The DevilsHorns

Normally, I would write a review at the latest 2 days after the 1^st listen, but for the self-title album by the legendary Ihsahn, I have taken the time to digest what has been provided to me. There is no doubt, absolutely zero doubt, that out of ever artist found in the Norwegian Black Metal scene of the 90’s, that Ihsahn is the most talented. You are more likely to find Unicorn shit than you are to find anybody with a microcosm of the musicality proffered by this man. Ihsahn is, perhaps, the one true genius of the metal world.

As with all geniuses, they come with flaws, and so I have a checkered history with Ihsahn releases. Some are have a magnificent hint of bat-shit crazy, many ideas lodged within the same track, time changes that just about make sense to some but not to others. But, at the end of the day, an Ihsahn release is to be listened to and respected. Just because it doesn’t fit your particular view does not mean it is not an exceptional slab of music.

album. This is a double album, but, it is not your ‘typical’ double album.. No, this is a self-produced album, with disc 1 being the traditional black influenced progressive metal he has become known for. Disc 2, which may not be to everybody’s taste (Including mine) is an orchestral interpretation of Disc 1. The true genius of Ihsahn is that you genuinely do not know what was written 1^st. Personally, I like to believe that disc 1 was secondary to the orchestral version. Essentially, every one of the tracks work, to my non-classical ears, absolutely perfectly.

This cannot be said of the progressive disc 1. There are a couple of tracks that are essentially ‘fillers’ with no vocals and just sit to introduce or split the album. Track 1, ‘Cervus Venator’, belongs in a film score, both welcoming but ultimately not demanding the full attention. The same can be said for ‘Anima Extraneae’. Interestingly, on the orchestral version, these have a hint of awesome about them.

mastery of instruments gives an impression that a band recorded the album.

Yes, he may throw in a few too many ideas into tracks that maybe don’t strike the right chord, ‘Hubris And Blue Devils’ is a multi-layered song that, perhaps, tries to cram in too many ideas that ultimately derails the song. But compare that to ‘Twice Born’, with its urgent, demanding riff accompanied by Ihsahn’s accomplished dirty vocals. This dichotomy is, in the grand scheme of the double album, captivating and should be applauded.

To be perfectly blunt, the world of metal needs Ihsahn. As his original band Emperor gear up for the 30^th anniversary tour of the classic debut album In the Nightshade Eclipse, you can only begin to wonder how a man, mired in the church burning, murdering mud of the 90’s Norwegian Black Metal scene has morphed into the visionary genius that stands before us.

Ihsahn’s eponymous 8^th album has to be heard to be judged. If you do not listen to both discs, you are doing yourself a massive disservice and should probably hang up you ‘metalhead’ card.

This is a must-listen.

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