Emperor’s In The Nightside Eclipse Translated Into Classical Sheet Music

While most metal gets the majority of its influences from the blues, there’s also a huge dose of classical music thrown in. The bombast, the grandeur, the layering of parts, so much of that comes from those wig-wearing white dudes trying to write operas about tragic clowns or Viking legends. But among metal subgenres few are as classically influenced as black metal, and no black metal band wears its classical influence on its sleeve quite like Emperor.

So it’s cool to learn that composer Martin Romberg has translated Emperor’s classic album Into The Nightside Eclipse into classical sheet music. The 72-page score was published by Raven Music Editions, a sheet music company focusing on turning dark rock music into classical scores (they also offer sheet music for two Ulver albums). The score contains music for all instruments and chord analysis for study and performance, so the reader can get the complete Emperor experience.

This is awesome primarily because it opens doors for black metal albums, and metal albums in general, to be reimagined as classical pieces. As someone with no musical composition talent, I’m not sure how well Romberg’s score would actually go over with a symphony orchestra, nor do I know how well another metal album by a less classically-influenced band — I don’t know, South of Heaven — would translate into a full score. I just like the idea of getting a nice box at Carnegie Hall, drinking a small scotch, and watching a full orchestra launch into “I Am The Black Wizards.”

You can buy the score to Nightside Eclipse here, should you be either an elite kvltist and a total nerd.

[via Metal Underground]