Concept album- Ihsahn Eremita

[DeadPool2099]

I have been listening to Ihsahn's album Eremita, it has a very very dark feeling to it. Kind of like like NIN -The Downward Spiral or Neurosis -Through Silver and blood. After reading a few Ihsahn interviews online, about the album and concept. I can sort of put it together.

Eremita is an album told from the prospective of a madman. There are themes of Introversion,Paranoia,Schizophrenia. There is a story there but it's not chronological. From what I can tell reading the lyrics. There are parts of the lyrics that are missing, put in ellipsis. Its kind of like reading a diary where parts are scratched out. From what I can tell the protagonist is a murderer. The album is told from his perspective. There are little clues about the crime he committed in the lyrics. There are other clues like the sound of a shovel scraping in "Arrival" and at the end of "The Grave."

Lyrics that stood out to me giving clues were from "Arrival" and "The Paranoid"

" Tragedy, white snow and storm
By now would cover any track
Of this escape whence no one knew
The crime was cold, the passion warm
And though all fears were now long dead
A whisper of the night advise
The door be locked, and better still
To keep a shotgun by the bed"

"Dim lights from a dying coal cast a silhouette upon
the soot-smeared window, the unsolvable crime"

And pretty much all the lyrics to "Catharsis" and "The Grave"
The last track "Departure" hints that there was a murder of a man. And that a woman made the Protagonist feel hope. Maybe the story was a love triangle between the Protagonist, the woman, and the murdered man.

I am still trying to find little clues to figure out the story of the album. The music is awesome. It kind gives me a sense of Noir films, crime, jazz, murder. Mixed with Black and Progressive Metal. I love the Saxophone on Eremita!

Does anyone have any thoughts on Eremita's story and what they think the album is about?

I would love to hear different take on it. Different interpretations!

 

[chopeth]

Thanks for your interpretation, I love Ihsahn and I'm looking forward to listening to his next more traditional sounding album compared to the last, which was often too electronic for me. Keep feedback coming

 

[DeadPool2099]

I think Das Seelenbrechen was pretty good, its Not his best album or his worst. I liked that it's experimental. most of the album takes some getting used to though. I'm glad he still does his screams and clean vocals. He shows that his screams still work in tracks like "Regen". That album seems like a mix of Prog-Rock, Prog-Metal, and experimental music

I like when artists reach out of their comfort zone to try something different. I kinda wish Opeth would bring back the death growls and use it in different contexts. I mean it doesn't have to be metal Akerfeldt uses the growls over. He could growl over some prog-rock stuff. I like Heritage and Pale Communion, to me it sounds like Opeth. I think Ihshan and Opeth can go in any direction and I will listen to them because I love their music. I can't wait for the new Ihshan album to come out!.

What do you think about Eremita?

 

[chopeth]

I'm also a long time Opeth a fan as you can tell by my nick but am a little bit less enthusiast about their last releases than with Ihsahn. Eremita is great, it's when I find the better blend of Ihsahn's metal with Jorgen's sax of Shining. I love most songs there, especially the grave, and had the chance to see it live last summer, and later talk to the man which was among the audience enjoying the show of his friends from Leprous. Pure magic.

 

[Triple7]

I love Ihsahn's music. Eremita was a solid album, it just happened to come after "After", which in my opinion is his best.

I love the little studio clips that he posts. I wish he would expand on those, and do a full studio documentary while recording an album.

 

[DeadPool2099]

Yeah I love the album after as well for the concept and of course for the saxophone that is used throughout the album. I want to check out Shining more. I saw Opeth three years ago in Boulder, Colorado at the fox. I saw them play two nights in a row, they were good shows. They played material from Heritage and their Prog-Death metal classics.

Both nights they played the exact same set, which was a little lame. Akerfeldt's screams were ok but not too great at the time. They didn't sound very distinct kind of low and monotone. I remember reading at the time he was having trouble doing the Death growls. Which is to be expected as people age their voice changes. And screaming like that for 20 years or so has to take its toll on your voice.

I am eventually going to get a Agile 8-string guitar. I can't wait to get it and play it. I have been playing 7-string for 15 years now. And I am getting more interested in it. I think its time for an upgrade. I still got my 6-string guitars, and 7-string. I've played an 8-string a few times and it just felt just like a regular guitar. It didn't feel too intimidating or anything.