Ihsahn - Ihsahn (Candlelight Records) [Mark Young] ![]()
This is something else. Taking in his appreciation of both extreme metal and orchestral music he has delivered what should be considered as one of the best albums of the year. My knowledge of Ihsahn is from Emperor and by my admission I haven't kept up with his career since then, so I've gone in blind and it's a revelation.
There are two sides, metal and orchestral with the metal being the core presentation. The orchestral is provided as a secondary story but should not be dismissed as a distant or lesser relation to the metal side. Cervus Venator starts this off, it’s a grand piece but as we glide into The Promethean Spark, it starts to show its class. The meshing of both extremes comes together and fit so well together with the strings etc doing a lot of the heavy lifting that allows for the guitar to come in and out as Ihsahn sees fit.
There are two sides, metal and orchestral with the metal being the core presentation. The orchestral is provided as a secondary story but should not be dismissed as a distant or lesser relation to the metal side. Cervus Venator starts this off, it’s a grand piece but as we glide into The Promethean Spark, it starts to show its class. The meshing of both extremes comes together and fit so well together with the strings etc doing a lot of the heavy lifting that allows for the guitar to come in and out as Ihsahn sees fit.
It's immediate and effective, building to a crescendo that sets the scene for the music to come. Pilgrimage To Oblivion is just class. Trem picked that is joined in a combined attack by the strings once more, moving through different arrangements as the classical side steps up and steps back giving the guitar a chance to breathe, and this firmly cements the knowledge that this is no vanity project. This is the sum of an artist and his vision, being firmly in control of what he wants to say.
Twice Born comes in with the strings playing the part of holding that bottom end down and pinning the song together. Even as it attacks there are subtle moments that you miss on the first listen that you will pick up on the second or third go through. The orchestral approach expands that sonic pallet available to him so that a song such as A Taste Of The Ambrosia with its melancholic start might have sounded slight but here it is a slow-burning tale of woe of someone who is trapped which suddenly bursts into life with a frantic urgency. Strings, guitar, and drums together as one as it loops back to that mournful start.
Blood Trails To Love is a stormer that brings it all together, mixing in the dirt and cleans together in a total package. Again, with a chorus that shows a total command of his art in which the vocal switches with emotional heft. Each track goes further, almost like it's saying you thought that was good, check this out as Hubris And Blue Devils comes in, taking cues from gothic melodrama and a touch of Hitchcock as the arrangement unfolds.
Twice Born comes in with the strings playing the part of holding that bottom end down and pinning the song together. Even as it attacks there are subtle moments that you miss on the first listen that you will pick up on the second or third go through. The orchestral approach expands that sonic pallet available to him so that a song such as A Taste Of The Ambrosia with its melancholic start might have sounded slight but here it is a slow-burning tale of woe of someone who is trapped which suddenly bursts into life with a frantic urgency. Strings, guitar, and drums together as one as it loops back to that mournful start.
Blood Trails To Love is a stormer that brings it all together, mixing in the dirt and cleans together in a total package. Again, with a chorus that shows a total command of his art in which the vocal switches with emotional heft. Each track goes further, almost like it's saying you thought that was good, check this out as Hubris And Blue Devils comes in, taking cues from gothic melodrama and a touch of Hitchcock as the arrangement unfolds.
Like Blood... there is a wicked chorus in amongst some savage chord stabs that show he hasn’t foregone his metal roots with a gnarly tone and delivers a 7-minute classic. The Distance Between Us pulls in a slow, atmospheric approach, almost sounding like later-era Opeth in parts as it swells and expands as all great songs do. This is possibly the happiest sounding track here and I think once you hear it you will understand that comment.
There are traces of his past, of course, there would be in his style of singing but this goes so far beyond that genre. I don't think I've heard music that successfully integrates the orchestral to the way it's done here. This isn't just a tacked together for the sake of it. You can tell that each song has been designed to stand on its own merits and there is not a duff track here... There's balance and subtle touches, it isn't a 100-mph blast fest although Pilgrimage is speedy when it needs to be.
There are traces of his past, of course, there would be in his style of singing but this goes so far beyond that genre. I don't think I've heard music that successfully integrates the orchestral to the way it's done here. This isn't just a tacked together for the sake of it. You can tell that each song has been designed to stand on its own merits and there is not a duff track here... There's balance and subtle touches, it isn't a 100-mph blast fest although Pilgrimage is speedy when it needs to be.
The vocals switch between his BM style and a cleaner more earnest approach dependent on the song, but it’s never used purely for effect. Every decision made suits the song. There is nothing overblown or overwrought here as it all combines to a stunning conclusion. It's further supported when you listen to the orchestral-only versions of these songs which allows you to listen to it with a fresh perspective. The final track, At The Heart Of All Things Broken channels that Opeth vibe once more, with gentle guitar and a lush backing breaking up as the growls come in. It's powerful and is a fitting way to sign off proceedings.
Those expecting or wishing a return to the sound of his past should look elsewhere. As he has said himself (about Emperor, about new material) he cannot beat nostalgia and you could take from that he has no wish to revisit it other than to play those songs live. I admire that stance, to move continually forward instead of trying to recapture the spirit he had at that point. You can listen to this and Emperor and enjoy them both, you don’t have to dismiss one or the other.
Those expecting or wishing a return to the sound of his past should look elsewhere. As he has said himself (about Emperor, about new material) he cannot beat nostalgia and you could take from that he has no wish to revisit it other than to play those songs live. I admire that stance, to move continually forward instead of trying to recapture the spirit he had at that point. You can listen to this and Emperor and enjoy them both, you don’t have to dismiss one or the other.
Of course, some may dismiss this as a vanity project in having two versions available. But if you are suitably proud of your work and are as confident as he is in actually recording it in the first place then why not? You don’t have to buy it. I appreciate that it’s still early in 2024 to mention albums of the year but I’ll say it anyway, This will be there. Take the second classical side out of the discussion and concentrate on the metal this is a stunning masterwork, and you have to listen to it. 10/10