Emperor

Ten years — a magic number for earning the retrospective celebration, and since Emperor seems to be at rest for good, why wait any longer to sum up an illustrious black metal career? Scattered Ashes – A Decade of Emperial Wrath is a double-CD look back at Emperor’s musical legacy, with one disc of "greatest hits” compiled by the band, a collection of rarities that includes every cover the band ever recorded except Celtic Frost’s "Massacra,” plus a pretty comprehensive history of the band. Nothing’s arranged chronologically here but the bio, so you get more of a party mix than a step-by-step tour, which works just fine. It’s always nice to find tribute album recordings gathered on one CD (especially when they include a Mercyful Fate cover) with bonus and EP tracks — probably the package’s most attractive feature, but it’s also a nice way to say goodbye.