Ihsahn
AFTER
Candlelight Records

More and more, it becomes clear that vocalist/guitarist Ihsahn was the evil genius which spawned so much of the great work that his previous band, Emperor, produced.  Back for his third solo album AFTER, it's clear that Ihsahn has taken a direct path to challenging great musical minds of the past with his creative genius.  AFTER is to the world of extreme metal what CHUNGA'S REVENGE was to the ever-stretching boundaries that Frank Zappa challenged so many years ago.  To be clear, AFTER is NOT a simple listen at all, but a release that challenges on multiple levels throughout.

Certainly, comparing creativity to someone like Frank Zappa is big praise, but Ihsahn has proven over the course of his three solo efforts to be worth such praise.  Listening to songs like "A Grave Inverted", you can't help but wonder where the direction comes from.  The song, which is one part black metal and two parts Mr. Bungle for lack of a proper definition, provides a blueprint for what AFTER is throughout.  From song to song, AFTER has all the elements that fans of extreme metal will love.  Conversely though, there's so much diversity from song to song that AFTER takes you on a wild ride.  Songs like "Frozen Lakes On Mars" are fairly straight forward metal thrashers; seemingly built out of the Chimaira mold at the beginning before radically shifting to an almost Alice In Chains-like bridge.  This shift is so stark that you literally feel like your ears have been in a car accident.  Other songs, such as "After", have a more dulled luster that a band like Katatonia would employ in much of their work, yet is explosive in parts by it's own right.  Musically, AFTER takes the listener on a long ride that branches in a lot of different directions.

If there is a consistency, it's that Ihsahn himself displays much more solid vocals and guitar work than ever before.  When he's doing his black metal wailing, it's as strong as anyone's in the genre.  Yet, his lower toned crooning voice is impressive as well.  Songs like "Undercurrent" drive home the fact that Ihsahn has a great voice that was hidden for so many years behind his banshee-like screaming that he did with Emperor.  As for his guitar playing, every style you can imagine is showcased here.  There are moments that will conjure thoughts of Meshuggah playing in a standard timing.  There are almost 80s era power solos on some songs.  There's downtuned riffing in parts, and there's acoustic grace in other areas.  In short, Ihsahn is showcasing himself as a complete player on AFTER.

PITRIFF RATING - 9/10 - It's hard to consider someone with the immense musical profile of Ihsahn as underrated, but that's exactly what he's proving out to be as time goes by.  AFTER is not your typical extreme metal album.  The incorporation of horns and various odd sounds alone guarantees that.  If AFTER is anything though, it's one of the most challenging metal experiences any listener will ever undertake.  This is a tremendous effort from Emperor's former mainman that stands as proof positive that his decision to branch away from his past was a good decision.

Chris Akin

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