This is the last in the trilogy of albums that Vegard Sverre Tveitan (Ihsahn) set out to record. The album showcases Ihsahns new 8-string approach to album writing and recording. 'After' was mixed with the legend that is jens bogren (Opeth & Pardise lost). Tveitan called upon the same musicians in this album as the prior two albums 'Adversary' and 'Angl' with drummer Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect) and bass player Lars K. Norberg (Spiral Architect) apart from the one exception saxophonist Jorgen Munkeby (Shining)
The album was recorded in Tveitan's Notodden based Symphonique studio. He told one reporter that he had never felt so confident and at ease with the new material, Its a really diverse album, both vocally and musically from highs to lows. 'After' is heavily influenced by prog and black metal which makes the album diverse that's without the added saxophone.
'The Barren Lands' opens the album, with its slightly distorted clean ambient tones followed by Ihsahns trademark haunting gruff vocal, which isn't much dissimilar and is in the same vein as some of his other tracks on his previous two albums. Suddenly track two kicks in which sounds like your average fast paced black metal track which is all good until WHAM the escalating sound
of the sax jumps in and goes into a wild un-predictable choreographed wall of thrash-sax. This track is a very forward thinking track and the sax is Incorporated very well but might not be too every one's taste.
Yet the album is well thought of and executed there seems to be something lacking that the two prior albums had. 'After' seems a very re-hashed album in all with one song sticking out as such. The album feels all to similar to the 'Angl' album which is not a bad thing but if you expected something new and fresh you may be disappointed.
Overall in my personal opinion the album is a hit, the song that stuck out to me the most was 'Heavens Black Sea' with its clean catchy chorus's and slow yet emotionally filled sax sections that build the song up well.
'After' is a definite buy for all Ihsahn fans and for those who want to listen to some forward thinking prog black metal. Ihsahn is definitely an artist to keep an eye on in the future and I'm excited to see what he has up his sleeve.
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