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IHSAHN

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal • Norway


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Ihsahn biography
Vegard Sverre Tveitan - Born 1975-10-10 (Nodeland, Vest-Agder, Norway)

Ihsahn (real name Vegard Sverre Tveitand) is a talented Norwegian composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, infamous for his work with the definitive Black Metal/Extreme Symponic group EMPEROR and the Avant-Garde project PECCATUM, and a solo artist since 2006.

Vegard took up the piano when he was seven, and started playing the guitar at the age of ten. Having met an adherent in Tomas Haugen, better known as Samoth, Ihsahn formed a Death Metal group Thou Shalt Suffer, where they recorded two demos. Ihsahn would later come back to the project in 2000 in order to record a neo-classical/ambient album "Somnium" under its name. Ihsahn's most commercially successful work remains with EMPEROR, with which he defined the sound of the second wave of Black Metal in such classics as "In the Nightside Eclipse" and "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk". EMPEROR's latest releases, particularly the swan song "Prometheus - The Discipline of Fire & Demise", lean towards a more progressive direction (the songwriting for the last album was entirely done by Ihsahn). EMPEROR ceased to exist in 2001 when the members decided to break up and concentrate on other projects. This allowed Ihsahn to explore his experimental tendencies more freely in the Avant-Garde group PECCATUM, which he formed with his wife Heidi Tveitan (known as Ihriel). Together the two have recorded three full-length albums and two EPs, "Lost in Reverie" being their most critically acclaimed effort.

As PECCATUM split up in March, 2006, Ihsahn started to work on his first solo album "The Adversary", the release of which was initially mentioned not long after EMPEROR dissolved. All of the instruments were masterfully played by the man himself, aside from drums, for which purpose Ihsahn hired the virtuoso Asgeir Mickelson (BORKNAGAR, SPIRAL ARCHITECT). In addition, the vocals on the track "Homecoming" are done by by Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg known for his work with ARCTURUS and ULVER.

"The Adversary" combines influences from progressive rock, classical and heavy metal, as well as Tveitan's rich experience in the Black Metal field, and is a all-around mature effort. The album is recommended to all fans of Extreme Progressive Metal. Ihsahn currently considers writing a follow-up to the album, as well as finding musicians to reproduce the songs in a live setting.

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IHSAHN discography


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IHSAHN top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.01 | 113 ratings
The Adversary
2006
3.69 | 99 ratings
angL
2008
3.98 | 222 ratings
After
2010
3.77 | 87 ratings
Eremita
2012
3.95 | 58 ratings
Das Seelenbrechen
2013
3.94 | 114 ratings
Arktis.
2016
3.87 | 82 ratings
mr
2018
3.91 | 23 ratings
Ihsahn
2024

IHSAHN Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

IHSAHN Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.75 | 4 ratings
After
2010

IHSAHN Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

IHSAHN Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.36 | 9 ratings
Scarab
2008
4.17 | 10 ratings
Undercurrent
2010
4.29 | 7 ratings
Arrival
2012
4.33 | 6 ratings
NaCl
2013
0.00 | 0 ratings
Mass Darkness
2015
0.00 | 0 ratings
Stridig
2019
0.00 | 0 ratings
Nord
2020
0.00 | 0 ratings
Spectre at the Feast
2020
0.00 | 0 ratings
Manhattan Skyline
2020
3.26 | 14 ratings
Telemark
2020
3.21 | 15 ratings
Pharos
2020
3.00 | 3 ratings
Fascination Street Sessions
2023
0.00 | 0 ratings
Pilgrimage to Oblivion
2023
0.00 | 0 ratings
Pilgrimage to Oblivion (Orchestral)
2023
3.00 | 1 ratings
Twice Born
2023
0.00 | 0 ratings
Twice Born (Orchestral)
2023
3.33 | 3 ratings
The Distance Between Us
2024
0.00 | 0 ratings
The Distance Between Us (Orchestral)
2024

IHSAHN Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Fascination Street Sessions by IHSAHN album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2023
3.00 | 3 ratings

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Fascination Street Sessions
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars It must be said that this is a somewhat unusual EP, not so much in the output, but in the reason for doing it in the first place. Ihsahn joined forces with URM Academy's online educational program for music production, and producer/engineer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Arch Enemy, Powerwolf) of Fascination Street Studios to create some course content. Ihsahn wrote some demos, and then the whole process of taking those and turning them into a finished product was videoed, with additional commentary then added to that to describe what was taking place and why. Ihsahn was joined by his long-time drummer Tobias rnes Andersen and keyboardist ystein Aadland, who also provides lead vocals on one song, while Jonas Renske of Katatonia recorded guest vocals to 'Dom Andra', a cover of a track by Swedish band Kent.

I am sure this is going to be a fascinating addition to the course, and a valuable teaching aid, but this is very middle of the road and even the multi-faceted opener which combines commercial rock with some black metal elements does nothing to really make it special. It is highly polished, and Ihsahn's guitarwork is of course wonderful, but I do wish there had been more of it. I was a huge fan of his last album, 'mr', but this not so much as there is just too much mainstream here for me. Perhaps his recent tour with Emperor will get the musical juices running, but this is not something I will be rushing to listen to again.

 Pharos by IHSAHN album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2020
3.21 | 15 ratings

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Pharos
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars What we have here is the second of two linked EP's, the first being 'Telemark', but while that was deliberately darker and heavier, here we find Ihsahn taking a quite different route. As with the other EP, this contains three originals and two covers, yet no-one would imagine a musician who formed the mighty Emperor at age 16 would show a love for A-Ha and Portishead! Recorded at his home studio, additional drums were provided by Tobias Solbakk, with Ihsahn providing everything else. He says that opener "Losing Altitude" is "a song about choices. Whats worth holding onto and whats just weighing you down", while "Spectre At The Feast", is described as "a fly on the wall perspective on the somewhat superficial aspects of society and all its fictional problems and fragilities." The title cut itself brings together the likes of Radiohead and Elbow, with wonderful clear vocals and is about "finding guidelines, direction, goals and hope. The potential of being a beacon; what and who will you attract to your shores."

The first cover, "Roads", fits in very well with the rest of the EP, both sonically and musically with some nice orchestration, and unless one knew the source one would never imagine that the singer is the same person who delivered 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk'. One can only imagine the shock of anyone not knowing his history looking into his back catalogue. This is music which would sit happily on the radio, and that is the case again with "Manhattan Skyline". Here Ihsahn has handed the vocal duties over to Einar Solberg (Leprous), and there is no doubt that this is the highlight of the EP. The vocals are wonderful, almost operatic at times, while Ihsahn provides just enough crunch on the guitars to show what this could be turned into if played fully metallic while staying true to the original.

This may not be what I would imagine when thinking of Ihsahn, and is generally not a style of music I would play a great deal, but one must admit he has done a wonderful job here and given he no longer cares what anyone think of him, if he ever did, then mission accomplished.

 Telemark by IHSAHN album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2020
3.26 | 14 ratings

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Telemark
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars Ihsahn surely needs no introduction, and here he takes a slightly different track with the first of two five-track EPs inspired by and dedicated to his home county of Telemark. "Having released full-length records nearly every second year since I was 16, I felt it might be time to try something else," he explains. "Also, I wanted to approach what I do in a way that felt natural but also to try to adapt it to the way that music is now performed and experienced. I have seven solo albums out now, so the first EP is like a small recap, in a way. I did touch on some of the same thematics with 'Arktis' but this time it's closer to home, both musically and, dare I say, culturally."

He took two songs as a base, Lenny Kravitz's "Rock & Roll Is Dead" and Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild", and then wrote three numbers which had the same sort of sonic approach and attitude, and then recorded the two covers as well giving us the five numbers on the EP. Here he is showing the depth and breadth of black metal, mixing it with folk when the time is right, but always with the intensity and power we have all come to expect and love over the years. Personally I would have preferred it if he hadn't included the two covers, and left it to our imagination, as "Rock and Roll is Dead" sounds somewhat strange, and "Wrathchild" is rather limp with the guitars just not in your face enough ? and take it from me this is not a song which needs horns (brass as opposed to devil's). But these two are at the end of the EP, so when playing this I just leave them off. It's a real shame as the other three show that the master of black metal is still at the top of his game with his own music. It will be interesting to see what the next EP is like.

 Pharos by IHSAHN album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2020
3.21 | 15 ratings

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Pharos
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by lukretio

3 stars Pharos is the second of two EPs released by Ihsahn this year. Here Ihsahn delves deeper into the more atmospheric and melodic elements of his music. Clean vocals, minimally distorted guitars, synths and electronic beats dominate the album, which however does not dispense with occasional bursts of rawness in some of the tracks. With lyrics in English and a sound that feels modern and poppy, this is deliberately a very different beast than the other EP Ihsahn released this year, Telemark. However, despite the lighter musical approach, the atmosphere remains dark and somber, at times even doomish ? bringing to mind the recent works of bands like Leprous (whose singer, Einar Solberg, guests on one track here) and Ulver.

In keeping with the structure of its companion EP, Pharos also features a mixture of originals (three songs) and covers (two songs), for a total of nearly 25 minutes. The three originals offer a slightly more experimental version of the sound that Ihsahn has previously delivered on tracks such as "Sámr" and "Twin Black Angels" from his previous album Ámr. It's deceptively easy-listening music, where the light, spacious arrangements and clean melodic vocal lines are contrasted with dissonant guitar arpeggios, ominous sound effects, dark choral vocals, and unexpected bursts of chugging distorted guitars. The vocals are melodious but retain a dark, cold undertone and the melodies, while poppy, are never too catchy. The result is music that is easy on the ear, but surprisingly difficult to assimilate and relate to. It's only with repeated listens that I came to appreciate the full depth of the arrangements and the beauty of songs like the title-track "Pharos" and "Losing Altitude". The title-track is easily the highest point of the EP, featuring a mesmerizing contrast between the sweet, melodious waltz of the pre-chorus and the dark, ominous choral vocals of the chorus. I was less impressed with the other original song, "Spectre at the Feast", that feels somewhat more run-of-the-mill to me.

The two covers are the true surprise of the EP, though. On Telemark, the covers disappointed me, feeling awkward and out of place. On Pharos, they are simply spot-on. Portishead's "Roads" has exactly the same dark, subdued atmosphere that permeates on the three original songs of the EP. Musically, the song rests on a dark, distorted guitar arpeggio, treated and delayed to create a hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic effect. Ihsahn's slightly strained falsetto vocals might catch off-guard at first, but it beautifully conveys the fragility of the lyrics. The other cover, "Manhattan Skyline", is a song by Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha. Ihsahn's arrangement does not stray too far from the original (extravagant synth sounds included), although it provides more punch and drama on the explosive chorus. In this song, however, the scene is stolen by Einar Solberg's magnificent vocals, starting sweet and mellifluous in the verse to swell dramatically in the chorus.

Overall, Pharos is a satisfying EP that offers five diverse but consistently high-quality songs, and achieves what it promised to deliver: push the boundaries of the more melodic, progressive and experimental elements of Ihsahn's music. As in the case of its companion EP Telemark, the push is however not too hard, and Pharos does not fall in radically different territories relative to Ihsahn's previous output. What is remarkable, though, is how Ihsahn managed to create grim atmospheres using a musical palette that is largely comprised of poppy, light-colored tones, showcasing once more his outstanding talents for composing beautifully dark and dramatic music.

(Originally written for The Metal Observer)

 Telemark by IHSAHN album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2020
3.26 | 14 ratings

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Telemark
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by lukretio

3 stars The first of the two EPs to come out this year, Telemark focuses on the more extreme, 'black' side of Ihsahn's music. The EP's title references the region of Norway where Ihsahn grew up: if that's not a hint to the 'back-to-the-origins' theme of the album, then I don't know what is. Truth be told, however, the music on Telemark is not dramatically different from the type of extreme, 'blackened' metal Ihsahn has accustomed us to with his previous solo full-lengths, with perhaps a tad more folk/epic black metal feel to it and, most notably, lyrics in Norwegian.

The EP is comprised of five songs, totaling nearly 25 minutes. Three songs are new original tracks, while the remaining two are covers (Iron Maiden's 'Wrathchild' and Lenny Kravitz's 'Rock and Roll is Dead'). The three original songs occupy a similar musical territory: fast, icy guitar riffs and abrasive growl vocals form the backbone of the music, that is dark, epic and dramatic. The modern synth/electronic experiments of 'mr are nowhere to be found, and are replaced instead by subtle blackened folk influences that channel the epic vibe of bands like Borknagar or Vintersorg. J'rgen Munkeby of avant-garde metal band Shining guests on the album as saxophone player, providing a stark but beautiful contrast to the gritty guitar and vocal sound. This unusual combination pushes the album in progressive directions, and I cannot help but think that this might just be how King Crimson would have sounded if they had grown up in 1990s Norway.

Among the original tracks, 'Nord' is my favorite, hitting the perfect spot between epic black metal harshness and dark melodic melancholy. Munkeby's harmonic work is sensational, providing a warm but ominous atmosphere that is beautifully complemented by Ihsahn's dramatic and passionate growls. The addition of clean background vocals on the pre-chorus adds a touch of Norwegian epic folk, perfectly channeling the theme of the song. 'Stridig' is more ferocious, with the folk influences toned down in favor of a more modern sound, while the tables are turned on the title-track 'Telemark', which opens with a folksy guitar pattern that will keep surfacing throughout the 7.30 minutes of the song. This is perhaps the most experimental track of the EP, although, personally, I find its structure too convoluted and repetitive, and I feel that the song delays for far too long the delivery of its emotional payload.

The weakest part of the EP, however, are the two covers, which are both eminently skippable, in my opinion. The blackened rock interpretation of Lenny Kravitz's 'Rock and Roll is Dead' feels awkward and never manages to find the right resonance. The excessive repetitiveness of its insipid chorus, inherited from the original, does the rest to make this the most forgettable moment of the EP. The cover of 'Wrathchild' is better, although it never quite manages to shift into gear and move out of the shadow of the original, despite the atypical use of growl vocals and sax harmonies.

Overall, Telemark is a pleasant, if somewhat uneven, exploration of the 'blackest' side of Ihsahn's musical personality. It offers two great tracks ('Stridig', 'Nord'), combined with an ambitious but somewhat hit-and-miss progressive black metal mini-epic ('Telemark') and two mediocre covers. Fans who were expecting a proper return to Ihsahn's black metal roots (i.e. a return to Emperor's sound) will be disappointed, since Telemark treads similar musical territories as Ihsahn's previous solo full-lengths. Nevertheless, the injection of elusive folk/black metal influences and the prominent use of the saxophone help push the music into subtle new directions, infusing it with a strong progressive feel and showing once again that Ihsahn's creativity is truly boundless, even when he expresses it within the monochrome aesthetics of black metal.

(Originally written for The Metal Observer)

 After by IHSAHN album cover Studio Album, 2010
3.98 | 222 ratings

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After
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by UMUR
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars "After" is the 3rd full-lengh studio album by Norwegian progressive metal artist Ihsahn. The album was released through Candlelight Records in January 2010. Its the successor to "angL" from 2008. All instruments and vocals are handled by Ihsahn, except the drums which are played by Asgeir Mickelson and session musicians Lars K. Norberg and Jrgen Munkeby who perform fretless bass and saxophone.

Stylistically "After" is a natural continuation of the progressive metal sound on "angL (2008)". Ihsahn sings both raw blackened vocals, but also performs strong clean vocals, and the instrumental part of the music is a sophisticated and very dynamic combination of progressive metal/rock and various more extreme metal oriented elements (and the occasional nod towards avant garde). Both the vocal and the instrumental performances on the album are of a high quality and generally just reek class. References to artists like Opeth, Enslaved, and Leprous are valid.

While Ihsahn certainly isnt the most extreme of artists, there are still some relatively hard-edged moments, and his raw snarling vocals are also pretty rough and probably wouldnt be easy to appreciate, if youre not accustomed to extreme metal vocals. The music also features both melodic sections, and some melancholic atmospheric moments though, which should please fans of atmospheric progressive metal/rock. So its safe to say the material is varied and loaded with contrasts. Dark/light, loud/quiet, hard-edged/mellow. Ihsahn masters most elements to perfection.

All material on the 8 track, 53:04 minutes long album are well written and memorable. While all tracks are equally strong and nothing is sub par on the album, the 10 minutes long "Undercurrent" is to my ears one of the highlights. "After" features a powerful, clear, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well, and upon conclusion its another high quality release by Ihsahn, showing both enough development to keep the fans excited, but also consistency of sound and quality. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

 After by IHSAHN album cover Studio Album, 2010
3.98 | 222 ratings

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After
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by ssmarcus

3 stars Ihsahn, formerly the lead singer of legendary Norwegian black metal band Emporer, has stated that After was the final album in a trilogy, the first two albums being the prior two releases, the first of his post-Emperor solo career. While the musical or lyrical connection between these albums is flimsy (perhaps nonexistent?), they did serve to prove that Ihsahn's musical ambitions were greater and more varied that what Emperor could have possibly supported within the confines of the Norwegian black metal scene. On After, Ihsahn showcased his ability to craft experimental and unconventional progressive death metal that was still relatively engaging and accessible.

On After, pain and sadness are pervasive. The periodic saxophone lead symbolizes both the soul's cry but also, given that its sax lead on a death metal album, the absolute absurdity of it all. Ihsahn may no longer be making black metal, but black metal still permeates his soul.

 Arktis. by IHSAHN album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.94 | 114 ratings

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Arktis.
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by ssmarcus

4 stars Ihsahn, the master of Norwegian black and avant-guard metal himself, crafted hismost broadly accessible album of his career with 2016's Arktis. While still centering around down tuned riffs and Ihsahn's signature punishing vocals, the album comfortably incorporates elements of classic prog and electronica thereby creating an engaging album that truly defies any expectations listeners may have had of Ihsahn until this point. And yet, despite the prevalence of catchy vocal hooks and groovy riffs, Ihsahn's propensity for experimentation still manages to find its place as the record's run time progresses.

It is worth making mention the album cover as well. Its difficult to not immediately feel the cold and resistance that the black clad figure must be feeling in the image. And yet you also sense that the character is ploughing along willingly and embracing the cold for what it is. I'm no lyrics expert but I would venture to say that this image fits well into the existentialism in Ihsahn's music. Life is dark and punishing but the will can overcome it.

 mr by IHSAHN album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.87 | 82 ratings

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mr
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars Always the trailblazer, IHSAHN may not be at the helm of Emperor or the multitude of side projects that propelled him throughout the 90s any longer but after launching his solo career with 2006's "The Adversary," he has shown no sign of ending his ceaseless creative run of albums that takes a little of what came before and mixes in new elements of surprise. MR (an Old Norse word for both "black" and "loathsome") is IHSAHN's seventh album and finds him in top form with his now usual roster of heavy progressive metal riffs that harken back to his black metal days as well as the artier side of his Peccatum experience.

While increasing the dosages of experimentalism and avant-garde with every subsequent album starting with his debut, IHSAHN hit a brick wall with 2013's "Seelenbrechen" which found many tracks escape the confines of metal altogether and conspired to create dark and sinister dark ambient tracks with some of the sickest vocal performances outside of extreme metal. The followup "Arktis" found IHSAHN streamlining his overall sound where he cranked what i would dare call progressive pop infused metal tracks with strong characteristics of his avant-garde progressiveness but tamed a bit with more accessible hooks and conventional songwriting structures.

While never one to jump too far too fast IHSAHN played his cards rather smoothly and added just enough of the easy-to-digest elements that made "Arktis" a much more accessible album than "Seelenbrechen." MR pretty much continues the trend with a near identical formula that incorporates the near identical ration of elements on "Arktis." Firstly are the heavier progressive tracks ("Lend Me The Eyes Of Millenia," "One Less Enemy," "Arcana Imperii," "Wake") that contain the harshest elements of his extreme metal sounds such as the raspy black metal vocals and balls-to-the-wall guitar bombast on steroids with incessant time signature attacks that unapologetically wreak havoc on unsuspecting stereo systems.

In addition are several mid-paced tracks ("Smr," "Where You Are Lost And I Belong," "Twin Black Angels") that showcase IHSAHN's mellow and tender side where he displays a much more accomplished range of clean vocals and the tracks rely almost exclusively on melodic hooks with heavier guitar elements only added to generate some heft. Could he even be seeking the next alternative metal hit of some sort? These are the tracks that find IHSAHN deviating the most from his relentless pursuit of everything extreme and experimental that has pretty much dominated his approach up to "Arktis," which flirted with some of these metal oriented progressive pop tracks but MR makes no false pretenses that these aspects of IHSAHN's song styles are here to stay.

There are also a couple of tracks ("In Rites Of Passage," "Marble Soul") that fit somewhere in between the two extremes presented above. These two tracks implement both styles and alternate between the two with mellow clean vocals styles for the slower segments and the raspy vocals for the heavier driving parts. These tracks (as well as others) mix it up with electronic segments which is another aspect of MR that seems to be developing more on each album, that is the use of retro prog sounding keyboard parts. While restrained as not to go all Opeth on us, the trend is unmistakable as slowly but surely IHSAHN is dedicating at least a segment of his music to turning more progressive rock than metal but these tracks are cleverly sandwiched by the heavy hitters as to avoid a complete derailment in the fanbase's fickle tastes.

MR was the first IHSAHN album not to completely blow me away upon first listen. Instead i felt like this was an "Arktis II" of sort but this guy's music is intricate and has an uncanny capacity to grow on me fairly quickly and even though this is probably by far the most accessible of anything he has done in his career with sing-along vocal segments and irresistible pop laden hooks coming out of the woodworks, IHSAHN has a brilliant way of keeping a layer of extremity that makes it so unusual even though the hooks are so utterly seductive. Is this a sign of even more commercial directions being pursued? Well, we'll have to wait and see but at this point these developments aren't detrimental to the album's continuity. Once again IHSAHN has crafted a very well designed slice of progressive metal even if it's not deviating significantly from what came before. Very much the enjoyable musical endeavor.

 mr by IHSAHN album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.87 | 82 ratings

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mr
Ihsahn Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

5 stars There are some musicians who have had such a major impact on a genre that they have the right to be viewed in a different manner to mere mortals, and Ihsahn is surely one of these. He originally came to prominence as frontman, guitarist and keyboard player with legendary Norwegian black metal pioneers Emperor. They released classic albums like 1995's 'In The Nightside Eclipse' and 1997's 'Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk' before initially calling it a day in 2001, although they have returned a few times since then and are currently active again. However, Ihsahn (Vegard Sverre Tveitan) has gone on to release solo albums that have shown amazing diversity that look back to what he has achieved in the past while also looking ahead into pastures new, creating sounds and songs that captivate anyone who hears them.

With just drummer Tobias rnes Andersen, and a guest guitar solo on one number from Opeth's Fredrik Akesson, Ihsahn has created what to my ears is his most diverse and powerful solo release yet. There are songs, and sections of other songs, that could easily be played to a listener and they would have no comprehension that the man behind them has also produced some of the most amazing black metal anthems ever, as it bears no relationship to them at all. But, there are also times when he lets his past come back into the present, to create something that is taking the essence of Emperor and turning it into something new. Some of the songs may have gruff vocals, while other shown Ihsahn in a few more melodic and contemplative mood. It is this refusal to sit within any implied structure or rigour that makes this such an outstanding piece of work. One just never knows what is going to come next, what twist or turn is going to take place, and the result is a progressive metal album that is true to both words.

This is progressive music in its truest sense, attempting to take a genre and twist and meld it as opposed to siting inside one particular genre or another: the music is a breathing living beast and Ihsahn is sat there guiding it further and further into the dark bleak void. Ihsahn says, "Knowing that the form would be somewhat similar to what I did on the previous album, and given that I write stuff in a certain way, I wanted to change the wrapping this time. So instead of going with my go-tos of strings and orchestration, I focused on analog synths and more in-your-face sounds. It goes back to the beginning of Emperor, when we brought in strings and horns inspired by orchestral movie scores by John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, but at the same time we loved all those eerie synth soundtracks of f.ex John Carpenters Halloween. I've also been listening to some contemporary r'n'b and hip-hop stuff with those deep, deep 808s. It's just somehow darker than a lot of metal or black metal. It has a depth and an energy to it that I find captivating, so I wanted to explore those arrangement styles as well."

Listen to the delicacy of his vocals on "Where You Are Lost And I Belong", contrast that to what is going on musically, which is jagged and sparse, and there is no doubt that this is yet another classic that fans will be talking about for years to come. Ihsahn is undoubtedly one of the most important musical talents to come out of the Norwegian metal scene, and this is an essential release.

Thanks to Trickster F. for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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