Ihsahn unveils “Pilgrimage To Oblivion;” new solo album arriving in February

Photo Credit: Bjørn Tore Moen

Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Ihsahn, known for his work with Emperor, is set to release his self-titled solo album on February 16, 2024 via Candlelight Records. To coincide with the announcement, Ihsahn has unveiled a video for his latest single, “Pilgrimage To Oblivion.”

Ihsahn comments:

“‘Pilgrimage To Oblivion’ serves as a rather immediate introduction to the overarching musical and conceptual aspects of the album. The lyrics go directly into the storyline and the video is the first in a sequel of videos portraying the whole story. On average, I’ve been releasing a full-length album every second year since I was 16. And, you know, that has given me some opportunity to explore different options, so for my eighth full-length solo record, I thought, ‘Okay, how can I do what I do best, but also raise the bar tenfold?’ At the heart of what I do is black metal, extreme distorted guitars and screaming, but since the earliest EMPEROR recordings you’ll hear the keyboard parts influenced by classic soundtracks by the likes of Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, John Carpenter and so on. So, I approached the writing with the intent to present the material in its full-blown metal expression, but also to arrange the orchestral parts in such a way that they would work independently. Somehow an attempt to write a soundtrack within the structures of the full production, allowing me to explore different, and sometimes contrasting, variations of essentially the same music. In the end I wrote all the music as a piano short-score and arranged it for a typical band ensemble and orchestra, accordingly, making sure everything interlocked.”

Watch the clip below: