ROCK HARD (Germany) This is the album that should lead black metal into 'intellectual' spheres. Indeed, there have been other bands in the past who originated from the black metal scene and have, partially, delivered highly demanding sounds to the public (for example Ulver, Samael or Moonspell). Simultaneously, however, these bands have, generally, distanced themselves far from their roots. Not in Emperor's case. That which the 'RUSH of black metal' have conjoured up is not just intelligently structured, well played and produced but also pitchblack, brutal and uncompromisingly heavy. The stylistic difference to the predescessor, 'Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk', is not as grave as expected, although Emperor have developed greatly as songwriters. The band, however, interpret the term, 'Song', in a rather strange manner. Nothing sounds really catchy, there are no verses or chorusus in the normal sense and the songstructures seem, at first, confused and obscure. At the same time, the whole album seems to have a kind of central theme which greatly helps the listener to find a point of entry. Everything fits together, although the ingredients really couldn't be more diverse - furious up-tempo parts, mighty riffs, spacey keyboard passages, highly melodic parts, cold and disturbing atmospherics, raging extreme vocals and soft acoustic interludes - all wrapped in lengthy, complex songs. 'IX Equilibrium' is not an album for quick, undisturbed pleasure. It is a work in which it is well worth growing into. 8,5 GÖTZ KÜHNEMUND go back