laden, progressive yet brutally aggressive and chaotic part of the genre, something quite different from the minimalism of other originators of the Norwegian black metal sound (e.g. Darkthrone). The band was formed around the core members Samoth (Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen) and Ihsahn (Vegard Sverre Tveitan) of the death metal band Thou Shalt Suffer and bass player Mortiis (Håvard Ellefsen) in Notodden, Norway, 1991. They released their critically acclaimed and widely influential debut In the Nightside Eclipse in 1994 after being joined by drummer Faust and having replaced Mortiis with Tchort on bass. Two years later, the band released what many consider to be their landmark achievement, Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk, having invited Enslaved’s Trym Torson (Kai Jonny Mosaker) to man the drums. Emperor went on to release two more albums (IX Equilibrium in 1999 and Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire and Demise in 2001) before splitting up in 2001. A live album titled Emperial Live Ceremony was also released in 2000 as both video (VHS / DVD) and CD. And, in addition, a “best of” double CD titled Scattered Ashes: A Decade Of Emperial Wrath was released in 2003.