Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room. Ihsahn, of course, formed and fronted Norwegian black metal icons, Emperor. They need no further introduction. However, since 2006 Ihsahn has focussed his attention on his solo career, and although he teased with a return to his black metal roots on the recent ‘Telemark’ EP, ‘Pharos’ sees a very definite return to prog rock territory. If you are a ‘kult’ black metal fan hoping for raw savagery you may leave the room. However, if you can open your mind to something a little different, this might be for you.
This return to prog rock should come as no surprise as Ihsahn, has been exploring progressive, avant-garde territory, often with hints of jazz or even electronica and darkwave since he started recording as a solo artist. ‘Pharos’ continues the evolution with a more meditative rock tracks and two covers. Although this is a long way from ‘Telemark’, the two are actually perfectly symbiotic and in some ways should perhaps be considered as one release with ‘Pharos’ being the light to ‘Telemark’s’ darkness.
Enough pre-amble. The opening track ‘Losing Altitude’ is a slow builder with delicate melodies and sublime vocals, with occasional guitar crunch whereas the second track ‘Spectre at the Feast’ unashamedly careers towards pop melodies, while managing to still maintain a dignified, almost cinematic ambience. The title track ‘Pharos’ has a more tranquil, almost ambient opening but soon builds and gathers momentum before it quickly fades to its close, and in the blink of an eye the three originals are over.
This leads us onto the covers. First up is a relatively faithful interpretation of Portishead track ‘Roads’, which the more discerning reader will recall has also previously been covered by Yorkshire’s own My Dying Bride, as well as others. This version manages to capture the vulnerability of the original track with Ihsahn’s vocals sounding appropriately fragile for the delicate track.
Finally, we move to a cover of fellow Norwegians A-HA and ‘Manhattan Skyline’ with Leprous’ Einar Solberg on vocals. As with the Portishead cover, this is true to the original, and if I’m being honest, I would have preferred a bit more of a new interpretation but it is enjoyable nonetheless.
This EP left me feeling frustrated and wanting more, which is a perhaps a good sign, and set me off exploring the Ihsahn catalogue (which inevitably led to a late night session blasting Emperor). Ihsahn’s solo work feels as though it is still evolving and will continue to twist and turn with each new release. Not always the easiest listen, sometimes challenging but always enjoyable.
(7.5/10 Andy Pountney)
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