Review by Xephyr for Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)

Emperor Of All

For me, In the Nightside Eclipse is how I want my grandiose and symphonic Black Metal to sound, plain and simple. The mix and production can be challenging to decode since there is so much going on, but the end result is all too worth it. The marrying of strings, synths, and blistering Black Metal riffs holds up extremely well even by today's standards, and the atmosphere of the album is unparalleled. This album really does take me somewhere desolate and despondent, which for me is a pretty rare occurrence. The fact that I prefer the cold and raw sound of this album compared to Anthems of the Welkin At Dusk is definitely subjective, but this release simply left more of an impact on me overall and I'm consistently impressed whenever I come back to it. Emperor have created one of, if not the quintessential union of beautiful symphonic and classical music with the wicked and malicious chaos of Black Metal.