Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk

Well I don't think I am the right person to review this album. Since I bought it a certain time ago, I've really fallen in love with it, so I don't think I can review it objectively. But let's give it a try...
This album was the one after the well known "In The Nightside Ecplipse", the masterpiece which defined the whole genre but also the album that led to several burning churches in Norway. But let's come back to the music.
The album starts with an intro called "Alsvatr (The Oath)". While hearing this one you already know you have a wonderful album playing.The intro leads into the second song Ye Entrancempirium which is surely a highlight of the album containg incredibly fast riffs and keyboards. It's the kind of music where you suddenly find yourself playing airguitar or singing with the music.The whole album sounds quite different than "In The Nightside Eclipse", the music is no longer as evil but it's still Emperor. The third song "Thus spake the Nightspirit" is as well a very complex song with a good outro with clean vocals. "Ensorcelled by Khaos" is one of my favourite songs from this album as well as the fifth song "The Loss and Curse of Reverence" which I think is very menacing. Songs 6 and 7 called "The Acclamation of Bonds" and "With strength I burn" also need to be mentioned, song 7 especially which creates a fantastic athmosphere with the mix of screaming and clean vocals and telling a cool story. The outro is instrumential and also not bad. The rerelease version contains 3 extra songs, for example "Opus a Satana", an instrumential version of Inno A Satana. Moreover a live version of "The Loss and Curse of Reverence" and In Longing spirit, a new song, which is quite different from the others.
Well as I said, I'm really in love with this album I can't give less than 10 and even 10 is too less. There are only two minor things I don't like : First, the vocals should be a bit louder, it's sometimes quite difficult to hear them. And moreover the evilness from ITNSE has disappeared, it would have been great if a bit more of that evilness had stayed, as I really liked it on the previous release.
And just a tip : Don't forget to read the lyrics they're very fantastic !
I can only recommend this album to everybody. It shouldn't miss in any black metal collection, but I think somebody who likes black metal already has "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" !

Lyrics to this album

9.5/10		Svafnir (2000)

1998 (originally 1997)
Candlelight
11 tracks (originally 8)
60:29 minutes

01 Alsvartr (The Oath)
02 Ye Entrancempirium
03 Thus spake the Nightspirit
04 Ensorcelled by Khaos
05 The Loss and Curse of Reverence
06 The Acclamation of Bonds
07 With Strength I burn
08 The Wanderer
09 In Longing Spirit *
10 Opus a Satana *
11 The Loss and Curse of Reverence (Live) *

* Bonus Tracks