EMPEROR's Ihsahn on 20 Years Of Anthems, Lack Of US Shows, New Album and more| Metal Injection

[@guilhermemalosso6358]

I love this guy. No ego. A true genius.

[@nothertreeinbox]

The death of ego, birth of true self. Do as thou wilt not as thou want.

[@Havok474]

Ihsahn is the realest guy in all of black metal, the guy is not hotheaded like his black metal band mates or colleagues, strictly professional and no drama. He reminds me of trey from Morbid, and muenzer from obscura, nerdy metal geniuses.

[@Scorpioide]

And yet, Emperor is considered as one the band that is the most about trve black metal spirit , no bullshit, only music, Emperor rules, and in spite of every fucking great symphonic black metal bands that released awesome albums, Emperor remains without any doubt the very best one.

[@NevermoreNevermore...]

yes, and he's extremely intelligent... what I like most about him is that he has no tattoos (at least visible) and he don't put this retarded-clown-corpsepaint all over his face

[@vondellsumralljr8986]

I think trey and Isahn are way more brutal their music reflects it especially trey

[@crimsondeath7468]

He has not always been like this. Check his early interviews for some true black metal cringe :)

[@kimberlyh463]

@@crimsondeath7468 yes! He was young once, age and wisdom can change people

[@Iyashikei-t4u]

Saw Emperor live two months ago. Really good show and Anthems still holds up today.

[@antoliimayra1356]

He's the only one in extreme metal that you can listen to an album that you don't like but can still say "Can't wait to see what he does next" and still respect him. Fearlessly experimental, no ego to him and he loves the scene.

[@mikedelmore2264]

Phenomenal talent and vision, Ihsahn is a genius.

[@Lustmord92]

his voice is so calming.. what a loveable person. also, trym you dont have to leave the room! :D

[@jamdwhi]

I love interviewers like you man. You're not trying to be all goofy and annoying like a radio personality. You just know a lot about the person you're interviewing, and you let them take the reins. So refreshing man. Well done.

[@boscxx1447]

jamdwhi i agree, no pushed humor and agreeable dialogue.. i wasnt annoyed for once lol

[@dannycheesums]

True dat

[@Chuloloc]

Awesome. A true genius. Hail Emperor.

[@7428marcus]

I got that CD when I was 14 and wore it the fuck out.. my high school freshman pic in 1998 was in my favorite Anthems shirt

[@HKKetoRecipes]

My hero! :D

[@JayLamm]

I just clicked on this to see how the hell to pronounce "Ihsahn." And now I know.

[@metalmommy6911]

I know, I've been pronouncing it wrong the whole time!

[@zuzakrzak4296]

Me too 😂😂😂

[@MadHatter1337]

lmao same!

[@hfreed24]

Just saw them at Wacken.....just epic through and through, so glad I got to see it

[@darkagecult]

I seen them play in Richmond Va at twisters. Great times

[@danielflorio4739]

Anthems is the best BM album of all time and they've been to the states not too long ago. I saw them in NYC twice in the mid '00s.

[@bladerunner2106]

Great interview. Such a modest,down to earth and very talented guy.

[@spudsmuggler1821]

I still have In the Nightside Eclipse on tape as well as the split with Enslaved . Despite still believing it to be a masterpiece Even back then I wished it could have a better sound .I know about the whole atmosphere and feeling but these guys wrote music that was truly incredible

[@cerealflute6705]

great interview. Love the new track Arcana Imperii

[@miyamotomusashi865]

Saw them at Tons of Rock back in June on my b-day. It was fantastic.

[@franlovelsimic8421]

What a legend!

[@jasonw.4751]

I really wish I could just have one more Emperor album.

[@genaschtes]

best black metal band ever. real.

[@juliussw9153]

Def my favorite black/avantgarde metal artist

[@paulantmerrill]

Anthems is a classic black metal album

[@ladybezful]

yes

[@AbigorRealm]

Timeless

[@westernrider100]

Any guitarists here? Some years ago Ihsahn did some guitar lesson columns in Guitar World. If you can track them down and read them, you'll get a glimpse into his musical genius. Also, he gives some glimpses into his character and personality. Would really enjoy sitting down with him for an hour just to talk with him and maybe playing a couple of tunes or getting a lesson from him.

[@ryliefranco3910]

I have those mags in my basement. the true genius is his official tab book which i also have. uts out of print and impossible to find now. I just started transcribing it into guitar pro to save the book from further use. lots of triplets and sixtuplets. great for slowing it down and practicing.

[@Marika1885]

I would create a Kickstarter just to fund their return to the US...

[@poop1234794]

Do it

[@SanskarWagley]

Ihsahn's done a few solo shows here, festivals only though. Emperor came here during their first reuinion in 2006/2007, so I don't think it would be an issue.

[@Scum101proof]

I just saw them in dallas!

[@northhamptonshire]

A geek of absolute genius!

[@tgish1]

Incredible musician and genius!

[@diluted8]

0:37 says "things have changed" Curtain in the background moves as if a presence has entered the room

[@tiagobarbosa860]

Name of the first music video?

[@nihilist1280]

Tiago Barbosa The Loss and Curse of Reverence

[@frozenintears]

Emperor made Black Metal famous! epic band!

[@TheWitchOvAgnesi]

6:44 Trym photo bomb

[@a.j.abrams3550]

Still no love for Prometheus. I really wish that Tyrm would come back so we could hear The Discipline of Fire and Demise live for just once in its entirety.

[@a-gyimotfalvi-betyarok]

A.J. Abrams what? Trym is back already 6:40

[@a.j.abrams3550]

Az Öreg I thought that was him, good eye, man.

[@andreasjohansen6108]

Trym is the drummer in Emperor, They used Bård (Faust) only on the "In the Nightside Eclipse" tour in 2014.

[@TheGreatGodPan]

I find the first Ihsahn album easier to get into than Prometheus, the first half or so of it is great, and In the Wordless Chamber is a classic, but it quickly gets boring. I like progressive BM, but there's too much techy-wank on that album...

[@dn2222]

Honestly I like Prometheus better than IX Equilibrium. I really wished Ihsahn followed that style a little more in his solo works.

[@Greencheese333]

I really love his talking voice, and Varg's.

[@amiga512k]

If you had closed eyes you wouldn’t know the difference

[@nvt_2923]

Ihsahn is a literal legend

[@giuliogrossi7163]

Ishan?! Always said Isan

[@mcmlxxxviimcmxcvi8641]

Me too...

[@zuzakrzak4296]

Me too...All time i was thinking "how to say his name? " 😂

[@paulconrad7649]

This guy is like the Einstein of black metal. And the rest of the Scandinavian metal musicians are jr. Einstein’s. Pure genius!

[@TheWitchOvAgnesi]

Great interview with the exception of you bringing up burning churches. I notice the video got an edit there...

[@raymundog.p4388]

OLD SCHOOL BLACK METAL!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@Scum101proof]

U mean true norweigan black metal

[@jasonw.4751]

Bring Emperor to Maryland DeathFest!!

[@mosh7697]

Wow, last U.S. show he played was the Maryland Deathfest!

[@chaosapiant]

Where Eclipse is their Iron Maiden, Anthems was their Number of the Beast.

[@pedestrian6862]

6:45 Trym:I didn't invited?

[@MATIKAINEN100]

I WANT NEW ALBUM!!!

[@TERGENIS]

20 years!!! This album is timeless...remember first day when it was out! I was 17 then! :D To bad Metal Injection is lazy in answering peoples messages.

[@ericheinke2865]

North America Tour would be awesome

[@stormshadow2k]

The production on Amr is stellar! The drum sound alone is pure porn.

[@dr.bimbambula]

"paperwork is expensive to go to the US" c'mon dude it is the tour promoters who pay for it not you.

[@BlackLionRecordsTV]

Us is basically closed for anyone outside now , with or without VISA, less bands touring us hence

[@daveemerson6549]

In all likelihood, with current restrictions and everything, Samoth would never be allowed into the country. They'd have to get someone to fill in for him, and Emperor without Samoth is not Emperor.

[@pazuzu66613]

How many guys in Emperor can't get into the US due to past criminal records?

[@LeoMessiGoat1986]

In The Nightside Eclipse is still the best imo

[@matternicuss]

It took longer for Anthems to grow on me, but once it did I found that it is equally as amazing as Nightside, but very different of course.

[@kvltslime2261]

I disagree but have a nice day

[@LeoMessiGoat1986]

Richard wiscaver both are legendary albums tho \m/

[@TheGreatGodPan]

It ironically has the best sound at least, Nightside sounds perfect and has possibly the most atmospheric production in metal, Pytten knew what he was doing with it. Pretty much all Emperor material since then is compressed to shit, especially Anthems, which is a real shame as with a decent sound it would be the perfect Emperor album (I would probably still prefer Nightside personally, though)

[@MATIKAINEN100]

no no,first ep.....

[@SuspendedNinth]

play florida

[@saftovooey4569]

Does anyone know where he got the name Ihsahn from? Is it just a made up name?

[@usjkuut]

He said in one of his interviews that only six people in the world know what Ihsahn means.

[@bluewinter6660]

It could be Ihsan from Magic the Gathering

[@ajanhattara]

Ihsahn is common arabic name. Meaning roughly: 'to do beautifully'.

[@kimberlyh463]

I thought maybe he was Islamic because of his name, but he's far from it lol

[@cakewalkbaby]

WTF? Interviewer says they were "anti BM trend" Did he not know Samoth did 16 months for burning down a church with Varg.

[@richardaaron4454]

I know I cringed too lol... It was like he just wanted to bring up the church burning stuff to act like he knew something and he didn't even do his homework.

[@humantacos9800]

He agreed to the comment though. He said he was more focused on the music. His band members on the other hand are a different story.

[@TheGreatGodPan]

Emperor's original sound is extremely derivative of early Immortal, and their image wasn't exactly original either. In the classic era of BM they are the epitome of trendhoppers...

[@plzsirmoregruel9590]

Ihsahn personally kept away from that because he was much more intelligent compared to the rest really

[@JWiltz-gj6lb]

There's a very definite jump in the editing at 4:39 after the "church burning is dumb" comment, and when they come back Ihsahn is clearly in the middle of a longer answer. We can only speculate about what was edited out.

[@Malkav65]

Everyone should go and listen to his Peccatum album "Lost in Reverie". I'd personally rate it even higher than "Anthems..."

[@BasedCaleb]

Malkav65 fantastic album! Black Star is such an incredible song

[@franlovelsimic8421]

basically everything Ihsahn touches is gold... blackened gold, Peccatum is awesome :D

[@Intermentor]

Personally I prefer the more straight ahead thing he do with Emperor, but I also have huge respect of Ihsahn as a musician in general. Almost like the Devin Townsend of black metal.

[@metixang7806]

I had to agree with you ... blackgold@@@@@

[@tgmwright]

That's because you're an idiot.

[@DamianSieradzki]

He is Jonathan Davis's and Jim Root's son

[@saftovooey4569]

Yeah, I noticed the Jonathan Davis appearance right away, haha.

[@popskull42]

I think you mean father?

[@TheKvltPantShater]

@@lucian8515 *Kicks

[@narekavedyan8910]

6:45 Ahahahahaha

[@TheWitchOvAgnesi]

Photo bomb!

[@jamesmacoisdealbhaigh9904]

TRYM.!!

[@lordimpaler3899]

I feel like theres a Black Metal micro-brewery with his name all over it...but its cool...who is gonna tell Ihsahn no? Emperor fukkin rules!

[@metixang7806]

emperor thou shalt suffer peccatum ihsahn with out it id be lost in some other wave of unconsciousness

[@BLCKCSTLS]

Now that is a beard!

[@VortechBand]

I was hoping for a new Emperor album :P

[@SpasticSpud]

Emperor is done. Take the four albums and rejoice.

[@karstenvonfjellheim5321]

Ah common, be honest. It's not 'cuz it's expensive to get into the US, it's due to certain band members priors.

[@ericwilliams7374]

I was thinking that same very thing...but Ihsahn being the type of person that he is, of course he is going "word" it all the way he did. I don't see him throwing anyone under the bus so to speak, or creating any sort of drama.

[@KingCrimson82]

3:00

[@relicsofancient5583]

He looks like Jim Root here o.O

[@PitchSkullBlack]

Is the interviewer a knock off Anthony Fantano?

[@DNAgeek]

Fucking gutted only 1 show in Australia and already sold out. GUTTED

[@frozenintears]

Hipster black metal

[@davidfernandez6775]

My nigga Ishahn been looking like Ariel Casteo

[@ahenathon]

I have strong impression he always strived to be trendy.

[@habshivandroiy]

In the Hipster Eclipse.

[@quietdesperation7004]

Ihsahn kind of looks like Jonathan Davis.

[@unkind78]

hard to believe he's 4 years younger

[@DominionCraft]

do he even likes what he did in the past for Emperor and do he still likes Black Metal? bet he won´t.

[@Vorgaloth]

What's up with that dude's fuckin' hair?

[@AbigorRealm]

1) Anthems 2) Emperor EP 3) Nightside 4) Prometheus 5) IX Equilibrium All great albums, I almost want to put Prometheus over Nightside. Nightside is great of course, but to me, one of the more overrated albums of the second wave.

[@PG_Biggins]

666th like lol

[@metalWarriorCZ]

Sorry, but he looks like IT guy, nerdy uncle... not a black metal frontman.

[@deBurrows]

So? He doesn't look like a black metal frontman to you and yet he performs the best melodic black metal ever done? What a problem must be for you...

[@metalWarriorCZ]

I just said my opinion. What is the problem with that? Music is an art, and I also like some image of the band including the music. If I go to the concert, I want to see something more than i can listen home from CD. I found disturbing when black metal band play evil as hell but has image as peaceful nerdy uncles. I recently been on o festival concert of Emperor, the music was great but it was boring as fuck to watch. BUT it is only my opinion so chill out.

[@seanz1115]

I'm sorry should he be covered in blood and chewing on a baby? 😂

[@metalWarriorCZ]

Sean Z. :D :D Did you read my response? No need to chew babies :D Just don´t look like country player in shirt and jeans. Why? I hear black metal, but when I look I see country, sorry but I like music as a complex art, not just sound.

[@iamtheblackwizard88]

You're in idiot.

[@iamnoone5614]

Thanks for help killing black metal Ihsahn...

[@TheGreatGodPan]

At least he's not making boring black n roll like the guys in Satyricon, or just ripping off Bathory's thrashy black metal like Immortal have for the last few albums. I don't care if he's not real black metal anymore, I don't think he really claims to be, but respect to those who were always on the creative, majestic side of black metal rather than on the juvenile rock n roll side of it...

[@meomarte]

Maybe he just grew up. Could happen to anyone...

[@frozenintears]

I think Metallica is better than everything u say

[@kimberlyh463]

@Javier Merino nothing, but there is a big difference between satyricon and a let's say, taake.