Band: Ihsahn
Country: Norway
Style: Extreme progressive metal
Lyrical themes: Individualism, humanity, philosophy, inner struggles
Album: The adversary 2006

P.s: Ihsahn is the solo project of legendary Emperor front man, ihshan( Vegard Sverre Tveitan).

I think ihsahn now is more creative and innovative in bands such peccatum (alongside with his wife, Ihriel) and in hardingrock (again with his wife and hardindrock, norway folck music artist).all the instrument are done by Ihsahn but some drums part and indeed live shows.
black metal boundaries was too restricting for him. and if you listen to his resent music,  you can see the change in his musical style and view.
outside the black metal music scene, ihsan always is surprising. if you listen to bands such Hrdingrock or wongraven (a folck ambient band with satyr from satyricon) you probably won’t beleive it is ihsahn.
and fortunately, ihsahn’s second album is out now. the album is called angL.

About song: the song starts with keyboard intro, Ihsahn uses his clean voice a lot and in some part harsh voice. needles to say, like other prog songs, this song is to long, about 10 minutes.
I think you should download the song and then you can see the change in his musical direction, from Emperor to Ihsan.

The Pain is Still Mine

The word is easy
dripping sweet and cocky from the tongue
vaguely describing the taste of blood

A distant cry arise
from the fathomless well
that is my soul
I can not hear the words
so I throw my heart in
like a coin
and wish that it would sink
forever

A purpose, a sacrifice
or merely temptation?
Is my solitude anything but a perversion
of my vanity?

I never cared for this weak inclination
this paranoid tendency
to flock
And in between the noise
all the guilt
a silence would carry my spirit away
from diminishing obsessions
Away from fools and poisonous flies

The birth of a dreamer

Behold, an angel of vengeance
a lion
a sword of fire
Alas, the burden of my heart
is violence undone
pain unfulfilled
silence

When I finally cut deep
into the flesh of giult
the un-naked body of shame
and the veins of repentance
open wide
sending rivers of blood
into my mouth
the pain is still mine

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