Emperor album would be 'forced compromise' - Samoth

emperor in 2014
Emperor in 2014: Faust, Ihsahn and Samoth

Emperor guitarist Samoth agrees with bandmate Ihsahn’s arguments against making another album, he’s said.

Their last release was 2001’s The Discipline Of Fire And Demise, although it was created almost entirely by Ihsahn, who’s since gone on to concentrate on his solo career.

Last month he described the idea of an Emperor record as “absolutely pointless,” adding that it would be “a disappointment.”

Samoth – who’s just launched The Wretched End album In These Woods, From These Mountains – tells Friedhof: “The sound of Ihsahn and The Wretched End are different, as I’m more in the extreme metal genre while he’s more on the progressive side. But we’re still somehow in the same music landscape.

“The way Ihsahn makes music is how he would make metal music. For him to go back and compromise his progressive nature with a more metal focus would feel like a step backwards fro him as an artist, I think.

“I also agree that it would be hard and forced for us to try to make that compromise happen. I’m not sure it would feel natural.”

He adds: “If the musical expression is not coming from a heartfelt desire, but rather a forced compromise, I don’t see anything good coming out of it.”

Ihsahn released sixth solo album Arktis last month. Emperor, complete with third member Faust, last played together in 2014.

No more Emperor shows planned, says Ihsahn

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