HISTORY FLASHBACK – 30 years of EMP: 2001-2003

Wow, we almost can't believe this: This fall – on November 27th to be precise – marks the 30th anniversary of EMP. Thirty. Like 3 and 0. Crazy, isn't it? However, we're not gonna plunge into an identity crisis but look back on the past three decades with pride. 30 years in which EMP developed from a tiny flyer catalogue to Europe's leading e-commerce retailer in the rock and entertainment business. Until our official birthday in November we are going to condense the past 30 years in ten blog posts – looking back on what happened with us, with metal and the rest of the great wide world. Let's carry on with the years 2001 to 2003!

2001

In 2001 one of the greatest tragedies of recent history took place: 9/11. But life had to go on – more than ever after such a catastrophe!

2001 was also the year of EMP's 15th birthday which we celebrated with this big Motörhead covered anniversary edition:

The world needed new metal albums – and it got new metal albums! For instance Arch Enemy – “Wages of Sin”, Avenged Sevenfold – “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet”, Dimmu Borgir – “Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia”, Edguy – “Mandrake”, Gojira – “Terra Incognita”, Machine Head – “Supercharger”, Opeth – “Blackwater Park”, Rammstein – “Mutter”, Slayer – “God Hates Us All”, System of a Down – “Toxicity” and Tool's “Lateralus”. Celtic Frost arose from their early grave!

And Slipknot released “Iowa” which of course covered our fall magazine:

2001 was also a great movie vintage: Peter Jackson's first Middle Earth movie “The Lord Of The Rings – The Fellowship Of The Ring” hit the cinemas! As did “Spirited Away”, “Mulholland Drive”, “Amélie”, “Ocean's Eleven”, “Monsters, Inc.”, “Shrek” and “Training Day”. The video game community rejoiced at “GTA 3”, the first “Grand Theft Auto” in 3D!

2002

We couldn't help it: EMP needed a new logistics center containing 8.000 m². And the Euro became the new common currency for most of us.

After almost four years of absence Blind Guardian came back with “A Night At The Opera” and naturally covered the EMP cover:

In 2002 the metal world hailed at the following new albums: Behemoth – “Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond)”, Blind Guardian – “A Night at the Opera”, Dio – “Killing the Dragon”, In Flames – “Reroute to Remain”, Kataklysm – “Shadows & Dust”, Killswitch Engage – “Alive or Just Breathing”, Lacuna Coil – “Comalies”, Lordi – “Get Heavy”, Manowar – “Warriors of the World”, Mastodon – “Remission”, Soilwork – “Natural Born Chaos”, Soulfly – “3” and Stone Sour – “Stone Sour” - and welcomed new bands such as DevilDriver, Eluveitie and Suicide Silence.

We had to take leave as well in 2002: Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley died from an overdose and Drowning Pool singer Dave Williams was found dead as well. Megadeth and Fear Factory split up (well, temporarily).

German hard rock queen Doro released her album “Fight” that year and looked good on our magazine cover:

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers” came to cinemas – punctually for Christmas business. Before that, movies like “City Of God”, Punctually for Christmas “28 Days Later”, “Hero”, “The Bourne Identity”, “Spider-Man”, “Minority Report”, “Ice Age” and “Irréversible” had delighted moviegoers. Gamers played “Warcraft 3” in 2002.

2003

Peter Steele and Type O Negative were moody back then and declared “Life Is Killing Me” on their sixth album. That's why Pete “smiled” back at us on the cover of the EMP magazine:

Apocalyptica released “Reflections”, As I Lay Dying “Frail Words Collapse”, Avenged Sevenfold “Waking the Fallen”, Children of Bodom “Hate Crew Deathroll”, The Darkness “Permission to Land”, Deftones “Deftones”, DevilDriver “DevilDriver”, Hatebreed “The Rise of Brutality”, Lamb of God “As the Palaces Burn”, Linkin Park “Meteora”, Marilyn Manson “The Golden Age of Grotesque”, Machine Head “Through the Ashes of Empires” and Metallica “St. Anger”. Fear Factory, Europe and Killing Joke reunited. While Metallica checked in Robert Trujillo as their new bassist, Rob Halford returned to Judas Priest!

Bruce Dickinson had already returned to where he belonged some years before – and released “Dance Of Death” with Iron Maiden in 2003.

In cinemas the first Tolkien trilogy came to its end – and great movies like “Kill Bill 1”, “Oldboy”, the first “Pirates Of The Caribbean”, “Finding Nemo” or “The Green Butchers” came into being. Video game console junkies delighted in “Need For Speed Underground” - which was basically a “play it yourself” version of “Fast & Furious”.

Check back soon for the next chapter!

Categories: EMP Craig

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