Subtitled - Decade Of Imperial Wrath. 2003 compilation for the Norwegian death/black metal icons. 27 tracks on 2 CDs. Candlelight.
CD Reviews
Great collection, but...
Ilker Yucel | Annapolis, MD United States | 05/22/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Emperor's final release, a 2-disc set with music that spans their entire career. Disc 1 contains some of the best songs from their four proper album releases. Disc 2 contains the covers and the rarities, songs from albums out-of-print or hard-to-find. One would think it's the perfect "best of" album, right? Well...not really. While Emperor's music has always been consistently good, always delving into new territories of complexity and musical genius, this collection is uneven and incoherent. Each album Emperor ever put out had its own sound and feel...but mix it all up and it makes for an interesting but disjointed listen. The prodction differences between songs from "In the Nightside Eclipse" and "Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise" is far too evident, let alone the tracks from the demo album and the "Hordanes Land" split-CD. If Emperor had gone back and rerecorded certain songs to match the production quality that they are now capable of, then it might have made for a more listenable selection. Otherwise, it's hard on the ears to go from terrible production to good production to mediocre production and back again. The selection of songs however is the best facet of this collection. The band definitely put together what they truly felt was their best music. Some selections I personally would not agree with, but there is the sense that they actually put some thought into this collection. On the whole, it's a good way to say goodbye, and I will miss Emperor and forever regret that I didn't discover them until after they were gone. HAIL and Farewell!"
Awesome 'Greatest Hits' Compilation
Richard Terry | Denver, CO United States | 07/19/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After releasing 'Prometheus, The Discipline of Fire and Demise,' Ihsahn, Samoth, and Trym decided to leave one more cd in remembrance of Emperor's amazing musical career. Thus, 'Scattered Ashes' spans the entire disography of Emperor with songs from their studio albums on disc 1, and rare tracks and covers on disc 2.
The album opens insanely with 'Curse You All Men' from 'IX Equilibrium.' Then, the songs move from Prometheus with 'The Tongue of Fire' all the way back to the album, In The Nightside Eclipse' with the song, 'The Majesty of the Night Sky.' There are 4 songs from 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk,' considered by many to be their best release. This inludes the live song, 'Thus Spake the Nightspirit' taken from 'Emperial Live Ceremony.' The songs are put in a certain distinct order so that the listener gets a feel for the differences in style that Emperor had despite being known as the best symphonic black metal band ever to come out of Norway.
This album is a great compilation to have in one's metal collection and even if one owns all of the Emperor releases, there are rare songs and great covers from bands like Bathory, Mayhem, and Darkthrone on disc 2. I have this in my cd player a lot because I love hearing the different Emperor songs on one disc! Emperor fans will be pleased with this compilation. HAIL EMPEROR!"
A Great Farewell for a Great Band
Brian Stickney | Auburn, ME United States | 03/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Usually Best-Of collections leave a lot to be desired, since not everyone agrees on what the best songs are by a particular band it is very difficult to compile a best of collection onto one cd. This collection avoids that problem by releasing a HUGE 27 song double disc collection for the price of one disc. Every aspect of the bands career is covered here from the early self titled and "Wrath of the Tyrant" demos through their final album Prometheus: "The Discipline of Fire and Demise." Also included are a number of rarities such as a cover of Darkthrones "Cromlech" and Mayhem's "Funeral Fog". Both of these covers are very well excuted and fit in with the rest of the music here.The only gripes that I have with this collection is the inclusion of a remixed version of "Sworn" instead of the album version. The remix is a very techno sounding track and to be blunt I hate it. The album version was one of their strongest tracks from "IX Equilibrium" so why not include it? Aside from that one gripe I love having all the best songs along with some rarities for the price of a single disc album. It would be the perfect gift for someone either just getting into Emperor or a casual fan who wants a sampling of their best material. Overall, a best of collection done right from the guys over at Candlelight records."
Marrvellous - Ambient & Relaxing
Mr LW Jolly | Leicester, Leics. United Kingdom | 03/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Or not as the case actually is. Emperor obviously need no introduction, as they were quite obviously the best black metal band ever. But I'll give a brief description of their sound anyway. Although progressing with each album, Emperor's hallmarks include screeching, manic guitar riffs, ethereal keyboard melodies evoking bleak Scandinavian winters, and pummeling precise percussion. My first contact with Emperor was when I bought the album Prometheus. It took me some time to really get to love that album, but it was well worth the effort. I then went on to explore the rest of their back catalogue. It's certainly an interesting journey, and I have to say that the cuts here do an excellent job of tracing Emperor's evolution, and giving the listeners the highlights of their albums. The black disc, showcasing previously released material illustrates just how diverse Emperor could be. Always brutally aggressive, but mixing in passages of beauty and restraint which other bands could only dream of integrating so flawlessly. Highlights (amongst all the highlights)from this disc include Curse thee all men! The loss and curse of reverance, in the wordless chamber and Inno a Satana.The silver disc is a collection of previously unreleased material, including covers of bands like Mercyful Fate and Mayhem, plus their own compositions. I think 'A fine day to die' is one of Emperor's greatest tracks, and I particularly enjoyed the cover of Mercyful Fate's Gypsy, but overall this disc is not of as high a quality as the black disc, although it does make an interesting listen, and is definitely worth having if the black disc contains nothing new for you.Therefore, this compilation makes an excellent introduction to anyone wishing to explore the murky, viscerial, brutal world of Emperor, but is also definitely worth having for die hard fans."
A Amazing Colection Of Emperor's Best Works.
progpatron01 | mn | 05/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Emperor was an amazing group, they are probobly the reason that black metal has become an known genre. They delivered black metal to many fans, of all kinds of extreme metal. The songs are compiled well (i would have a diffrent order though), and of course there is not a song thats not worth listening to on either of these 2 discs. My favorite part, is either the tracks from Prometheus, or the 'Wrath of the Tyrant' recordings. Though many songs from 'wrath...' were on In the nightside eclipse, I actaully prefer the "wrath of the tyrant" versions. The 2nd disc has some covers of classic black metal tracks, mostly from the earlier era. I was very suprised to hear the 'Prometheus' side of emperor, almost a very dark&heavy Dreamtheater type sound, a little bit more emotion, and very well delivered. This is a great comp. that I would recommend for any fan of black metal."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1