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IHSAHN
www.ihsahn.com
While former associate Samoth has chosen to remain within the scorched landscapes of extreme metal with his band The Wretched End since Emperor’s split, Ihsahn has chosen to take and explore many of the roads less travelled by his peers. From 2006’s ‘The Adversary’ through 2008’s ‘angL’ and into 2010’s ‘After’, Ihsahn’s musical voice continued to develop as he undertook the arduous journey ever higher into the mountains of isolation to find true artistic expression. And so, again, we find ourselves in the market place as Norway’s Zarathustra-like figure appears once again to wake us from our collective slumber with album number four, the aptly titled ‘Eremita’ (Latin for hermit or recluse).

Compounded by stellar performances from two members of Leprous – vocalist Einar Solberg making his presence felt on opener ‘Arrival’ and Tobias Ørnes Anderson is responsible for the excellent and imaginative drumming – as well as Jorgen Munkeby on saxophone, Jeff Loomis on guitar, Devin Townsend and Ihsahn’s other half (and other half of Peccatum) Heidi Tveitan on vocals, here Ihsahn retains the classical grandeur of black metal – even referencing the darker days of his “boy band” – and develops the Avant-garde and progressive approach of his solo works to composition so that not one style he turns his masterful hand to dominates over another. Of particular note are the irregular shapes emitted from Munkeby’s sax that add new dimensions to the already solid tracks. Where his first three solo outings mark out a concerted struggle for a musician in search of his own identity and individual expression, with ‘Eremita’ he has moved ever closer to that end. As melodic as it is eclectic and technical as it is fluent, to label this as simply a progressive album of black or extreme or whatever metal would be a gross disservice and render it – erroneously of course – as one among many. No, as both a distinct development in his musical career and a stand-alone album, ‘Eremita’ is that ever-evasive mythical beast referred to as unique; from ‘Arrival’ through to ‘Departure’, the journey through the album’s opulent arrangements is nothing short of astounding; a sure-fire contender for album of the year.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Candlelight Records
Album
EREMITA
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Review by Jason Guest
RUNNING TIME:
52:32
RELEASE DATE:
18th June 2012
TRACK LISTING
1) Arrival
2) The Paranoid
3) Introspection
4) The Eagle and the Snake
5) Catharsis
6) Something Out There
7) Grief
8) The Grave
9) Departure
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Norway
"Where his first three solo outings mark out a concerted struggle for a musician in search of his own identity and individual expression, with ‘Eremita’ he has moved ever closer to that end."
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