Origin:	Norway
Genres:

Ihsahn

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, but finally he decided to record a solo album, which was released in 2006 as The Adversary. Ihsahn himself plays everything except drums, which are handled quite expertly by the always reliable Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect, Borknagar, and others). Kudos to the man for not simply rehashing old Emperor riffs, as there is a bounty of styles on display here, and 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. While the album is diverse, it doesn't wander too far in any direction, Ihsahn able to explore a variety of ideas without losing focus. Emperor is back in action at least in some capacity, which of course is welcome news, but Ihsahn has proven he's got even more to offer to the metal world.