Der Herr Ihsahn wird am 20. Oktober 2013 damit beginnen, ordentlich Seelen zu brechen, denn dann beginnt offiziell das von Nietzsche inspirierte "Das Seelenbrechen". Das Cover, welches vom spanischen Grafiker Ritxi Ostariz gestaltet wurde, sieht schon einmal nett aus und ist was für gewitzte Wortpuzzler.



Nun lässt sich der Ex-Emperor-Fronter selbst zu der neuen Platte aus:

"Musically, this album is a very deliberate sidestep to what I have been doing; a necessity to reset the creative parameters so not to fall into formula. I think I do my best work slightly outside of my comfort zone and I've wanted to do something like this for a long time. Free form and improvisational can be scary for a musician but it is very liberating at the same time."

Das Album wurde gemeinsam mit Schlagzeuger Tobias Ornes Anderson (Leprous) im eigenen Studio in Norwegen aufgenommen. Zu seinen Inspirationsquellen äußert Ihsahn:

"Even though my music has changed over the years, I feel there is a source of inspiration at the bottom of it all that is constant. The general idea for this album was to try and dig deep into this raw source and express it without too much refinery and do so within a less familiar musical landscape. It is the reason for several purely improvised songs and parts on this album. I spontaneously performed with just lyrics and the idea of the atmosphere I was wishing to create. While many will feel it sounds different, I don't think it is necessarily different from my previous album. And in my head, it will fit in perfectly with my plans for the sixth album."

Dann bleibt nur noch etwas zum Titel "Das Seelenbrechen" zu sagen, den sich der Norweger aus Nietzsches 1880er Werk "Menschliches, Allzumenschliches – Ein Buch für freie Geister" geborgt hat:

"The title is taken from one of his aphorisms on art and how, in its purest form, is neither good nor bad. Of all my albums, my goals for this one have been the most abstract. I've had quite a rollercoaster ride putting it together but now that it is done I must say I am very pleased."

Enjoy.