MO VIDEOS: IHASHN AND NERVECELL

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Apr 042012
 

Well, fuck me blind. It’s just going to be one of those days when every time I glance at my internet feeds I’m going to see something I must post about. It’s not even 10 a.m. here in the grey Pacific Northwest and we’re up to five posts. You can imagine the extent of not-working at my day job that’s going on. But priorities must be observed, and the priorities at the moment are Ihsahn and Nervecell.

IHSAHN

Candlelight Records have announced June 19 as the North American release date for Eremita (Latin for hermit), the fourth album from Norway’s Ihsahn, who should need no introduction.

Ihsahn alone would be worth attention, but on the new album there will be many notable guest appearances. The album will include performances by drummer Tobias Ornes Andersen (Leprous), saxophonist Jorgen Munkeby (Shining – Norway), guitarist Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore), and vocalists Devin Townsend, Einar Solberg (Leprous), and Heidi S. Tveitan (Star of Ash). The album artwork was created by Spanish designer Ritxi Ostariz, and you can see the cover after the jump.

Eremita will be available on standard CD and a limited edition deluxe digibook (featuring an exclusive bonus track).

But in addition to all that juicy news, Candlelight has also released today a teaser video with snippets from a few of the songs on Eremita. Among other things, it includes blast beats and harsh vocals, which makes me happy. But frankly, everything I hear on this teaser reel makes me happy. It’s right after the jump. Continue reading »

LEPROUS: “BILATERAL”

 Album Reviews  11 Responses »
Nov 102011
 

(NCS writer Andy Synn reviews the new album from Norway’s Leprous.)

Ok, I originally had a longer and more traditionally deconstructive review written up for this. But while re-listening to the album for about the fifth consecutive time, I realised nothing I was writing was really getting to the heart of this utterly genius, utterly addictive gem of an album.

Who/what does it sound like? Well there are elements of Porcupine Tree’s depressive progressive excursions and Devin Townsend’s ambitious mutant pop melodies, along with the bombast of Queen and the precociousness of early Dream Theatre to boot. Similarities to Ihsahn’s solo work of course abound, Leprous being the backing band he employs to give life to his beautiful and barren soundscapes in the live setting (the band also features his youngest brother-in-law, fact fans) as do comparisons with the off-kilter force of sadly departed esoteric metallers Oceans Of Sadness. Yet that’s not all.

There’s the unhinged madness of Sigh, the introverted progressive might of Into Eternity, a throwback 70’s haze that recalls Opeth’s more self-indulgent moments, a cock-sure strut that can only stem from the over-the-top 80’s output of Queensryche, the meandering and sleep-walking structures of latter-day Cynic, the unashamed, operatic excesses of Muse, the singular power of Enslaved, the madcap mentality of Arcturus… my god, it’s like an unholy amalgamation of everything vibrant and progressive from the last several decades, mixed up and spat out in this narcissistically beautiful, yet vaguely unnerving form. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

IHSAHN TO PERFORM IN THE U.S.

 Metal News  21 Responses »
Apr 132011
 

Take a look at that flyer up above for ProgPower XII, the latest installment of the long-running prog- and power-metal festival held in Atlanta. Now let your eyes drift over to the upper left-hand corner and find the logo for a band called Arcturus. Now, mentally cross out that name and put a different name in its place: Ihsahn.

It’s true — Arcturus is out and Ihsahn is in — as in, yes, the former Emperor frontman will be making his first live stage appearance in the U.S. I’m not a huge Ihsahn fan, but I know many of you are, and this definitely qualifies as news that’s worthy of note.

The story about how Ihsahn was added to this festival is also damned funny.  It starts with the bizarre statement by Arcturus (who I’ve never heard of, to be honest) “explaining” the cancelation of their appearance and ends with the promoter’s blunt-but-hilarious comment about Arcturus jumping ship. I think it’s safe to say that in the eyes of most metalheads, he got himself a big upgrade.  Read both statements after the jump. Continue reading »

HELP BRING IHSAHN TO THE U.S.

 Metal News  2 Responses »
Feb 022011
 

Lots of you thought Ihsahn‘s 2010 solo album After was one of the best albums of last year, and of course all of you are huge Opeth fans. Aren’t you?  Yes, of course you are. We know these things.

If advance press reports are correct, Opeth entered Atlantis studios in Stockholm on Monday of this week to begin recording their tenth album for a fall 2011 release on Roadrunner Records, with the engineering work to be handled by Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Bloodbath).

Now, it stands to reason that Opeth will tour the world in support of that album, and the world includes the U.S., which means Opeth will come here to play for us. How does Ihsahn fit into this story? Well, our metallic brother BadWolf brought to our attention that a petition has been started on Facebook to convince Opeth to bring Ihsahn with them in support of that tour — which would be Ihsahn’s first U.S. tour if that were to happen.

That sounds like a damned fine idea. Maybe if enough of us on Facebook “like” that petition page, someone might be convinced to actually make it happen, someday, some way. Certainly can’t hurt, can it? To support that petition, here’s the link.

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