THE SETUP…

The stars absolutely aligned in Toronto for Emperor‘s return to North America after a 26-year absence. We were lucky enough to get the opening show of the Emperial Wrath North America 2026 tour. The community made quick work of the tickets, leaving the show sold out before the doors even opened. The Norwegian black metal legends brought along one of the best American progressive death metal bands, Blood Incantation. This rare and just outright awesome night had high expectations from the moment the tour was announced. Many thanks to Inertia Entertainment for all of the work and effort in making this show a reality.

BLOOD INCANTATION

I can’t imagine the sheer joy and bundle of nerves felt by Denver death metal band Blood Incantation after being selected for this tour, but I would be hard-pressed to think of a more perfect fit for this North American tour. The band made a recent Toronto appearance in 2024, touring off the phenomenal Absolute Elsewhere, performing the album in its entirety to a sold-out, rabid crowd. With no heads-up, their performance once again focused on the previously mentioned album, but it felt sonically different at tonight’s venue and way more intense. One of the best examples of this was the far more ample stage space than the previous visit; there was not one but two gongs on stage, which I personally have never seen before, both the keyboardist and drummer having each their own gong. It was one of the key elements that gave this performance way more depth. The band had one of the funkiest intros in memory. Funk? Jazz? Synths? All of the above. Whatever it was called, it was the perfect showtime countdown.

From the very first song, they had the crowd in the palm of their hands; everyone in attendance was absolutely full of that Friday night energy and ready for an escape from life outside of the usual four walls. The band commanded the Concert Hall for just under an hour, playing the album masterfully and even performing the first song from their 2018 album, Starspawn, much to the delight of diehard fans. Heads were banging to the eclectic offering of American progressive death metal. I say this because, as brutal and true to form as the music was, the synths and keyboards made it stand out even more than usual.

SETLIST
‘The Stargate [Tablet I]’, ‘The Stargate [Tablet II]’, ‘The Stargate [Tablet III]’, ‘The Message [Tablet I]’, ‘The Message [Tablet II]’, ‘The Message [Tablet III]’, ‘Vitrification Of Blood, Part 1’

EMPEROR

The 26-year gap between visits made this show absolutely rare and exclusive; being the only sold-out show for the tour (as of showtime), this performance was monumental and the best possible welcoming for the band’s triumphant return to a Toronto stage. There was a quiet hush over the crowd during the changeover as the clock ticked away, minute by minute, until the band hit the stage. We were met by a member of the crew, hyping up the crowd by asking us if we were “ready to go back to Norway!” An ominous, dark, and brooding synth intro came over the speakers, and the crowd responded with loud screams, cheers, and devil horns.

Emperor absolutely brought a well-rested energy and blistered through the first song, ‘Into The Infinity Of Thoughts,’ with maximum intensity. For the majority of the crowd, yes, this may have been the band’s first song of the night, but it was literally a bucket-list dream come true. After the song was finished, a short but sweet “Good evening, Toronto; great to finally be back!” was met with roaring applause. Touching on every single album, including a song not played since 2007 and even a song from the first EP/recording the band ever released, there was indeed something for everyone.

It didn’t take long for diehard fans to influence the very packed crowd with continuous chants of the band’s name, growing louder and louder as the night went on. The blistering duel guitars, thunderous bass, cadence of blast beats, and the emphasis on keyboards—everything was firing on all cylinders, complimented by the seemingly flawless switching of harsh vocals to clean by Ihsahn, who went out of his way to talk to the crowd numerous times over the show, sporting a big smile as a sign of gratitude. A key moment came toward the end of the set: the request for ‘Inno.’ And the crowd replying, “Satana!” It was so perfectly done that it was immediately clear everyone understood the assignment.

For close to 90 minutes, it was a masterclass in True Norwegian black metal and a dream come true for fans, not only those from Toronto, but also for the people who came from far and wide to see the band play live to an absolutely packed show. This will no doubt be on a lot of people’s top concert lists, not only for 2026 but for a lifetime; this sold out show was a great reminder to attend as many shows as possible, as you never know when the next time a band will come around again. This was one not to be missed, and for once, Toronto showed up and packed the venue of over 1000 for a night of Norwegian black metal. The venue choice was perfect; it wouldn’t have been the same anywhere else in the city. Concert-goers who attended this one will forever have the bragging rights of having seen the return of the mighty Emperor.

SETLIST
‘Into The Infinity Of Thoughts’, ‘In The Wordless Chamber’, ‘Thus Spake The Nightspirit’, ‘The Majesty Of The Nightsky’, ‘Ensorcelled By Khaos’, ‘With Strength I Burn’, ‘Curse You All Men!’, ‘Wrath Of The Tyrant’, ‘The Loss And Curse Of Reverence’, ‘An Elegy Of Icaros’, ‘I Am The Black Wizards’, ‘Inno A Satana’, ‘Opus A Satana Outro’, ‘Ye Entrancemperium’, ‘The Wanderer’