Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise
Encyclopedia
Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise is the fourth and final studio album by Emperor
. Produced by band member Ihsahn
, it was released by Candlelight
and was the band's final album. Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise differs from Emperor's previous recordings with a focus on a more progressive
style. The album was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy Award for Best Metal album in 2001.
The album received very high critical praise from music critics. Reviews from metal-based magazine Kerrang!
declared it their album of the week on October 10, 2001, also comparing it to Metallica
's Master of Puppets
in terms of quality,
while the magazine Terrorizer called it their album of the month. John Serba of the online music database Allmusic praised the album stating "Those willing to invest a significant amount of time into Prometheus will be thoroughly rewarded on intellectual and emotional levels — especially when drawing parallels between the album's elaborate concept and Emperor's musical reign — while more practical listeners unwilling to slap on headphones and willfully ingest the lyrics will find the record impenetrable." The music magazine Alternative Press
praised the album as well stating that it "shows the best of what's possible [in black-metal
] here and now...".
Later reception of the album was more mixed. In 2004, Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic referred to the band as "winding down their legendary career with less-than-legendary efforts" and "For everyone who thought Emperor's final album sounded a little thin on ideas and inspiration (and that really was everyone!), Peccatum
is the reason why." in a review of member Ihsahn
's new group Peccatum
's album Lost in Reverie
. In 2003, in a review of Emperor's compilation album
Scattered Ashes: A Decade of Emperial Wrath
, Dominique Leon of Pitchfork Media
referred Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise as "fairly amazing" and that it was "arguably [Emperor's] most technically and compositionally complex album".
Emperor (band)
Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They dissolved in 2001, but reunited in 2006 and again in 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours. The group was founded by Samoth and Ihsahn .-Biography:...
. Produced by band member Ihsahn
Ihsahn
Ihsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
, it was released by Candlelight
Candlelight Records
Candlelight Records is an independent record label based in Europe founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bassist Lee Barrett, though it has had a division in the United States since January 2001. Candlelight Records specialises in black metal and death metal, having bands such as Emperor,...
and was the band's final album. Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise differs from Emperor's previous recordings with a focus on a more progressive
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
style. The album was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy Award for Best Metal album in 2001.
Release and reception
Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise was released on October 21, 2001. The album failed to chart in North America and Europe. A music video was made for the song "Empty" was released to the public on October 8, 2001.The album received very high critical praise from music critics. Reviews from metal-based magazine Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
declared it their album of the week on October 10, 2001, also comparing it to Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's Master of Puppets
Master of Puppets
-Personnel:Metallica* James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar on track 1, first solo on tracks 2 and 7* Cliff Burton – bass, backing vocals* Lars Ulrich – drums* Kirk Hammett – lead guitarProduction...
in terms of quality,
while the magazine Terrorizer called it their album of the month. John Serba of the online music database Allmusic praised the album stating "Those willing to invest a significant amount of time into Prometheus will be thoroughly rewarded on intellectual and emotional levels — especially when drawing parallels between the album's elaborate concept and Emperor's musical reign — while more practical listeners unwilling to slap on headphones and willfully ingest the lyrics will find the record impenetrable." The music magazine Alternative Press
Alternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
praised the album as well stating that it "shows the best of what's possible [in black-metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
] here and now...".
Later reception of the album was more mixed. In 2004, Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic referred to the band as "winding down their legendary career with less-than-legendary efforts" and "For everyone who thought Emperor's final album sounded a little thin on ideas and inspiration (and that really was everyone!), Peccatum
Peccatum
Peccatum was an avant-garde metal band from Norway. Their influences range from black metal, progressive metal, industrial music, symphonic metal and gothic metal to European classical music and contemporary music.-Biography:...
is the reason why." in a review of member Ihsahn
Ihsahn
Ihsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
's new group Peccatum
Peccatum
Peccatum was an avant-garde metal band from Norway. Their influences range from black metal, progressive metal, industrial music, symphonic metal and gothic metal to European classical music and contemporary music.-Biography:...
's album Lost in Reverie
Lost in Reverie
Lost in Reverie is the third studio album release from the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Peccatum. It was released in 2004 on Mnemosyne Productions, the label run by band members Ihsahn and Ihriel.- Track listing :# "Desolate Ever After" - 8:26...
. In 2003, in a review of Emperor's compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Scattered Ashes: A Decade of Emperial Wrath
Scattered Ashes: A Decade of Emperial Wrath
Scattered Ashes: A Decade of Emperial Wrath is a compilation album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Emperor, released in 2003. It contains 27 songs from ten different releases with a total running time of nearly two and a half hours. Limited pressings of the album came in a purple slipcase...
, Dominique Leon of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
referred Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise as "fairly amazing" and that it was "arguably [Emperor's] most technically and compositionally complex album".
Track listing
Credits
- IhsahnIhsahnIhsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, lead and main guitars, synthesizers, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, programming - SamothSamothSamoth is a prominent musician and multi-instrumentalist in the Norwegian black metal scene. He was well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon...
– additional guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
s - TrymTrym TorsonTrym Torson , or just Trym, is a Norwegian drummer, formerly with Zyklon. Torson started playing in the Viking metal band Enslaved and was later invited to play in black metal band Emperor. He co-founded Zyklon together with Emperor member Samoth...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Technical staff
- Thorbjørn Akkerhaugen - mixing
- IhsahnIhsahnIhsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
- arranger, producer - Tom Kvålsvoll - mastering