The name Ihsahn needs no introduction to those in the metal
world, as he was one of the driving forces behind one of
black metal's elite,
Emperor.
Following that band's breakup in 2001, Ihsahn participated
in the eclectic
Peccatum
project for some time, and finally went solo, starting with
2006's The Adversary.
From the get-go, it was apparent that Ihsahn was not content
with simply re-hashing old Emperor riffs.
Adversary contains a bounty of styles, and while yes,
some material that fits later period Emperor,
there's some gothic metal, prog metal, plenty of light
and shade, and a variety of vocal styles, including an
fairly convincing
King Diamond
impersonation at times.
With each succeeding album (six as of this writing), Ihsahn has
continued to branch out in different directions, yet never straying
too far from a metal base.
Emperor has reunited sporadically over the years but this project
seems to be Ihsahn's main concern.
Recent album: Ihsahn,
released on February 16, 2024.
