Ihsahn, the turtleneck-wearing manbun-sporting god of progressive black metal, is no stranger to alienating his fanbases. Whether alienating fans of Emperor by abandoning most of his black metal sound on later Emperor releases and his solo career or fans...   Review by RaduP ››

As the solo career of Ihsahn progressed, it seemed as though this versatile multi-instrumentalist was gradually pushing his work more and more towards bolder, unexpected territories. It was a trend that arguably started with After, and that came to a peak with Das Seelenbrechen, an ambitious voyage into dark lands of the surreal and borderline Avantgarde. As a bit of a disappointment, Arktis now comes this year from a much more accessible direction, feeling like something of a ball drop after all that progress.   Review by Apothecary ››