Black magic

Blistering but calm, Emperor transcend black metal

by Chris Kanaracus

Although often cited as anti-Christian -- the keystone of black metal -- the music of Norway's Emperor transcends that oft-heard criticism. Theirs is a furious, blistering sound, to be sure; but it's just as often a calm, mannered, and even regal web of provincial folk melody, Wagnerian pomp, and apt (if a bit abstract) spirituality. No GWAR- or Spinal Tap-like winks here: Emperor are one serious outfit.

As black metal has always been, it's a predominantly European music style with roots dating back to 1979, defined by groups like Celtic Frost, Bathory, and Venom. Though popularity flagged toward the end of that decade, in the mid-1990s Norway's black-metal scene saw a wild -- and in some ways distressing -- resurgence. Violent youth-driven, anti-Christian activism was rampant there; so rampant that three members of Emperor themselves were involved in crimes that ranged from the burning of a historic church (Samoth, current rhythm guitarist, was the culprit) to vandalizing charges (Tchort, a former bassist, was convicted) to murder (ex-drummer Faust stabbed an acquaintance to death and is serving a life sentence).

Yet it is hard to find such depravity to match in Emperor's music. For while bandleader Ihsahn's lyrics are unquestionably filled with all manner of vitriol, the accused remain vague and nameless, as in the lead track on their latest, IX Equilibrium's (Century Media) "Curse You All Men" with its lyrics "Curse you all men/Whose coil is strong/You are the few/I am the one." Ihsahn's agenda seems less a quest for Christianity's ruin than either a self-help mantra or simply the product of a bloated ego.

But conversation with Ihsahn, 23, suggests none of that is true. "Certainly it's dark. It's not music for the beach, you know. But just because it's dark, that does not mean it's negative. . . . It's about thinking, about not being trivial," he says in a clipped, almost inaudible whisper, which is a far cry from the anguished howl perfected on tracks like "Sworn." Yet Ihsahn prefers to leave the actual intent behind his lyrics vague. "The lyrics aren't as important, really, as the music. I spend a lot more time on that," he says.

And neither would Ihsahn comment on Emperor's aforementioned legal difficulties, except to say that "it was a long time ago." His reluctance probably stems from the fact that his bandmates were arrested and jailed at nearly the same time their debut album, In the Nightside Eclipse (CEN, 1994), was released to instant and widespread acclaim. Emperor, who appear this Friday at the Palladium, were unable to fully capitalize on their initial splash, and they would not release their next album, Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, until 1997.

The sheer amount of craft put into IX Equilibrium is certainly far from trivial. The speed and death-metal forms that make up the backbone of Emperor's sound occasionally sink into cliché, but they are delivered with startling precision. Drummer Trym makes an undeniable impression with his chaingun-like double bass work; and Ihsahn's smooth, clean lead guitar recalls Euro-metal gods Uli Roth and Michael Schenker.

And though not apparent at first, there is a wealth of variety scattered across the disc's eight tracks. Swelling keyboards lace "An Elegy of Icarus," a rather puzzling ode to the mythological figure. Plaintive acoustic guitars dapple the outro to the epic, album-closing "Of Blindness and Subsequent Seers." And vocalist Ihsahn has mastered not only the standard metal vocabulary of growls and grunts, but also a convincing operatic wail or two.

But what separates Emperor from the hordes of metal acts who have plied those stylistic waters is the fact they have somehow avoided self-parody. This music is certainly not modest in scale or tone, but neither (or at least only rarely) is it trite.

And it seems that many metal fans agree. Emperor won year's-best honors from both the UK metal magazine Terrorizer and the US's Metal Maniacs for Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. With the release of IX Equilibrium, they hope to make headway into the American market. But even if they don't, according to Ihsahn, that'd be fine. "We've been quite successful in Europe since around 1993," he says. "We might be from Norway, but we aren't completely a Norwegian band because, commercially, Europe is one big continent. What we're really looking forward to is traveling around and seeing the world for the first time."

If the buzz surrounding them is any indication, a new crop of fans may, in fact, be awaiting them.

Emperor appear at 7 p.m. on July 16 at the Palladium. Tickets are $17.50. Call 797-9696.