4th February 2024
The inventive mind of a genius is a kaleidoscope of ideas, where curiosity and imagination intertwine to challenge the mundane. It is not confined by the rigid walls of convention but thrives in the pursuit of the undiscovered, the unconsidered and the boundless landscape of possibilities. A genius sees elegant connections between the far reaches of the human psyche, contemporary societal boundaries and the ongoing interactions of humans with the natural world.
Let us be open from the outset; Ihsahn is a musical genius. Combining elements (both musically and lyrically) from different genres that others would not dare to meld, Ihsahn has trodden a unique path throughout his career and explored any element of actuality that has captured his interest. In his own words, “Art taps into the metaphysical and the archetypes of our existence - it lets us experience loss, death, love - it prepares us for all of those things in some way. That’s the value, that’s the perspective I wish to create from.”
With his eighth full-length solo album, Ihsahn has pushed the realms of his philosophy to the limit and then pushed some more. Producing a pair of interlinking versions of the same album (one blackened progressive metal with full band and orchestra, one purely orchestral with no singing or band at all), he takes the listener on a minatory mesmeric odyssey. As Ihsahn no doubt intended, to fully appreciate the album he has created the listener must fully immerse themselves into both. He comments, “I approached the writing with the intent to present the material in its full-blown metal expression, but also to arrange the orchestral parts in such a way that they would work independently.”
Opening both versions of the album is the short but sweeping cinematic and orchestral Cervus Venator (Latin for Deer Hunter) which evokes both vast desolate landscapes but also has tinges of the grandiose moments of a Bond score. Majestic and opulent, it immediately demonstrates Ihsahn’s commitment to conjuring his emotive narrative. As the final notes of Cervus Venator fade away, The Promethean Spark takes up the narrative, the combination of staccato strings (including Chris Baum’s violin) and insistent guitar bringing a luscious depth to the sound. There is a variety of clean and growling vocals across the album and Ihsahn switches effortlessly between assertive, enigmatic and unyielding, dependent on which is most necessary. The Promethean Spark is an ebullient and fervent first song and long-time fans will recognise elements of quintessential Ihsahn; however, the scintillating orchestral moments take the track into another realm entirely.
Pilgrimage to Oblivion weaves a complex tapestry of transformation, the search for deeper meaning and the allure of the unknown. And there, where the roots of existence / Existence / Breached through the cracks of illusion / The concepts of consequence ceased / And primordial chaos reigned. Progressive and symphonic, the metal version of Pilgrimage to Oblivion is a meticulously crafted sinistrous slice of black metal. Ihsahn howls as the orchestra stabs and jars along with the potent drums and percussion by Tobias Ørnes Andersen and Tobias Solbakk. Ihsahn’s son – Angell Solberg Tveitan – contributes additional percussion. During a slower, entrancing moment, Ihsahn reveals the duality of the odyssey, both alluring and destructive. Wallowing in secrecy / And dark, enticing lies / Those ghostly smiles could not conceal / The ruin in their eyes.
To further illustrate his electrifying vision and interwoven Wagnerian narratives, Ihsahn has recruited a range of artists including some who have made videos to illustrate some of the songs. "I've been honoured to work with some astounding visual artists on this, who were all given access to my scrapbooks, music, lyrics, stories, mood boards etc. It’s been amazing to see how they've all interpreted the material differently, but still in a way that binds everything together.” Both the metal album’s live action video and the orchestral version’s animated video have already been released for some of the tracks. The live action video for Pilgrimage to Oblivion features a man dealing with a repeating lifestyle while living in a flat overlooking the 02 in London. Haunted by the touch of everyday objects, which seem to trigger memories or perhaps visions of a different world within the same space, the man is agonised as he finds himself in deserted woods - a feeling which is echoed in the animated video for the orchestral version (stark and desolate with jagged orchestral passages) as hunters pursue a deer through the forest, revisiting the opening instrumental and referencing the album cover. Ihsahn has been reluctant to explain the meaning of everything on the album, leaving the committed listener to form their own conclusions.
On Twice Born, the protagonist is given the choice of defeat or facing the challenges ahead. The dawn found me at crossroads of giving up or giving in / Crawling on my knees, I'd question all I once held true / The violence of perception had pierced my soul and skin / Embittered, bruised, and beaten I saw the world anew. It is one of the most visceral songs on the album as Ihsahn spits and snarls his lyrics with resounding vehemence. Mortal womb / By fire scorned / In death conceived / Twice born. Inviting listeners to consider their own potential rebirth through adversity, Ihsahn is accompanied by turbulent, enraged orchestral motifs, which come to life in completely diverse ways on the metal and orchestral versions.
Self-titling an album is always a statement of intent but it is no coincidence that Ihsahn (the album) contains every you would expect from Ihsahn (the man) and more besides. It is little wonder that it took Ihsahn three years to put the whole project together (including self-producing the album) and it is a work of which he is immensely proud. “To create something worthwhile, you can’t aim for what an audience might expect, but you can aim to make something the best that it can be. When given the opportunity to make a record, it’d be arrogant to assume it’d be another Dark Side Of The Moon, or OK Computer, or Black Album, but somehow it’d be arrogant not to try!?! Admittedly, this is the hardest and most complex musical project I have ever done, and in the end, on a personal level, also the most gratifying. I really had to step up, and I learned so much in the process.”
Initially, A Taste of Ambrosia (a track on which the orchestral backing is wonderfully effective) takes a brooding introspective approach, at least musically, beginning with slower, tortured guitar; however, as the track develops a maniacal, insidious personality, an inner torment is evident in Ihsahn’s agonised delivery of the lyrics. Anima Extraneae (The Soul of a Stranger in English) follows and although allowing the listener brief respite from recent ardour and fire, this short instrumental still maintains a nefarious and chilling feel.
Blood Trails To Love is simultaneously menacing and divine. Containing some of the most melodic sections of the entire album, Ihsahn displays the full range of his vocal ability through further examining the dichotomy of the path to a more fulfilling life balanced with the endless challenges of conforming in modern society. The irony / That freedom never comes for free / My struggles leaving blood trails to love. That feeling of duality continues on Hubris and Blue Devils, which is pervaded by an overwhelming sense of unease throughout, particularly on the orchestral version. Each track on the orchestral album (mixed by Joel Dollié) could easily be from a film score: from a rampaging action film, from a shadowy psychological thriller or from a terrifying horror. These orchestral leanings are nothing new in Ihsahn’s solo work or on the albums he made with Emperor but here they are fully realised. “At the heart of what I do is black metal, extreme distorted guitars and screaming, but since the earliest Emperor recordings you’ll hear the keyboard parts influenced by classic soundtracks by the likes of Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, John Carpenter and so on.”
The Distance Between Us explores alienation, internal conflict, hiding one’s true identity and the search for connection. In the end, I fell numb / To disbelief and played along / Weaving and conceding / I veiled the face of what I had become. Musically and lyrically, melancholic with deliberately sparse use of instrumentation in some sections, The Distance Between Us poetically delves into a world that values conformity and superficiality. Still, with every solitary feat, I also lost / The nature of my tragic disposition had its cost / Never to belong / Forever always one / Never to belong / Forever always one.
Moments of The Distance Between Us and the beginning of the following track - the ambitious nine minute At The Heart Of All Things Broken - stray into territory often occupied by Opeth or even Steven Wilson. There is a chance for the listener to reflect on what has gone before and experience a few minutes of something approaching ataraxia, as At The Heart Of All Things Broken begins, wistful and dreamlike. I took eye with the skyline / In solitude by the windowpane…And staring back at me / From deep inside the glass in steel. Just under three minutes in, At The Heart Of All Things Broken crescendos incandescently with orchestra and band fiercely joining forces once again. Just under six minutes in, there is a heartbreaking beautiful musical section before the track returns to the opening theme. Apart from the short instrumental Sonata Profano, it ends this incredible album in epic style and Ihsahn has more than achieved his aim. “On average, I´ve been releasing a full-length album every second year since I was 16. And, you know, that has given me some opportunity to explore different options, so for my eighth full-length solo record, I thought, ‘okay, how can I do what I do best, but also raise the bar tenfold?”
Ihsahn is a spectacular and colossal achievement. The sheer will to produce such a dark masterpiece sums up the dedication towards and belief in his craft that Ihsahn lives by. “It’s a privilege that I get to make music and travel the world to play my music. And when I say this is subjectively my greatest musical achievement so far, it has nothing to do with ego or prestige, but rather to do with gratitude for the experience.” The metal version (mixed by Jens Bogren) is as astonishingly intense and momentous as any fan could hope for, while the orchestral version is enigmatic, bold and at times stark, but never less than enthralling. Listeners will need to devote time and significant cognitive energy while relating their own life experiences to the overall narrative to fully engage with both albums. Some fans will no doubt prefer one to the other but for those who can find the hidden meanings in both, Ihsahn will inexorably burn its way into your spirit and your soul.
Ihsahn is released on 16th February 2024
Watch the metal and orchestral videos for Pilgrimage To Oblivion below.
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