Mod music played by guys more interested in writing good music than teasing their hair to look like they just woke up. Ex-members of Garden Variety & Milhouse.
Ihsahn and Samoth began Thou Shalt Suffer before Emperor. Some scary/beautiful moments of traditional classical, but it’s really just a guy experimenting.
The tones are consistent with the rock Mr. Radio Programmer isn’t scared of. The geeping and blorping done by synth are but spicing, and quite tasty at that.
A monster of an album, one of the best of the genre, Bruce Dickinson caterwauling up to the level of any Maiden spread, axeman Samson turning in choice riffs.