schallplatten '12: the hermit

another long-time friend, the mighty Ihsahn from far norse showing his latest offering on Eremita. for those who have not yet heard of him: probably its better to start listening to on below channel and decide. for those, who already know him: well, i can not add any new details, you know his toolbox already.
nevertheless, it would have been blunt to state Eremita does not have new colours compared to the much-experimenting After. imho Ihsahn's creative composition skills were first utilized at the time of the famous Anthems (which record is probably the best after many years what black metal ever offered), fine-tuned on the last 2 Emperor recordings (Prometheus being a real killer up to date). Peccatum marks an important turn in Ihsahn's approach. while starting this project even more theatrical and layered in styles as Emperor ever was, when putting an end to this family gathering the compositions showed a tendency of being pure, simple and palatable even for unexperienced ears. turning into solo, Adversary is a full canvas with all styles ever practiced. on the contrary angL is focusing on the metal genre with a progressive (how i hate this adjective, omg) edge.
what i find impressive is the works from this point on: After is still being a monolith for modern extreme metal (remember the 8stringed guitars with fretless solo bass?). and then this recent addition to the collection: Eremita.

this hermit continues his work where he left from sight. fortunately experiments did not stop, they are now played mainly in mid-level frequencies compared to the low edges last time. stylish excursions make this record round as a whole: from '70ies prog movements to mindblowing saxo-neurotics - Jørgen_Munkeby from fellow norwegian Shining (not the trendy swedish posers, of course) - to a graveyard soundscape to finish this masterpiece. all linked together with a really clever, pure though creative polyphonic guitar play. Ihsahn truly shows his capabilities as a songwriter, guitarist and producer, all in one. though being a bit more opened and accessible than its predecessor, for a strange reason this treasure box hides its gems longer.