Artist: Emperor
Label: Candlelight Records
Release Date: 10/9/01
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Title: Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise Artist: Emperor Label: Candlelight Records Release Date: 10/9/01 |
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Abyss's Review:
The pretty much undisputed kings of black metal return, with what is said to be their swan song. Like Metallica before them, Emperor enjoy a mixture of respect and success that is wholeheartedly deserved. Unlike Metallica, these guys seem to be stopping with their integrity intact. And while this album hasn’t toppled Anthems… from the top of my favorite Emperor albums list, it is a very solid effort and probably quite a bit what most fans are expecting.
"Emperor are the tits of the metal world." It would be easy, if not entirely accurate, to call this sound a mixture of their last two albums, as it does contain the grandiose composition of IX sometimes mixed with the more acidic moments on Anthems…, but while that summarization looks good on paper, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth every time I think of it. Oops! My mistake, I was chewing the gangrene scab on my finger again…gotta remember to stop doing that.
Anyhoo, this album is 100% Emperor in all their majestic glory. I often find myself forgetting about Emperor when asked what my favorite bands are, and I’m not sure why, because there are very few bands that have consistently put out quality albums at this level. I guess they can only be summed up in one word. Breasts. Now wipe that confused look off of your face and pay attention. Emperor are the tits of the metal world. Why Abyss, what ever do you mean? Well, I’ll tell ya. Men always think about tits. They stare at them, they talk about them, they apply silly analogies about them (these usually involve inflatable objects or fruit). All in all, men seem completely obsessed by them. But what’s one of the major complaints women have of men? Lack of foreplay. Breasts are often involved in foreplay. Hmmm… how can men seem so infatuated with breasts one minute and completely ignore them when the entire female form is presented to them. The answer? Breasts are a physically obvious characteristic that we men associate with sex, and since sex is really all we want, we center a great deal of attention on them. But once we (I mean all of you other guys… I’m actually quite sensitive.) get what we want, our own needs take over. What the hell does this have to do with Emperor? I feel I often overlook their contribution to metal because I take them for granted.
"Not since Slayer's years between Hell Awaits and Seasons in the Abyss has a band delivered so completely on four straight albums, never resting on their laurels, but always staying true to their vision."
Not since Slayer's years between Hell Awaits and Seasons in the Abyss has a band delivered so completely on four straight albums, never resting on their laurels, but always staying true to their vision. If this album is slightly less operatic then the last, or if I told you that sometimes the guitar leads delve into something that sounds influenced by the popular wave of melodic death metal, or if the guitars seem a bit more experimental than in the past, it doesn’t matter. Because there is no question that this is Emperor, every note, everything that’s different, and everything that’s the same, this is Emperor. Hell, even the track “In the Wordless Chamber”, which has a high pitched “Hoo Hoo” sound running through it that continuously reminds me of that damn train song from the Quad City DJs (you know, “…come on ride the train, and ride it. Hoo Hoo. Come on ride the train, and ride it. Hoo Hoo.”), is completely Emperor, and a very good song as well, I just can’t break the connection.
"There is no question that this is Emperor, every note, everything that’s different, and everything that’s the same, this is Emperor." This disc belongs in the collection of every true metalhead. Not only is it beautiful to behold and a pleasure to listen to, it’s an important record. Bands like Emperor don’t come around very often, so you should take this time to appreciate them one last time. I’m not saying you have to love Emperor, I’m just saying, play with some tits.
Death's Review:
Is Emperor black metal? There was a time when the answer to such a question would be an obvious "yes!", but times have changed. In this era of Cradle of Filth signing to Sony Music and Satyricon becoming the latest darlings of EMI Norway, one must re-evaluate the question. Is it possible to spend lavishly on an album's production and to gain financial and promotional support from a major label and still be black metal? Is black metal a musical style, or is it a feeling, an attitude, or state of mind? To some, "black" may mean "thinly produced hatred distilled to disc." To others, black metal means "wintery northern screams, corpse paint, and tremolo picking." I'm not sure what it means to me--I just like good music. Thus, whether or not one can fairly describe the latest and reportedly last release from black metal pioneers Emperor as black metal, the truly important question is whether Prometheus is a good listen or not. Guess what? It is.
"One must applaud Emperor for not only its integrity and fury, but its sonic professionalism and exquisite musicianship as well."
I can't help but reference Eric Peterson's new project, Dragonlord, when thinking about this album. Yes, Dragonlord is an example of 1980's thrashers becoming inspired by some of the darker, Scandinavian arts, and Emperor is one of those inspirations for sure. In that sense, perhaps the comparison is a bit unfair. But both records have a lot in common: clean production, killer guitar work and thrashy riffs. Yes, Prometheus is pretty much entirely written by Ihsahn, and although it is distinguished from other efforts like Peccatum by Ishahn's attempt to inspire himself and his new musical abilities and resources by combining Emperor's modern approach with a healthy flavoring distilled from great Emperor records from yore. Still, the end-result is much more modern and musical than even IX Equilibrium was. The guitar sound is absolutely wonderful and the clean, almost magical sounding pick harmonics and artificial bends ring slice through the almost perfect mix at every turn. Drummer Trym goes off on this record as well, and in total one must applaud Emperor for not only its integrity and fury, but its sonic professionalism and exquisite musicianship as well.
"The most beautiful work of Viking metal art ever produced on such a lavish canvass." In the end, Emperor has returned one last time to deliver the ultimate classically-influenced black metal record. The keyboards are scaled back, the pompousness is toned down, and the guitars and drums are blazing in the most beautiful work of Viking metal art ever produced on such a lavish canvass. All hail Emperor, and let us, as metalheads, bow down for a moment of silence in respect of the now departed musical force. Emperor has won the NBA finals with their final shot. Will Emperor, like Michael Jordan, return for another run at past glory somewhere down the line? Maybe. Time will tell, but perhaps Ihsahn, Samoth & Co. will see fit to return in five years for another run, once they become frustrated with Zyklon, Peccatum and the rest playing second-fiddle to the new found major label glories of Cradle, Satyricon, Dimmu, etc. Or perhaps they won't, instead refusing to tarnish such a perfect ending to an important and illustrious career. R.I.P., Emperor, you've gone out in style.
Hel's Review:
Favorite tracks: "The Tongue of Fire" and "Depraved"
"Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise, is complex, beautiful, and metal. " Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise, is the newest, and purportedly last, Emperor album. It is complex, beautiful, and metal. A little composition that may have been lifted directly from a century prior to the nineteenth kicks things off, and throughout the album there are other such out-of-time pieces incorporated. This is one of many details which enhances the album and makes it just that much more enjoyable.
There are so many details to each song, in fact, a potential exists for them to be extremely chaotic, but that is not at all the case. They are well organized, and flow nicely from beginning to end, both during each song and from one song to another. The songs are also individually epic, and in combination they appear to convey the story of the titan Prometheus, which is interesting in its own right.
Truth be told, I have listened to this record at least fifteen times by now, and I still feel as though I am discovering thing each time. Above all, this is certainly the mark of a great record. Frankly, it would be tedious and time consuming to chronicle each individual reason why this is a superlative record. Not to mention entirely unnecessary, as you will certainly come up with your own reasons why you think it is great. So stop wasting time, go now and decide your strategy for obtaining a copy the moment it hits the stores.
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