerity amplifies the sense of isolation, evoking landscapes both desolate and infinite. I Am the Black Wizards stands as the album’s defining anthem, its hypnotic cadence entwined with icy dissonance. Cosmic Keys to My Creations and Times unfurls with a melodic sweep that feels otherworldly, while Inno a Satana closes the record in a blaze of opulence. On release, In the Nightside Eclipse towered above the majority of black metal offerings, redefining what extremity could achieve. Its aura remains undiminished.

Three favourite tracks: Cosmic Keys to My Creations and Times, I Am The Black Wizards, Inno A Satana

1. Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997)

That an album as extraordinary as In the Nightside Eclipse ranks second only underscores the sheer magnificence of Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. By this time, Trym had replaced Faust on drums after his conviction, and Alver joined on bass. This line-up gave Emperor a stable and technically formidable rhythm section, marking their most cohesive era before Alver’s later departure. The addition of Trym’s exactitude and speed elevated the band’s intensity, allowing Ihsahn and Samoth to expand their intricate arrangements.

Alsvartr (The Oath) begins with solemn, ominous invocation before unleashing torrents of sound that surge like celestial storms. Guitar lines spiral with architectural precision, entwined with motifs that glide with sweeping layers of melody. Percussion strikes with martial force while vocals oscillate between corrosive rage and ritualistic gravitas. The mix achieves clarity without compromise ensuring intricacy never dulls the overall impact. With Strength I Burn embodies transcendence, its sweeping arcs ascending toward something almost divine. At release, this album obliterated the competition, asserting supremacy through technical mastery and conceptual depth. More than music, it feels like a rite, a declaration that extremity can aspire to infinity. Decades on, its resonance endures. A flawless album and without doubt, one of the best black metal albums of all time.

Three favourite tracks: Ye Entancemperium, Thus Spake The Nightspirit, With Strength I Burn

Listen to my Emperor Through the Years playlist featuring my three favourite songs from each album in chronological order.