Well, there wasn't an official topic on the forum so I thought that I would open one for anyone who wants to talk Ihsahn. I have his solo project in mind, but obviously discussing his other works would fit here too.

Well, the new album is out and our BitterCOld wrote a great review and got me interested so I've been listening to songs off and on over the past week or so (thanks youtube!) and I have to say that I am a lot more impressed with Ihsahn than I've ever been. I never really liked Emperor that much and had only heard his previous solo albums in bits and pieces so I wasn't going to drool over his latest release, no matter how many brass instruments he had in it.

Well, I'm still not drooling, but I am impressed. His new album sounds pretty good to my ears on first listen. Not every song is sheer blinding perfection (I just finished listening to "A Grave Inversed") but others are very good (I'm thinking of a song like "After"). He manages to pull off some really great Progressive pieces and I really enjoy the clean-vocal passages in his songs. I commented before, but it has a Garm/Devin Townsend/Winds feel for me. So that's a good thing.

Anyways, comments?

His newest release is really the only one that I like by him. The saxophone is annoying, but overall I'm surprised at how much he's improved from his last two albums. I noticed him using clean vocals more often, and hopefully he'll continue to use them more, since his harsh growls have been weak since about Prometheus or so.

Can't wait to hear "After"! I thought "angL" was great but it lost something on the way, not that much re-play value. But I've heard that "After" is supposed to be his best work yet.

Quate interesting, somehow follow Emperor roots and I like his muisc, realy like, good, cant find anything bed there even I have lil nostalgy for old Emperor, but still I have nostalgy for past generaly

I love that name. Ihsahn means charity ..
iam gunna name one of my sons with Ihsahn :p

I enjoyed After a lot more than the other two albums overall. It seemed to be a very mature album, not to say the others were not, but it just seemed like he achieved what he was striving for.

I cant believe theres not already a thread on him! Wow. Well anyways, I own both The Adversary and Angl. I'd have to say The Adversary is my fave, especially after hearing After. After is pretty good, but I just wish he had more guitar solos rather than sax solos. After in my opinion, is still an amazing metal album, but I prefer the earlier two.

After was the first album I heard from Ishan, and to me, it's a brilliant album. I now own all 3 albums, and After is still my favorite, I definitly think they are all good albums though. The Adversary is a close second behind After. Despite all the negativity I seem to hear about it, the saxophone parts were part of what made the album so enjoyable for me.

I, too, got interested after reading the review. After has been a fun listen - it's definitely quirkier and more intense than I expected but I can't say I'm not enjoying it. It'll need to sink in more before I can say if I'll be a new fan or not, but I'm totally intrigued. After reading Morrigan's post I think I'll look for The Adversary, too. I loved all the sax stuff in After but it'll be fun to hear the band at a more guitar-centered moment as well.

Okay, I guess I should check out the other two

Yeah, I liked the saxophone in After. The whole album was atmospheric and great.

Written by vezzy on 06.06.2010 at 13:19

Yeah, I liked the saxophone in After. The whole album was atmospheric and great.

A Grave Inversed is marvellous... I liked the use of saxophone on the song. About the album, I think it was better than angL. I didn't get into angL as such, but this one sounded OK to me.

Same, After is the first Ihsahn album that really blew me away with it's creativity. The two prior releases were both great in their own right, but Ihsahn really took his own path on this one instead of taking big amounts of Emperor into the mix.

Written by Got Mayhem? on 08.06.2010 at 02:59

Same, After is the first Ihsahn album that really blew me away with it's creativity. The two prior releases were both great in their own right, but Ihsahn really took his own path on this one instead of taking big amounts of Emperor into the mix.

I think After is brilliant...how are the other two? Is the production as good? Does it sound the "same"...I mean is it the same formula?

Written by tea[m]ster on 28.08.2010 at 06:47

Written by Got Mayhem? on 08.06.2010 at 02:59

Same, After is the first Ihsahn album that really blew me away with it's creativity. The two prior releases were both great in their own right, but Ihsahn really took his own path on this one instead of taking big amounts of Emperor into the mix.

I think After is brilliant...how are the other two? Is the production as good? Does it sound the "same"...I mean is it the same formula?

They're still very good albums. Production is crisp and clear. However, the formula on those album is a bit different than on "After". They sound much more like Late Emperor styled BM. I suppose it's like taking out the Sax on "After", toning down the progressive element, and upping the BM a bit. Definitely worth listening to both of them though.

Written by Got Mayhem? on 28.08.2010 at 16:00

Written by tea[m]ster on 28.08.2010 at 06:47

Written by Got Mayhem? on 08.06.2010 at 02:59

Same, After is the first Ihsahn album that really blew me away with it's creativity. The two prior releases were both great in their own right, but Ihsahn really took his own path on this one instead of taking big amounts of Emperor into the mix.

I think After is brilliant...how are the other two? Is the production as good? Does it sound the "same"...I mean is it the same formula?

They're still very good albums. Production is crisp and clear. However, the formula on those album is a bit different than on "After". They sound much more like Late Emperor styled BM. I suppose it's like taking out the Sax on "After", toning down the progressive element, and upping the BM a bit. Definitely worth listening to both of them though.

I hate going through a bands discography in reverse order. I like to see how a band progresses. I had to pick up "After" first because of the all the high praise, so I hope I won't be disappointed in the other two releases!

Symphonic elements incorporated in the new album is conducted very well, sounded good

What is wrong with me? Im a huge Emperor fan, a huge Ihsahn fan, but i still havent listened to this album. I have to get it right now.
Oh how i miss the great "E".

He's playing at ProgPower this September. I MUST go!!!

Anyone know what his/their live shows are like? Does he get some side men or just play solo with a lot of samples?

Ihsahn is great.the recent album is the best album by him.it is something unique and the atmosphere reminds me of some bathory and immortal songs

Ihsahn is something like extension of Emperor's Prometheus and many songs remind on Prometheus.

Roro
Ihsahn is typical Arabic name and it means goodness.In my city lives one Ihsahn.

Btw.Good choise for your son >)

just copying someone else's post from a now locked thread

Finnish label BLOOD MUSIC will be releasing the debut album of IHSAHN (Emperor) "The Adversary" on vinyl for the first time in history. This deluxe, ultra-limited edition was fully remastered for vinyl and cut at 45-RPM on heavyweight vinyl in a triple-gatefold layout, designed by world-famous album artists TRINE + KIM. They will be limited to:

Color 180-gram: 100 copies USA/100 copies Rest of World
Black 180-gram: 50 copies USA/50 copies Rest of World

Pre-orders go live on November 6th at 5PM Finnish time (10AM NYC). The vinyl will be released approximately 3 weeks later.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3B-tRRBHA8

More information: http://www.blood-music.com
More information: http://www.facebook.com/BlooodMusic

Ahh, thanks for the repost. Sorry about the new thread.

Ihsahn records go up for pre-order tomorrow, November 6th at:

7AM California
10AM New York
3PM UK
4PM Central/Western Europe
5PM Finland
1AM Perth

These are live for order!

Black copies sold out immediately.

There are about 1/3 of the white copies left.

http://www.blood-music.com/store

Only 4 copies left in the EU store ...

"My new album is now finalized by the very capable hands of Jens Bogren and will soon be on its way to Candelight Records. We´ve not set a release date yet, but sometime this autumn for sure. Title and more information about it will be revealed later. Ritxi Ostáriz is nearly there with the artwork, and first photo session with Bjørn Tore Moen was done this week. My Mnemosyne companion, Starofash, has some informal behind the scenes shots on her blog, http://goo.gl/zyqYV"

:3