SCARAB

Being a big fan of both Emperor and the solo work of Ihsahn, it should come as no surprise that I like this song a good deal. Melding the primordial rage of black metal with the intelligence and complexity of progressive rock and metal, Ihsahn's work makes for excellent listening if you're not opposed to black metal. In any case, this song 'Scarab' is a great chapter in the 'Angl' album and although it is far from my favourite (and certainly not the best choice of single) it is a great metal track, and I am sure I would be attracted to the album after having newly listened to this.

It is my personal belief that the track 'Unhealer' would have done the best job as a single for Ihsahn's sophomore; alot of melody and strong songwriting (not to mention; a guest vocal appearance by none other than Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt) would have made for the perfect song to get people to explore more of the man's solo music.

I can see why 'Scarab' was chosen however. It revolves around a progressive metal riff, coupled with some competent growls and even a melodic, atmospheric bridge to tie the knot. Certainly not my favourite Ihsahn track, but a fine addition to the man's growing list of penned songs.