Emperor

Displaying much more emotional range than many of its contemporaries, In the Nightside Eclipse combines black metal's noisy fury with synth arrangements and dark, haunting medieval chords and melodies, thus evoking moods of sorrow and loneliness. Awash in pagan imagery, the album was recorded in the Memorial Hall of Edvard Grieg for additional atmosphere, indicative of the record's ambition and of the band's willingness to experiment and push the limits of the death metal genre. In fact, In the Nightside Eclipse, although not quite as complex or accessible as its follow-up, is arguably the definitive Norwegian black metal album. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide