Emperor (2) – IX Equilibrium

What an underrated album is this! I even see how many times people mentions Prometheus (that I don't like) but few speak of this magnificent work of art. It's the best produced album of them, everything can be heard clearly with an impactating energy. Wish Anthems...had this sound. Songs are a bit more death metal oriented, but still typical Emperor BM. I think this is at the same quality level that its predecesor, but strangely overlooked. It has not have the praise deserved, by any means. Don't get stuck in previous works in case you don't know this.

This album is a masterpiece and this record pressing sounds amazing. I can’t compare it to the original, but the sound quality is music to anyone’s ears.

This is an inferior product. Last track on each side has significant inner groove distortion (IGD) that totally destroys the listening experience. This was cut by amateurs. Avoid and get the cd. (Played on - Nottingham Analogue Ace Spacedeck with VM540ML cart)

I haven't cleaned my copy yet, but it already sounds quiet and seems like a pretty solid master.

My copy is, probably, the best sounding one of the "Half Speed Master" series: no background noise, great dynamic, all the instruments seem as they were positioned in circle around the voice, the sound is really enveloping. The vinyl surface has some halos, as the black of the record has turned into grey, but luckily these "imperfections" don't affect the music's reproduction. Great artwork!

This is a great reissue just like the rest of the Emperor discography on colored vinyls from Candlelight. I don’t know how fans of the band or Black Metal, or Metal can not appreciate this album? I when Candlelight released all these colored LP reissues from the band a couple years back I was just getting into the band for the first time and went to buy them all and this one I was expecting to be bad because everyone said it sucked. From the instant the needle dropped and those swirling drums and guitars kicked in on the first track I was blown away! I was like F...k yeah! This is Metal! Like a futuristic version of Black Metal with out-of-this-world musicianship and great songwriting. “Curse You All Men!” Epic shit.

This also comes with the 4th part of the video archive as a bonus feature.

This album took black metal to a level that remains unimpeached. Incorporating killer riffs, essence of theatrics, symphonics and power of the sheer talent of those putting it together, this release is an epic nexus between the old and new, that follows. Groundbreaking. Essential.

This does not have the outro from the cd version it fades out atthe end of blindeness & subsequent seers. The brown 180G vinyl looks gorgeous with stellar center labels. Side 1 has the valley of dudes hell label and then side 2 has the band logo and some other appealing niceness. The audio quality is excellent, like most black metal from the 90's you'll want to kick in some additional bass with some EQ, but you don't need to cut any of the treble on this one, if you're a fan of Emperor and this album go ahead and get this it's excellent! Gorgeous gatefold layout too!

Does this reissue include the record outro (as heard on the cd)?
I have the BoB reissue, released a number of years back, which both sounds like crap and has the outro cut out (with just a quick fade out on B4).