EMPEROR, BLOOD INCANTATION-Austin, Texas

Radio East, April 10, 2026

Lords of Symphonic Black Metal, EMPEROR, came to America on the Imperial Wrath tour. On a gloomy Friday, they played in front of thousands of fans at Radio East. This was my first time catching a show at the large, outdoor venue. This wasn’t my first time seeing EMPEROR, though. I first caught them on their debut show in the States at Milwaukee Metal Fest in 1998. Then, a couple years later, I saw them on tour with BORKNAGAR and WITCHERY, which was 26 years ago. Both of those shows suffered from sound problems, from their not having keyboards to having too many keys. I looked forward to seeing a long set (they only played five songs in Milwaukee) with good sound, and that is what I received.

Before EMPEROR, Colorado’s weird Death Metal assemble, BLOOD INCANTATION took the stage. I say “weird” because their brand of Death Metal features a lot of keyboards. BLOOD INCANTATION gets unfairly lumped into the new wave of OSDM (old school Death Metal), but they are anything but typical. Speakers pumped out enormous bass booms as the opener warmed up the crowd for the headliner. Sure, the band produced their share of ambiance but often transitioned into brutal segments. Sometimes, they even played slam parts or speedy segments. Since they were the only opening band, BLOOD INCANTATION played around a forty-five-minute set. They got pretty good pop to start the show.

Rain started falling near the end of their set. At first, it was just a drizzle, but then it began to poor. The crowd huddled together under canopies, which didn’t afford much shelter as the rain dripped through. The bar area provided better shelter as it had a roof, but getting inside was nearly impossible, much less ordering a drink. My clothes were soaked and I couldn’t see out of my glasses. It was miserable.

Once EMPEROR took the stage, the crowd began to come out from their limited spaces to see the headliner. A few songs into the set EMPEOR frontman, Ihsahn remarked that their brand of music is not meant for sunny skies. This became apparent when the group took the stage to the infernal sounds of the intro on their debut album, “In the Nightside Eclipse.” Just as on the album, they launched into the first song, “Into the Infinity of Thoughts.” From the choir keys to the ascending guitar scale, this song is intense, one of their best. The sound was amazing, too, with every instrument superbly mixed. “I am the Black Wizards” was an expected song from the album, while the aptly titled “The Majesty of the Nightsky” was an unexpected treat. Near the end of their set the crowd sang along to “Inno a Satana.”

“Inno a Satana” foreshadowed a greater use of clean vocals on the rest of their discography. “Thus Spake the Nightspirit” featured some of Ihsahn’s best singing on the “Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk.” “An Elegy of Icaros,” from the “IX Equilibrium” also showcased the frontman at the top of his game. Their set was not all about melody, though, as Ihsahn noted the speed of “Ensorcelled by Khaos.” Ihsahn, Samoth, Trym and the rest of the band flew into this song, even playing it faster than the album. Samoth and Ihsahn showed excellent chemistry in their guitar play, which could be complex. Ihsahn showed tremendous dexterity playing mathematical riffs while singing. While he can no longer hit the heights of his screams during his teen years, Ihsahn still had a lasting quality to his scorching voice. Let’s not forgot Trym’s drumming, the back beat enforcer. His speed was bewildering.

EMPEROR’s set featured both expected songs and hidden gems. One track that really stood out was the title track from their “Wrath of the Tyrant” demo, which made sense because of the tour name, “The Imperial Wrath” Tour. This song highlighted the more primitive side of their early material. The group ended with more speed with “Ye Entrancemperium,” which showcased a riff created by MAYHEM’s fallen leader, Euronymous.

The rain made the concert miserable for a while, but the rain stopped on about the third song of EMPEROR’S set. Once the sky settled and EMPEROR launched into their set, the crowd forgot about their drenched misery. The production was awesome from the sound to the lights and the backdrop. EMPEROR made a couple of mistakes here and there but didn’t really retract from their performance. Their set was long and featured both classic and lesser-known material.  They proved their namesake—the true kings of Norwegian Black Metal!