When a seasoned metal luminary with multiple solo albums under his belt suddenly releases an eponymous studio album, you know it’s about to be something out of the ordinary. As it happens, the highly anticipated eighth solo endeavor by Norwegian metal sage Ihsahn bears “Ihsahn” as its title – and, released on February 16th, 2024, via Candlelight Records, it is a conceptual double treat comprising two versions: one prog-tinted extreme metal offering, one fully symphonic, cinematic interpretation. The first single off the album, “Pilgrimage to Oblivion,” already suggested a more black-metal-tinted affair; when the album finally came out, a glance at the tracklist further confirmed this, with track titles such as “The Promethean Spark” resonating even with the air of EMPEROR‘s last studio outing, “Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise,” from 2001, an album which is considered by many to be Ihsahn‘s first solo endeavor, actually, in terms of style. What makes this new endeavor stand out from being an introspective look back in time, however, is the prominent role of orchestral elements. Yeah, sure, black-metal acts have flirted with symphonic flourishes from day one, yet the execution has not been of this quality very often. Frosting extreme metal with a generous layer of Wagnerian prog played by actual orchestral instruments, these songs are rather strongly reminiscent of DIMMU BORGIR‘s most iconic endeavors. Yet, due to the fact that Ihsahn is a self-taught musician, this new sonic journey boldly goes where the rulebooks of black metal do not apply, adding an exciting new chapter to Ihsahn‘s already pristine track record.
Opening the album, “Cervus Venator” is a brief orchestral intro, with the title roughly translating to “Deer Hunter.” Antlers are prominently present in the album’s artwork, too, so I guess this hints at the narrative overarching the songs. Considering we’re talking about a Norwegian black-metal legend here, I reckon this motif refers to ancient mythology rather than the classic 1978 film starring Robert de Niro and Christopher Walken. Let’s see…
Glancing at the lyrics of “The Promethean Spark,” I cannot avoid reminiscing on the themes of Ihsahn‘s 2012 album “Eremita,” with its somewhat Nietzschean takes on walking your own, solitary path through the fire. The hunter motif is revisited, here, although this time as though in a dream. The musical arrangement is perhaps a tad more tradition-savvy and progressive than usual – some of the song’s clean-sung, proggy twists trigger nice HAKEN flashbacks, even! The verses are filled with Ihsahn‘s signature snarls, creating a stark, yet haunting contrast. Two songs into the album, I’m starting to think that this selection is going to be in heavy rotation on my stereos in the weeks to come! Then again, Ihsahn‘s albums have always had that special feature since 2006’s “The Adversary.”
Released ahead of the album as a single, “Pilgrimage to Oblivion” seemed to get everybody excited – and for a good reason; the song represents the harsher side of the selection with nice tremolo guitars, blast beats, and all. The uptempo punch-up is balanced with a soothing, clean-sung break echoing the most beautiful, atmospheric moments on 2018’s “Ámr.”
By the fourth track, “Twice Born,” it begins to dawn on me that the album’s storyline follows the archetypal hero’s journey. At this point, the protagonist is at the crossroads of giving up or giving in. Given the topic, it is no wonder that the riffs pack a punch or two, with the song continuing the momentum of the uptempo-ish lead single. Then, “A Taste of the Ambrosia” slows down the tempo a bit but throws in a few more proggy twists to keep the listener at the edge of his seat.
After another brief orchestral interlude, “Anima Extraneae,” it is time to be blown away by the absolute highlight of the album – “Blood Trails to Love.” The song is a sublime cross between black metal and Devin–Townsend; at its softest, the song recalls the haunting atmosphere of “Sámr” from Ihsahn‘s brilliant 2018 studio effort, while the harshest sections gently remind you about what’s what. The circus-music break in 6/8 meter throws in a good pinch of prog to top it off.
The rest of the album provides further proof that this eponymous effort is by far Ihsahn‘s most mind-blowing and versatile to date. “Hubris and Blue Devils” is another banger showcasing how the proggy Britons, HAKEN, are kindred spirits to this visionary Norwegian. Then, toward the end of the album, things get a bit more mellow with a couple of atmospheric tracks before the orchestral coda, “Sonata Profana” brings things to a close.
The full-on orchestral versions of the songs are not merely a collection of curiosities, or half-assed homages to Disney soundtracks, but they do work as individual compositions rather well. To be honest, I’m not exactly a die-hard fan of classical music but, in the right frame of mind, I do find that sort of stuff quite pleasant music to put on; so, when the vibe is just right, the orchestral version of the album does not shy away in comparison to those pedigree classics we all know. Ihsahn pulled off nothing short of a Herculean stunt by crafting this amazing double whammy. This is going to be one of the highlights of 2024! I was planning to dissect the album’s conceptual storyline in this review but I got completely carried away by the music, which is always a good sign. So, I’m going to have to spend the next few days lending some ear to the lyrics – it’ll be worth it.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Cervus Venator
- The Promethean Spark
- Pilgrimage to Oblivion
- Twice Born
- A Taste of the Ambrosia
- Anima Extraneae
- Blood Trails to Love
- Hubris and Blue Devils
- The Distance Between Us
- At the Heart of All Things Broken
- Sonata Profana
Lineup
Ihsahn – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, production
Tobias Ørnes Andersen – drums, percussion
Tobias Solbakk – drums, percussion
Angell Solberg Tveitan – additional percussion
Chris Baum – violins
Label
Candlelight Records
