Emperor

Emperor is an influential Norwegian black metal band that represents a synth 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.