The new self-titled album from Black Metal forefather IHSAHN is an entirely conceptual one, uniquely presented in two forms: Metal and Orchestral. Three years in the making, the album is massive, allowing the hero’s story to wend its way throughout both configurations, the whole serving as storyteller and soundtrack all in one. In line with the cinematic inspirations, music and lyrics follow two parallel narratives with recurring themes throughout.  The main story is presented in the metal version, whereas the secondary story is rooted in the orchestral version, although bleeding into the main story. The album has eleven songs.

 “Cervus Venator” is first…a short, symphonic mood-setter, and the French horn notes are majestic. “The Promethean Spark” has that quintessential IHSAHN structure and melody. The chord progressions are most odd, but pleasing, and his signature snarl is present. The song has somber tones, and the only other artist who has his sense of connections with the music is OPETH. “Pilgrimage to Oblivion” has a more dangerous sound, and the riffs are augmented with heavy bass notes and orchestra. The tension here is so thick, it creates a fog that the listener can’t see clearly in, and the heavy accents are placed perfectly.

 “Twice Born” is another weighted offering with odd chord progressions and backing symphony. So far, it’s the dramatic building on the album that is used so well, and this song is no exception. “A Taste of Ambrosia” is slower, more calculated, and as the title suggests, sober in its delicate beauty. It’s the instruments that make the most impact for me here, seemingly composed by the skills of an alchemist. “Anima Extraneae” has a charming character, with light symphonic elements, and the tender side of the artist is exposed. “Blood Trails to Love” is much more heavy, dramatic, and tense. For the first time, we also hear some sweet vocal harmonies. The juxtaposition of the two styles is intense, but it just works.

 “Hubris and Blue Devils” has strong Progressive elements, especially in the control of an ever-shifting meter. Equally adept at multiple instruments, it’s the bass notes here that are most intriguing for me. “The Distance Between Us” is more tender, with deep, sultry saxophone notes, and plenty of subdued anger. The way he is able to hold them back is exceptional, and in many ways, is the heart of his sound. “At the Heart of all Things Broken” is an opus extraordinaire. Somber, supple tones carry the sound at first, gradually leading to what sounds like a breaking down of sanity to me. He desperately tries to hold it together, but piece by piece, it begins to fall apart.

 The short “Sonata Profana” closes the album, and it ends things with a mystery that can only be answered by another song. For me, the album was like a project in extremes, contrast, and the uncommon chord progressions that define his career. The music touches each extreme, from tender, sweet passages to ones that bite with the fangs of a viper, and you never know what is coming next. His compositions are masterful, as always, and this far into his career he shouldn’t have a bag so deep and vast, yet he does. This is an obvious contender for Album of the Year.