Reconstructing Black Metal Royalty: Emperor Returns to the U.S. with Legends in Tow
A tempest is brewing in the American black metal scene. Emperor, the Norwegian black metal titans, are prepared to unleash their sonic fury upon U.S. shores once again. This coming May, they will embark on a seven-city tour, marking another chapter in their iconic career. Joining them are veterans of the genre – Wolves in the Throne Room, Agalloch, and Wayfarer – setting the stage for an unforgettable confluence of darkness and power.
The tour kicks off on May 9th in Worcester, Massachusetts, culminating in Anaheim, California on May 18th. Each venue promises a night steeped in tremolo picking, blistering blast beats, and the haunting melodies that have defined Emperor’s sound. While this reunion brings excitement, the question of new material lingers.
Ihsahn, the mastermind behind Emperor’s innovative approach, remains steadfast in his stance. "It would be easy-ish to make something that sounds like early Emperor," he confessed in a recent interview, "but who would want a black metal album made to make money off some kind of conceptual idea for some kind of demand in the market? That goes against everything that the music is about."
His unwillingness stems from a commitment to the raw, unflinching essence of their music. "If we were to continue where we dropped out," he explained, "I ended up recording and writing the entire last Emperor album on my own, in a far more experimental direction, and that’s kind of where I just disappeared into what I do. And should we pick up from that point? And then there wouldn’t really be a point, if it wasn’t a band effort and it was just me pushing in my direction."
This dedication to artistic integrity means the possibility of a new Emperor album remains uncertain. While Ihsahn has acknowledged that these things can change, he emphasizes the importance of creative alignment. "If it were to be, what kind of Emperor album should it be?" he pondered, "It would have to be something that we could create from the same uncompromising space and, I would say, without for a second dealing with what people might expect. Purely creating from that same state of mind, as we were back then. I think that would be the only way to properly do something that would be worthwhile for us to do, and down the line, for fans to experience too.
For now, fans can bask in the atmosphere of Emperor’s past glories, experiencing their monumental discography performed live. This unique revisitation of a legendary band’s career promises to be a breathtaking event for those fortunate enough to witness it.
Tour Dates:
- May 9th – Worcester, MA – The Palladium (with Wolves in the Throne Room)
- May 10th – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre (with Wolves in the Throne Room)
- May 11th – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore (with Wolves in the Throne Room)
- May 13th – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom (with Wayfarer)
- May 16th – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium (with Agalloch)
- May 17th – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield (with Agalloch)
- May 18th – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues (with Wayfarer)
