Ihsahn - Angl
Candlelight - CANDLE218CD - 26 May 2008
By Paddy Walsh
Ihsahn's first solo outing,
The Adversary, was certainly an interesting diversion, and chock full of many of his trademark strengths as a master songwriter, but it also suffered from a lack of cohesion.
Ihsahn let his influences run a little rampant, his propensity for
King Diamond worship in particular, and to be honest it's hard to remember any standout moments. Not only is
Angl much better in all respects, but it could perhaps be seen as the true follow up to
Emperor's swansong,
Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise, as it explores some similar themes whilst inhabiting that classicist, proggy, post-black metal headspace thatto this day only
Emperor ever fully realised.
Sure enough, opener 'Misanthrope' recalls 'The Tongue of Fire, whilst the epic, string-laden bombast and blastbeats of 'Malediction' echo 'In the Wordless Chamber'.
Ihsahn has managed to reign in the unecessary indulgences of
The Adversary in favour of more concise songwriting, yet without compromising the technical prowess he has so effortlessly displayed in the past. 'Unhealer' is a proper highlight,
Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt lending his considerable pipes in both clean and growled capacities, and his emotive singing adds an excellent current through
Ihsahn's ever-extravagant guitar playing. The pair trade off growled and rasped vocals during the chorus, and it works so well as to act as a climax of sorts.
Angl isn't perfect, however. The production is a little clinical in places, and as such it can't summon the kind of atmospheric heights that it hints at.
Ihsahn has no time for black metal primitivism or its resultant constraints, and as expected this could hardly even be called black metal were it not for his distinct throaty rasp. Yet it's hard to beoman
Ihsahn for this as 'Threnody's gentle strains close the album in a suitably eerie fashion, which is when one finally realises that
Ihsahn's musical vision far exceeds the limitations imposed by black metal's ideological conservatism.
Angl may lack both the nasty, malevolent streak of prime
Emperor, not to mention its forest-trolling atmosphere, but as a full on piece of metallic art this is probably up there with the best of the year so far.
Official Ihsahn Website
Official Ihsahn MySpace
Official Candlelight Website
