Today (Feb. 16, 2024) sees the official unveiling of “Ihsahn,” the eponymous eighth full-length studio offering from the Norwegian progressive metal visionary, via Candlelight Records. Order and listen to the album here.
“From the first core ideas around making a dual-layered conceptual album,” Ihsahn said, “this project has expanded into far more sonic and visual areas than I could possibly have hoped for. Much thanks to the support and contributions of my talented friends and collaborators. I’m excited to finally share this in its entirety and hope listeners will find the result as engaging as I felt making it.”
Daring to push the realms of creative expressionism even further, Ihsahn’s latest release comprises two melodically interlinked versions of the same album: one prog metal, one fully symphonic.
Leading up to the album release, Ihsahn released the singles “Pilgrimage to Oblivion,” “Twice Born” and “The Distance Between Us,” a trilogy following a conceptual storyline, filmed by Shaun Hodson at Loki Films.
Wholly self-produced and scored over the course of three years, the metal version has been mixed by Jens Bogren, the orchestral version mixed by Joel Dollié, and both versions were mastered by Tony Lindgren.
“On average, I´ve been releasing a full-length album every second year since I was 16,” Ihsahn said. “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?’ 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.
“So, 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. Somehow an attempt to write a soundtrack within the structures of the full production, allowing me to explore different, and sometimes contrasting, variations of essentially the same music. In the end, I wrote all the music as a piano short-score and arranged it for a typical band ensemble and orchestra, accordingly, making sure everything interlocked.”
Joining Ihsahn on this album are Tobias Ørnes Andersen and Tobias Solbakk on drums and percussion, with Ihsahn’s son Angell Solberg Tveitan adding additional percussion and violins by Chris Baum. Artwork for the album was created by Ritxi Ostariz, with all promotional photography by Andy Ford.
Not satisfied to only create a dual record, there also is a conceptual story that underpins both sides of “Ihsahn”—a pair of separate but interwoven Wagnerian narratives revolving around the traditional hero’s journey, and while Ihsahn is reticent to tell all, he is confident that meaning soon will emerge for listeners willing to show equal commitment.
“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,” he said. “That’s the value, that’s the perspective I wish to create from.
“Ihsahn” track list:
1: Cervus Venator
2: The Promethean Spark
3: Pilgrimage to Oblivion
4: Twice Born
5: A Taste of the Ambrosia
6: Anima Extraneae
7: Blood Trails to Love
8: Hubris and Blue Devils
9: The Distance Between Us
10: At the Heart of All Things Broken
11: Sonata Profana
“Ihsahn Orchestral” track list:
1: Cervus Venator Orchestral
2: The Promethean Spark Orchestral
3: Pilgrimage to Oblivion Orchestral
4: Twice Born Orchestral
5: A Taste of the Ambrosia Orchestral
6: Anima Extraneae Orchestral
7: Blood Trails to Love Orchestral
8: Hubris and Blue Devils Orchestral
9: The Distance Between Us Orchestral
10: At the Heart of All Things Broken Orchestral
11: Sonata Profana Orchestral
Since 1991, Ihsahn has defied expectations and pushed boundaries. As the founding frontman of Emperor, he is lauded as one of extreme music’s most important and influential voices, and he stands as the figurehead for what was arguably black metal’s creative apex. As a solo artist, Ihsahn has all but outgrown the confines of that achievement, and over the course of his first seven records, he has forged a reputation for innovation and originality that’s as genre-bending as it is indifferent to the weight of expectation.
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