I mean, really, in 2024, what point is there in backstory? If you’re into metal/extreme music whatsoever, you’re at the very least aware of IHSAHN, and his history. If not, a quick search will provide such, but let’s focus, as I’m sure he would desire, on the music/art, which is why we’re discussing him at all.
For IHSAHN’s eighth – though all of his releases have an element of the forward-thinking, and he has always been seen as the most “experimentally-minded” member of EMPEROR, for better or worse – he’s chosen to pull out all stops and present the project in both a metal and orchestral version. The orchestral version (though we’ll focus on the metal incarnation) is to be seen as a parallel narrative, and – having heard both – the best way to describe is two matching threads sometimes entwined about each other, sometimes diverging.
It’s not often one gets to (or should) use the word “magisterial” in metal, but that’s exactly what ‘Cervus Venator’ is, flowing effortlessly into ‘The Promethean Spark’, triphammer, snappy rhythms, a string section joining with the choppy guitars to create an almost syncopated feel. ‘Twice Born’ is careening at the start, hurtling headlong into a heady blend of strings, IHSAHN’s trademark yet understandable rasp holding court in what is so far a sonic rollercoaster of an album, our white-knuckled grip on the bars doing battle with our desire to maybe, just maybe, let go at the top of the rise just before the plummet and launch into the sky, free of earth and care.
After the calming interlude of ‘Anima Extraneae’, ‘Blood Trails To Love’ strikes as almost subdued when compared to what’s come before, but speaks more to IHSAHN’s familiarity with true dynamics more so than a simple “loud quiet loud” element. Let’s not forget, orchestral music, at its heart, is an attempt to Take You Somewhere, to evoke emotion, as all art should so seek.
Penultimate, ‘At The Heart Of All Things Broken’ drapes itself in shades of PECCATUM at its start, stylistic/vocal references to GREEN CARNATION in the softer moments, and not only holds attention but keeps the listener who’s made it this far rapt for the entire 9+ minutes.
When a solo artist releases a self-titled album, there’s a feeling that – possibly moreso than before – the soul is being opened in a way it may not have been before. In the case of IHSAHN, always a “heart on sleeve” sort, I, for one, couldn’t think of a more fitting title. This is Ihsahn laid bare.
Review By: Lord Randall
IHSAHN
Ihsahn
Candlelight