Customer Reviews

Prometheus: Discipline of Fire & Demise

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Opinions on this album seem to be somewhat divided, which comes as no surprise I suppose, as it isn't at all similar to Anthems or Dusk. Personally, I stand in the minority and consider this to be a far greater achievement than thoes 2 albums.(great as they are.)

This is the most dense metal album I've ever heard.The first time you listen to it you will probably not remember too much of it. Anyone who is unwilling to listen to this album carefully and repeatedly might as well not bother, as they are unlikely to get too much out of it. Personally, I don't think I fully appreciated it until about my 20th listen. Tempo changes are constant, with some truly ferocious and dense drumming from Trym. There is a near perpetual weaving of multiple guitar parts varying between lead-rhythm interplay, harmonies and competing leads in essentially every song. Fortunately, the guitar is work both tasteful and virtuosic, and is never emotionless or aimless. In fact, despite the abundance of leads, there aren't really any conventional solos to be found here. It all flows beautifully. All this is topped combined with heavy, though never cheesy, synth work, most commonly strings with some piano and harpsichord. This has by far the best synth work on any metal album I've heard.(which admitedly, isn't much of a prize.) I tend not to be too huge a fan of a lot of black metal vocalist, who frequently sound a bit goofy. This album is an exception. Ihsahn's shriek-growling is always filled with genuine emotion, and he never goes overboard. The clean vox are nice too. He obviously hasn't got the greatest voice your gonna here, but he generally rights good melodies to go along with. (which is what really matters.)

It is initially a rather combative and harsh listen, with many parts which are intentionally discordant and actively anti-melodic to go along with the straight metal bludgeoning and melodicism which is found elsewhere. It is in this balance that it finds it strength. The contrast makes each section that much more powerful, and Ihsahn knows just when to change from one tone to another. On top of this, Emperor manages make the songs have varying and distinctive tones.(Unlike some more progressively oriented bands, which have each song have many different sounding parts, but seem to have the same parts in about the same ratio in every song, which makes it repetitive in spite of the many changes.) Depraved is especially harsh and violent, The Prophet more melodic and immediately memorable, Empty combines blistering speed with some powerful melodicism and The Eruption is kinda of mixture of all three etc. It's hard to pick out standout tracks as they are all outstanding, but The Eruption, The Prophet, Grey and In the Wordless Chamber are all especially spectacular.

This is a concept album, and I don't fully understand what it's about so I won't go into it much, though I will say that it boasts unusually intelligent and compelling lyrics, which avoid tediously blunt religious bashing and ridiculous frozen/pagan/winter/forest/wolf garbage. Lyrics are of little concern to me, and I love many albums with the aforementioned lyrical themes(by this band, in particular) but it's always nice to see something different.

The only real notable weakness here is that the closing track, Thorns On My Grave, is the weakest.(though it is still good.) It's always best to go out on a high note, especially when it's a concept album.

Anyone who enjoys dense, progressive heavy metal needs to check this out. Even if you aren't a fan of black metal you need to hear.(Frankly, most traits which nonfans dislike in black metal aren't even found here.) This is truly a unique and powerful work.

There are some records that remain pillars & reference-point for other bands to follow. I can mention Metallica's "master of puppets" of trash-metal. Iron Maidens "The number of the beast" of classic heavy metal. Emperor is supposed to be the master of the black metal sub-genre, but their previous records, although championed as great works of art, was not quite up in the league of grand all time metal-pillars.

Their first album "In the nightside eclipse" is mindblowing in every way, but it is too haunting and bleak even for the metal community to absorb, nor was the production up to standard.

Their second album "Anthems to the welkin at dusk" had better production, and although it is even more ferocious and fast- paced than its predecessor it still comes across as more digestable for non-black metal fans. The problem with that record was that it alienated purist black metal fans with its expanded emphasis on classical atmosphere & composition.

Now I'm supposed to say that this one has it all, and in one way I do. This is possibly the pillar they've long sought to create, however it is no longer of black metal. It's a pillar of something else, something of its own.

Compared to "In the nightside eclipse" this one lacks the obvious & accessible melodic majesty. It has the same spatious feel though. Compared to "Anthems to the welkin at dusk" it lacks the continiuous symphonic layer that intermesh the ferocious metal drive. The wall of sound approach is traded in for a more spatious feel.

Compared to both of the above, this one has a stronger influence of trash-metal (though still only periodically). It is more progressive, with overwhelmingly complex compositions. It has the best production of any Emperor album. Moreover. It is an incredibly coherent work, both musically and lyrically. There's more normal singing than ever before, and the individual achievements of every band-member is at its peak. There's no filler.

The downpart is that all of this makes the album very little accessible. This is not a commercially intended work though. It's ment as art, and as nothing else. It may pass over the heads of most metal fans, but those who are willing to give time and attention to explore a work of art are likely to find that this is a pillar. A renewal of metal, no less.

I am left floored by this album, from the "There was nothing" at the beginning to the epic end of this majestic CD. And after the album ends, I don't move or anything, don't go and put in a new CD, I just stay where I am, speechless. And I can't listen to anything else, because this album is so great, I can't listen to anything else, even Anthems or Nightside eclipse. Nothing else compares.

First off, this album is the most cerebral music I've heard. It's cerebral, even for Emperor. And the riffs and such are technically stunning. This album, if you give it a chance, will leave you speechless, just like it left me speechless. Why, do I say, then, give it a chance? Well, even though the production is excellent, the main thing is that this is the densest metal I've ever laid my ears on. You won't remember most of it the first time you listen to it, but it will slowly absorb into you the more you listen to it. It has conflicting melodies, interweaving guitar lines, flurrying keyboards, and sometimes three or more completely different lines working together to make something excellent and stunning.

Another thing, nobody gives Ihsahn credit for his voice. It's not Vintersorg (of Borknagar, Vintersorg)'s voice, but hey, it's still above average. And his scream of "THORNS ON MY GRAVE!!!!" at the end of the last song sends chills down my spine.

Tempo changes, fast flurrying drums, slow 6/8 grooves, and unidentifiable drum patterns mark this album, with interesting beats flavoring sections right after the traditional black metal blastbeats have lost their impressiveness. The guitars interact with the drums in rather odd ways, choosing to play on only some of the hits, and the choice of which sub beat to play on makes for some genuinely unusual music.

With this album, Emperor traded "Dark" and "Bleak" to "Psychologically intense." While still being dark in areas, this album's signature is the unending tension that pulls at your soul. Keyboards creating dissonant melodies that human ears are not used to hearing, and guitars overlap in weird ways that tug at our minds, saying "This isn't supposed to be" but oddly enough, it works.

The album kicks off with Ihsahn speaking with some background thunder, then a keyboard intro begins, rather softly. It builds intensity, with increasing melodic tension, then the guitar goes "BAM." and comes in with crushing intensity. It builds in intensity again, then kicks into high gear and gets fast. Then it goes through odd, original, and downright bizarre permutations of the original melody, before cutting out and making way for "Depraved", where it starts out rather amelodic, with dissonant notes not resolving and building up tension, then heading into more melodic passages, going through slow 6/8 grooves before kicking into high gear, then dropping out all of a sudden and making way for the strikingly similar song after it, Empty, which has more melodicism and emotion, resolving the conflict created by the previous song. It continues into the rather subdued "The prophet" which has slow, pop-ish sections of Ihsahn singing, followed by demonic dissonance that only true satanists like Ihsahn can create. The rest of the album continues in this way, with drawn-out tension and short relief until you reach the last song, Thorns on my Grave, which has some incredibly fast drumming, and goes into a slow 4/4 groove, before cutting out and going in again at full speed, building in intensity with keyboards flurrying around with increasing dissonance, with the guitars hustling underneath and Ihsahn screaming at the top of his lungs: "NOW THAT I AM GONE, LAY THORNS ON MY GRAAAAAAVE!!!!!!" and the song abrubtly ends, along with the rest of the album, and you sit there motionless, not knowing what to do, except start all over again. Then you go through it, hoping you will remember more of it, so you can hum it in your head or something. I'm on my 6th or so listen and there's STILL new stuff in there for me. If you are only going to listen to this in your portable CD player in the breaktime (whatever it is) then you won't like that. You have to devote your entire attention to this, and listen to it several times before appreciating it's full impact. In fact, I think I might have to listen to this the whole way through about 20 times before I fully get it.

As far as favorite songs go, I don't have any, simply because this album is a concept album (about Emperor's career) and you really have to listen to the whole album to get the idea. It's like the whole album is a song, only with occasional breaks in it. So, my reccommendation is, buy this, and listen to it a lot. If you can't listen to it a heck of a lot, don't buy it. You will never appreciate it if you can't listen to it a giant portion of your time.

I am not a fan of old black metal, where using a keyboard is grounds for getting a knife to the face. I enjoy any music that shows originality, intellegence, emotion, and most importantly, progression. Bands like Emperor, Dissection, Opeth, At the Gates, In Flames, etc. create this kind of music, and also happen to fall into the "extreme" metal category. I dont care if "Prometheus" is black metal or not. It is not meant to be understood or accepted by the masses, and you, reading this probably will not like it. You are one of two kinds of people: an ignorant black metal purist, who only listens to "br00tal" music for the image, that sets them apart from a world that regected them. Or someone who has not been exposed to enough heavy music to see past the "scary" or "mean" vocals. dont worry, there is hope. For the select few, who are like me, you are looking for music that makes you proud to be part of the human race. Music that replenishes the hope that this whole world hasnt completely turned too comercialized. If you are open-minded, and hungry for music which holds an intense artistic value, then please, buy this album. and if you ever see a introverted kid in a darkthrone t-shirt, bitching about how much new emperor sucks, do what Faust would do. then throw his mangled carcass in a church and burn him.

To the dude the made the review below...

The CD is about the black metal "scene" and Emperor's rise to fame. Read the lyrics more carefully.

Emperor knew this would be their last album, and they 'don't want people to miss them'. The last song says, "Now that I am gone, lay thorns on my grave."

Emperor knew they were the kings, and they quit while they were ahead...at least, that is how I see it.

This album is one of my all time favorite metal albums, but a lot of black metal purists hate it. The reason is that modern emperor (from anthems on) has become more commercial. This is sometimes seen as selling out, but other more perceptive purists claim that emperor took what makes black metal a great genre and replaced it with melodies, the synth work, and all of that. Indeed, this stylistically isn't anything like what black metal was, and it certainly doesn't have a cold dungeon feel to it. What I reccomend is to not think of this as a black metal album, and instead just treat this as a progressive metal/tech metal album. Viewing it in this light will help you to see what was accomplished with this album, rather then what wasn't.

It all starts with a preludeish song, with a classical instrumental, before they start throwing in guitars and repeating the classical in many ways, gradually ramping up to a full out extreme metal and then bursting into the vocals. It ends on another classical line. Using this song as an example, you can see what they have done. The repitition of a theme is pure black metal, however, this song is hardly black metal, the production is clean, the vocals are different, and it is narrative and using a classical instrument (a synth that sounds like one, at least). This is one hell of a song from a progressive stand point. The music all flows perfectly, and fits many complex parts together very tightly. So, what emperor was trying to do is not progress black metal, but incorporate elements of it into progressive metal, which made such an improvement on that genre, that this is one of the best progressive metal albums I've ever heard. Throughout this whole album, the songs are intresting, memorable, and diverse. The technicality is rampant, but it isn't just used to impress, it actually makes the music better, unlike some bands out there.

This album is a concept album, but it is not like, say, the wall. This is a far more complex and deeper album. I still am trying to puzzle out what it means exactly, but it is definatly not about prometheus. Prometheus is used as a metaphor. Promeheus is the titan who brought fire to humans, and more symbollically, freed men from the gods. The protagonist of this concept album is not prometheus or a symbol of prometheus. "now he shall burn who sought the fire - to manifest another [mystery]", shows that at the end of the album, he actually hates what "prometheus" has done to him, he wants the mystery back, or he finds the truth unfufilling/empty. I hope that helps your interpretation along. Overall, it is reccomended to any openminded black metal fan, or any progressive metal fan. It is possibly the best of 2001, although I must admit that I prefer their work in black metal.

Emperor Is one of those bands that just... BLOW YOU AWAY!! This IS one of my alltime favorite Metal albums period!! A beautifully executed follow-up to IX Equilibrium, this band has SO much talent that like the last album you are left longing for more! If you are a fan of Black,Death,or Thrash Metal this Is a MUST HAVE!! This album has everything you could possibly want in an Incredible Metal album. Fantastic Crystal Clear production, Brutal Lyrics, and shredding guitars to rip your speakers APART!!!It is really hard to believe that there are only 3 members in this band (The music sounds so full it comes across as almost a 5-6 piece band)Incredible talent from a Incredible band!!I simply cannot say enough positive things about this CD, you must hear it for yourself to believe how Amazingly good it is!!! This IS the last studio album by Emperor(Sadly). Like all my reviews I feel the best way to experience these albums is through headphones (this way you can really crank them up and not miss out on a thing- there is alot to hear!!) But if you cannot do that make sure to listen to this CD on your Stereo at FULL BLAST!!! The only bad thing I can think of is: That Emperor's albums are always too darn short!! But they always leave you with a feeling of longing for more, which is a terrific exit for an amazing band. I definately feel that 5 stars is simply NOT enough for this album (but then again... 10 would NOT be enough either!!) If your thinking about purchasing this album... Don't Hesitate!! This is certainly one of the top 10 Metal albums of ALL time!! As far as the songs are concerned, like the last album.. I love them all equally!! This IS an excellent place to start for someone new to this band, But make sure to check out Emperor's entire catalog (each album is really great in it's own way!) Great concept album from a Amazing talent!! Long Live Emperor!! and Long Live Metal!!

Emperor is one of those bands that started out being the forerunners for rebellion. Like other metal bands before them such as Metallica, they brought a new sound to the ears of their listeners. In both cases these bands did not start a genre, yet they defined it. Unfortunately Metallica changed paths and became something far too boring to handle; tired of their (...)metal stylings they opted for a more 'George Thorogood' sound, which has definately been done before. Alas old Metallica, you will be missed. Emperor on the other hand became more experimental, and when this happened many of the 'hard-core' blackmetal fans began to ignore these wizards of the musical world. Emperor traded in their raw thrashy vision for something with a broader scope. Full of strange lead guitar, and 'King Diamond' vocals. Upon hearing word of 'Prometheus...' I was skeptical; though I had enjoyed everything the band had released to date. Throw skepticism out the door; if you're open-minded and enjoy metal in all it's forms 'Prometheus...' sums it up.
Full of absolutley beautiful guitar and keyboard arangments, Emperor's final stab at the world is an epic to be experienced.
The album being a combination of all previous efforts coming together; imagine the haunting keyboards of "Nightside...", the drums of "Anthems...", the complexity of "IX..." and the unfadeable guitarwork of 'Morbid Angel' taken to the next level. Being totally written by the bands artistic head 'Ihsahn' maybe helped this album to be that which their previous effort failed to be. The only problem I can say I have with this album is the rare intergection of 'King Diamond' styled vocals; they work fine on 'Abigale' but not on an Emperor CD. All in all this album is a metal beauty to behold. 'Ihsahn' has proven that he is one of the best and most original songwriters in metal (and music in general) today. I praise Emperor for going outside the spectrum and creating something so emotional, so technical, so original, and so untouchable that the thought of it being the bands last album almost brings me to tears. Hails to the ones called 'Emperor'; the world of metal will be far more obnoxiously boring without you around.

Until Samael gets around to their next...

It's amazing that it seems like yesterday that I said something like "Empe-who?", and now it bewilders me if any so called metal fan doesn't know who they are. Unfortunately now a band that I consider to be one of my favorites is calling it a day.
Simply put, Emperor are the most innovative, creative, legendary, and influential black metal band EVER. People go on and on about how great Darkthrone and Mayhem are, and while they are fine bands, up until their most recent releases, all their records have been, at best, mediocre, with poor sound, sloppy playing, etc. Not Emperor. All of their albums have been top notch, and this is no exception.
This album is a bit slower than their others, but blinding speed doesn't always mean that an album is good. That said, Emperor, specifically Ihsahn, have worked to make this album an epic, one that will surely live forever as a benchmark for all black metal bands to look to. The instrumentation is exceptional, the sound quality is crystal clear, and the songwriting is second to none. (However, unlike their other albums, this one will not immediately get caught in your head).
As for the music itself, this is much more mature sounding than Emperor's previous efforts. The guitars no longer have the angry mosquito sound that they had on "In The Nightside Eclipse"; they have hellacious power and bite, which is probably due to the lack of speed picking (don't worry, it's still there in places), and more emphasis on powerful chords. The drums, while not as blazingly fast as on IX Equilibrium, are still as powerful, tight, and perfect as they ever have been, and this time, as opposed to on their previous albums, you can hear every nuance and subtlety that Trym throws in (especially his hihat work), and, unlike "IX Equilibrium", you can ALWAYS hear the snare drum. The bass drum also has improved sound quality, being deep and resonant, almost akin to the bass drum sound that Converge had on "The Poacher Diaries", and as always, the toms sound incredible. Vocal-wise, it's more of Ihsahn's normal style; high pitched, raspy, and filled with vehement anger. However, he has also incorporated a wailing style of singing, akin to Vintersorg, or Simen Hestnęs, which he unleashed most notably in the song "The Eruptions". While Ihsahn's "clean" singing voice is aired more than before, don't expect to hear the King Diamond-esque wail that found it's way into "The Source Of Icon E" from "IX Equilibrium"(actually, it does come in every once and a while, especially on the song "Grey", but this time it fits the music more than previously).
In short, everything about this album is good, better in fact that Emperor ever has been before. If you are a fan of this band, or if you're looking to find out what all the fuss is about, this is a must have, simply put. If you like black metal (which I kind of think Emperor don't even fit in anymore...this album is too...I don't know what the word I'm looking for is....this is just beyond "black metal", but the roots of BM are felt), death metal, grindcore, hardcore, power metal, rapcore or any style of hard(er) music, you NEED this album.

Emperor, the band that redefined Norwegian blackmetal with their debut album and first masterwork, the ultra atmospheric In the Nightside Eclipse, has laid their musically journey to rest with Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise .With Nightside Emperor had not only crafted the greatest blackmetal record, but they also fully explored the atavistic genre to it's limited borders. Realizing that they could no longer express themselves with out retreading and in essence parodying themselves, Emperor strove forward with the new creative blackmetal inspired, yet blackmetal transcending releases Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk and IX Equilibrium. With their final release, Prometheus, Emperor has ascended the highest plateau of their musical career, and hath most literally stole fire from the gods.

The album starts of with a lone harpsichord passage and then delves into chaotic metal passages, roaring spacey syths and Ishan switching between his trade mark blackmetal screeches to his now very refined operatic vocal style. Musically this album borrows from blackmetal, industrial, 70's prog, 80's metal, classical music, jazz, deathmetal, and a myriad of other styles creating complex layers of sound and intricacy that only the most accomplished artists know how to instill. Yet Emperor never relies on musical complexity or technical proficiency, instead an ambitious musical puzzle is put together to lead us on a unique odyssey that is brings us to a state of heightened majesty were every sound has a divine place within the exalted whole.

Emperor's swan song is one of my top 5 favorite pieces of music, recommended to open all minded music lovers, progressive metal aficionados, and blackmetal fans who listen to more than just "true" blackmetal.