Emperor frontman Ihsahn will be performing his 2020 EPs Telemark and Pharos in full for the first time during livestreamed concert on April 4. The set will also include select songs from Das Seelenbrechen (2013) and feature Leprous frontman Einar Solberg. It will take place at Munin Live in Notodden, Norway, which is Ihsahn and Solberg’s hometown.
For anyone who can see the show in person, tickets can be found here, but for most people, tickets for the stream are available on Munin Live’s website for about $18. It begins at 8:00 p.m. CET/3:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. PDT, and for those who both celebrate Easter and enjoy black metal, it will be rewatchable for the next 48 hours after the show ends.
Telemark aligns with Ihsahn’s general style, focusing on progressive metal songwriting, complex rhythms and a heavy atmosphere. It was meant to demonstrate the darker side of his music, and Pharos was supposed to show-off his more accessible side. Pharos is much more pop & rock-based and includes covers of Portishead’s “Roads” and a-ha’s “Manhattan Skyline” featuring Einar Solberg.
In spite of their notably problematic lineup, Emperor was an influential act in the Norwegian black metal scene. When Emperor guitarist Samoth was arrested for a church burning, drummer Faust was arrested for murder and bassist Tchort was arrested for burglary, assault and grave desecration at the end of the ‘90s, Ihsahn finished Emperor’s last album by himself and the remaining members broke up in 2001. They do still occasionally perform together, but have stopped releasing new music.
After a few years of releasing music as Peccatum with his wife Ihriel and her brother Lord PZ, Ihsahn broke out as a solo artist with 2006’s The Adversary. He has released seven studio albums since, including some critically acclaimed works like 2010’s After and 2016’s Arktis. Before Telemark and Pharos, his previous album was Ámr, which came out in 2018.
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