Ihsahn
After
Candlelight Records
25 Jan 2010

What they’re saying
The former Emperor guitarist has already been talking up After, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2008 solo effort, angL:

“This is my first album written with 8-string guitars as basis which has been both challenging and inspiring. I also decided early on that I wanted to mix this album with Jens Bogren (Opeth and Katatonia producer) and recorded the album with that in mind. Asgeir (Mikelson, drummer) and Lars (Norberg, bass) have again delivered superb performances. I’ve always wanted to implement the saxophone in my music; Jorgens contributions truly added a silver lining to the album.”

Thrash Hits verdict
We’ve had this record for a couple of weeks now, and gosh darn it if it’s not something of a brainbreaker. All this talk of saxophones might make you cringe, but the finished result is like a David Lynch movie hammered into music by Ihsahn’s frosty black metal heritage. Its schizophrenic tendencies have been tempered by the sheer depth of sound – expect a Thrash Hits review in the coming weeks.

Ihsahn – After tracklisting
The Barren Lands
A Grave Inverse
AFTER
Frozen Lakes On Mars
Undercurrent
Austere
Heaven’s Black Sea
On The Shores