Emperor is most likely a band that needs no introduction. Emperor was/is quite possibly the biggest band in the Norwegian black metal scene, as well as arguably the “best,” if that qualification could ever be established. For the readers who don’t come from a metal background, black metal has a rich and fascinating history despite being a fairly new subgenre of extreme metal. I won’t delve into it here, as there are many better sources. But, for many metalheads, Emperor is the definitive band that comes to mind when the genre is mentioned.

For the first time in quite awhile, I am truly excited to be a metal fan. 2006 has already proven to be a great year for the genre, with several incredible releases dropping in just the first 3 months. I say this because I feel that 2005 was a very weak year for metal, and I spent a great deal of my musical attention exploring other genres. As I was reveling in all great new releases over the past few weeks, I got to thinking about some of the few metal albums of 2005 that really made an impact on me. Perhaps the only album from a new metal artist that truly blindsided me was Jesu “s/t.�?