Emperor - I Am the Black Wizards - Guitar Tab

In The Nightside Eclipse

1994 6:01

Listen on Spotify

About I Am the Black Wizards

Few tracks from the second wave of Black Metal demand as much from a guitarist as this one. At 180 BPM in Eb Standard, "I Am the Black Wizards" is built on relentless tremolo picking in E minor, and sustaining that picking motion cleanly at this tempo is genuinely the central challenge. Your pick attack needs to stay light and controlled, because any tension in the forearm will kill your speed and accuracy within the first minute. The riffing shifts between cold, droning tremolo figures and more rhythmically choppy passages, so you have to stay alert to the transitions. Drop into the Practice Toolbar and loop the opening tremolo section slowed down before you try to match the full speed, getting the right-hand mechanics solid before worrying about anything else. Emperor layer these riffs with synths on the recording, but even without that texture the guitar part stands entirely on its own as a study in controlled aggression.

• The entire song is played in Eb Standard tuning, dropping tension just enough to help sustain the high-speed tremolo picking that runs throughout.
• Tremolo picking at 180 BPM is the core technical demand, requiring a relaxed, low-pressure picking hand to avoid fatigue and loss of clarity.
• The riff structure alternates between sustained tremolo figures and tighter rhythmic chops, so practicing each section separately before combining them is a practical approach.