Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Ihsahn - The Adversary - 2006 - Candlelight Records

Track Listing 1. Invocation 2. Called By The Fire 3. Citizen 4. Homecoming 5. Astera Ton Proinon 6. Panem Et Circenses 7. And He Shall Walk In Empty Places 8. Will You Will Love Me Now? 9. Pain Is Still Mine, The

Former Emperor mainman Ihsahn comes back to the metal stage for his first solo album, "The Adversary", for Candlelight Records. In many ways this album is like a hodge-podge of heavy metal genres, leaning on power metal, prog, folk, and traditional metal. The problem is that it doesn't combine for a very good mix of entertaining music. Often this sounds like a botched King Diamond record, almost good but on the borderline of subpar metal. His clean voice is way off kilter, sounding like a strained Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian) and a psychedelic King Diamond. It makes for a really strange listening experience and one that I really don't care for at all. For example a song like "Called By The Fire" is shell-shocked with an incredible guitar riff right out of The Scorpions back catalogue but then the band slows down to a really slow progressive outfit through the chorus parts. I would go with bands like Circle II Circle (power metal side) and Opeth (progressive extreme) before venturing into this type of record. Odd. Very odd.

If you are ever wondering how a black metal singer would sound out of his element then give this a spin, otherwise avoid at all costs.



---1Evil1