Venom gave black metal its name, Bathory wrote its original rulebook, and Mayhem announced it as heavy music’s most evil-sounding and dangerous movement. However, when it comes to sustaining the genre through the ’90s and testing the limits of its capabilities, Emperor are the true royalty.
Formed by frontman Ihsahn and co-guitarist Samoth in 1991, the Telemark evolutionaries fast stood out among the Norwegian scene, raising the game when it came to precision and melody. They only released four albums before splitting (and, despite their reunion, it looks like it will stay that way), though each one was a bold, peerless leap into the darkness beyond heavy music’s known borders. Here’s Emperor’s every full-length release, ranked:
