- Country: Norway
- Style: Progressive black metal
- Label: Candlelight Records
- Release date: 16 February 2024
Ihsahn’s eighth solo album is a self-titled concept piece released in two versions: the metal album reviewed here and a fully orchestral counterpart. That approach shapes everything. Every song is written around the orchestra, with harsh vocals, blastbeats and clean passages built on top of it rather than the other way around. “Pilgrimage to Oblivion” and “Twice Born” are the clearest proof: furious one moment, almost filmic the next.
There’s plenty of the old Emperor bite in “The Promethean Spark”, and “Hubris and Blue Devils” is as grand as anything he’s done. Tobias Ørnes Andersen and Tobias Solbakk share drum duties, and Ihsahn produced it himself. Not everything sticks – a few slower songs in the second half drift – but this is ambitious, carefully crafted music from someone who still has plenty to say.
Best tracks:
The Promethean Spark
Pilgrimage to Oblivion
Twice Born
Hubris and Blue Devils
Author’s rating: 8.3/10
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