Album Review: Ihsahn – Telemark

Progressive metal music

Ihsahn is back with a new album, Telemark. This record is great because Ihsahn uses his raspy, grungy vocals to help narrate the topic in each song. Also, his shrieks contribute to the madness of the record. The instrumentation on Telemark is well played because the band creates progressive metal and Norwegian music. Throughout the album, Ihsahn does a great job of expressing himself through the music and while listening, emotions can be felt. Telemark is a great album and fans will not be disappointed.

On the album, “Rock and Roll Is Dead” is a fun song due to the fact that the musical style is different from progressive metal. When listening, the guitar playing shines on the track because it provides the song with wild energy. Also, the guitar solo is awesome because it is cutting edge and adds more depth to the song. “Rock and Roll is Dead” is a well-played song and Ihsahn took the time to be creative with the musical style. Ultimately, fans could end up playing air guitar while listening to this track.

The song “Striding” is a cool track because of how Ihsahn uses his raspy and grungy voice that provides the feeling of dark matter in the song. What is enjoyable about his vocals is how he is capable of shrieking in a low, raspy tune. When listening to the song, it does feel like Ihsahn’s shrieking displays the lingering emotions he has which shifts into a high-pitched emotional wail. “Striding” is a great song and Ihsahn’s vocals shine.

“Nord” is a great tune because of the volume of the vocals. What is amusing about Ihsahn’s vocals is at the beginning of the song he shouts out the lyrics of the music. The reason why Ihsahn uses his voice to shout is that he wants the audience to feel his agony and pain. Toward the end of the song, his vocals start to lower but his voice is still filled with the same emotions. Despite not knowing the meaning behind “Nord,” Ihsahn’s vocals are dynamic on this song and fans could find themselves bobbing their heads to the music.

The title track “Telemark” is a good song because of the musical style. Progressive metal and Norwegian music mesh together to create a solid metal song. The first half of the song is instrumental and the band shows the audience what kind of an artist Ihsahn is. When listening, the Norwegian music shines on this track because of how the sound blends in with the metal music. The musical composition on this track is great and it shows how Ihsahn is not afraid to tell the audience what his nationality is.

Another great song is “Wrath Child,” and unlike the heavier songs, this track is another rock song. The band does a great job of adding the right elements to create rock with a twist of soul music. What is enjoyable in this song is how the horn section blends in with the rest of the instruments. When listening, the horn section is the strong point and it adds the excitement and soul to the music. Overall, it comes across that Ihsahn enjoyed himself while composing “Wrath Child.”

Telemark is a great album and Ihsahn succeeded at showing himself through the music.

Cait Stoddard: Hello! My name is Caitlin and my job is writing music news stories and reviewing metal music albums. I enjoy collecting vinyl, playing video games, watching movies and going to concerts.
Related Post
Leave a Comment