Ihsahn "Ihsahn" (2024)

With the ominous lurch of self titled significance, esteemed musician Ihsahn, formerly of Emperor notoriety, returns on ambitious footing. Forging symphonies of Classical proportion, not just simple complimentary arrangements, we venture with restrained Extreme Metal aesthetics. Throaty screams and heavy percussion pave the way for swells of strings and orchestral instruments to land the powerful impact he would have once manifested through guitars on the likes of an Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk.

With colorful Jazzy inflections and Prog Rock inclinations, these dreary, sombre, atmospheric venture in a tangle between misty melancholic moods and multifaceted, mercurial melodies. Lead guitars often cut through this rich symphonic layer, playing a second expressive voice to the routine groans of Ihsahn's one dimensional cries.

The union of such musical depth and rhythmic force makes for consistent engagement as musical tugs between its two hearts dance a line that doesn't strike sublime balance, often leaning on Metal tropes. Anima Extraneae is a keen example of Classical influences painting scenic beauty without the cage of aggression. These moments are relegated to interludes, however that richness routinely emerges in breaks between the lonely, dark, brooding tangents Ihsahn frequently explores.

When breaking into a stride of glory, the uplift of his steely clean voice is a welcome delight. These pivots empower his symphonies with comforting gleams of colorful resonance, venturing close to something special but never quite fully committing. Despite hearing this inkling of greatness, Ihsahn is a powerful record, brilliantly composed and thoroughly engaging with its vision of dark and beautiful worlds.

Rating: 7/10

Ihsahn "Pharos" (2020)

 

Ihsahn, a musician I marvel at for his works with the mighty Emperor! He is back with another five track EP counterpart to Telemark - released earlier this year. It had me prepared for anything and no surprise, Pharos is an equally eclectic experience, swaying with the dark and light before delivering a pair of intriguing covers that have Ihsahn exploring a vulnerable range in his voice I'd not heard before.

Kicking off with Losing Altitude, Specter At The Feast and the title track, all original material, the music brews a moody overcast atmosphere with both hints of hazy melodic color and an uneasy tension brewing just beyond the horizon. Navigated with a pop sensibility, musters of electricity in the rises between the falls, erupt with an engulfing energy that gracefully retains this curious middle ground. Indulgences in jazzy, lounge instruments with soft strings and moonlit piano keys exchange between soars of electric guitar lead, riveting distortion chords and thunderous tom drums. The music breathes life from this shadowy yet safe and expressive place.

With its covers the music shifts gears given the difference in musical style. Its a stage for Ihsahn to show more of himself through the higher pitched voicing. It works well with the dreary Portishead cover, however the following track pushes things a little with its cheesy 80s synth pop vibes. Overall the song is decent but the vocals get pushed into a strange place in a couple of the songs passes. Another interesting EP! The new material was by far the most captivating aspect.

Rating: 5/10

Ihsahn "Telemark" (2020)

Norwegian musician Ihsahn is the genius behind one of my all time favorite bands, Emperor. Ive been meaning to follow his solo work more closely and so I lapped up this new release, which turned out to be just three original songs alongside two covers. Not bad considering it was dirt cheap even for digital music standards! It clings closer to a traditional Black Metal atmosphere with thrusts of aggression, blasting drums and snarling screams to forge its darkly mood. Although a return to roots and departure from his more progressive approach, the music finds itself intermingled among subtle saxophones, trumpets and synths that give the Nordic flair a little textural flavor.

Its a chemistry not to remarkable but competent. The opening track brings forth marching chug riffs aligned with the strikes of horns elevating the tensions on a metallic crusade. Nord pivots to a slower pace. Shimmering hazy guitars birth a scenic vision of a cold Ethereal move nature elevated to a beautiful peak when its clean backing vocals bring in the soothing harmony. The title track hinges on a rather folk vibe. Its tricky, swiftly meandering melody has the groove and jive of something native and cultural. The tune drifts into a darkness that gets chopped and churned as the music searches for a crescendo it doesn't quite reach.

Its covers split the mood. Rock And Roll Is Dead jives out its funk with a Jazz band, the screams and distortion guitars playing second fiddle to the dominant instruments. Its almost gaudy but somehow seems to work. Wrathchild does something a little similar in moments, taking the classic Iron Maiden song and throwing in some saxophone led spice into the mix. Its good but its metallic aspect doesn't give much the original can't. Its been a fun listen, a well executed set of songs with an interesting inclusion of instruments not traditional to metal but not something to rave about.

Favorite Track: Nord

Rating: 5/10

Ihsahn "Amr" (2018)

Ive tuned in for a handful of Norwegian musician Ihsahn's albums over the years. His records have always managed to allude a vision or completeness within me, despite really enjoying the music at hand. That's why Ive not written about Ihsahn before, other than his work composing most the songs for the legendary Emperor. I believe this is testament to his genius, the ability to write with depth, cultivating the powers of subtlety that's channeled into a slick stream of digestible music, evading understanding as its contained evolution and progressive direction gets the most from simple song structures. On closer inspection the composition of neatly aligned instruments and inspired musicianship reveals a unison creating the magic which swiftly moves forth into the next phase.

I am speaking in general about Ihsahn's music as a solo artist. This record may not be his best work, little of it lingers in the mind but when in motion its a sleek composition of lean guitars and string sections diced between bursts of rampant Metal that's scaled back to a sensible energy where blast beats and shredding gets the point across without excessive force. His voice is charming and he has a wonderful range that occasionally becomes the focal point but not so much when screaming in dissonance.

Amr has an unusual pacing about it, between its swings from frantic metallica riffage to soothing, calm passages of soft instrumentation its songs often suck the tempo away with minimal drums that come between those intense bursts of Metal. It never settles in one places and among a mixed bag of songs we find its two tones both hitting and missing. The opening track Lend Me The Eyes Of Millennia creates an air of impending explosiveness with its jaunting, paranoid synths coming to fruition in a furious explosion of anger. Samr champions the polar opposite with a soothing group of instruments led by a pulsing baseline, finding its climax with an epic, emotional guitar solo and rise of string and pianos to quite the finale.

In other songs it is equally missing the mark on both front's and makes it hard to feel the record come through as a whole. A string of good songs can really set the tone however Amr never quite finds its stride despite displaying something fantastic songwriting in places. Its production is fantastic though, I'm continually impressed by the aggressive and extreme riffs that have been engineered in a way to retain that ferocity yet keep a very crisp and audible sound without being overpowering of other instruments. It alone though can't save the record from being a mixed bag of treats.

Favorite Tracks: Lend Me The Eyes Of Millennia, Samr, Wake

Rating: 6/10