Emperor must be one of the most popular bands from Norway. Their first full-length album is soon to be released on Candlelight. This release proves to be something excellent. Samoth answered these questions July 1994.

When can we expect "In the Nightside Eclipse"?
- During the late Autumn"

Are you pleased with Candlelight? What could they improve?
- We are quite satisfied with Candlelight as they have major distribution, they do our shirts/longsleeves, they can organise tours, videos and so on, but they could improve their fucking lazyness. By the way, our albums will now be licensed in Australia by Modern Invasion and in the US by Century Black.

What do you think about the other bands on Candlelight?
- The only good releases on Candlelight so far is the Emperor and the Enslaved mini LP“s... Decomposed, Havohej and Korpse is total crap. The Whores of Babylon album should be good. The Opeth album will be great, anyway the new Emperor is without doubt the best Candlelight release.

How is your deal financially? Do you make some money out of it?
- The mini lp/split cd deal is based on a fifty/fifty share of profits. The profits are all the money available after all the costs have been recouped. So far we haven“t got much money from the album sales as a lot of the costs was payed off on our first payment. Album royalties is being payed each six months, so there is a new payment this autumn and it should be some money. There has been a quite good income on the t-shirt/longsleeve sales. On the new deal we“re getting payed from the very first album sold.

For how many albums are you signed? Will you stay on Candlelight for the future?
- We“re signed for two full-length albums and that includes "In the Nightside Eclipse"- If we will remain on Candlelight or not is hard to say as there will be a long journey into the future before we can record another album... We mostly live day by day, so only the time will tell.

You have been in Satyricon for a while. What is in general the biggest differences between Emperor and Satyricon?
- Emperor is more cosmic and monumental. Satyricon is more medieval and folkish.

How often do you rehearse with Emperor and Satyricon?
- Well, Emperor haven“t had a proper rehearsal for a long time now as we have been cursed with several difficulties for a while now, but we hope to shape up during the autumn. As for Satyricon, we have been rehearsing about twice a week since the early winter, but after the recording of "Shadowthrone" there has been something you could call a summer vacation...the sun has really been haunting us these last months, anyway we should be back to normal quite soon.

In what bands are you playing?
- Emperor, Satyricon, Gorgoroth, Arcturus and Zyklon-B.

You have your own label Nocturnal Art Prod. Will you sign bands on this label or is it mostly a label where you release material from acquaintances?
- I would like to sign some bands in the future. But it depends on how I will manage it financially and as you know, I“m soon facing a jail sentence, so I can“t run a label from a prison cell. Anyway, there will be more releases on Nocturnal Art in the future.

What have you released on N.A.P. so far? Any releases coming soon?
- Emperor "As the Shadows rise" 7““ ep and Ildjarn-Nidhogg "Norse" 7““ep. I doubt that I will release anything more before I enter the halls of depression. But there might be a Thou Shalt Suffer 7““ep, but nothing is sure yet, as I said, it depends on the financial side.

Do you belong in today's society? Do you long for an other time?
- To long have I suffered the desert sands of time. But as I drown in darkness it will release the sign. My soul will leave this mortal coil of flesh and earthly life, to fly into the mist of night, into the nightside eclipse.




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