20 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums Of 2016
3. Ihsahn - Arktis.
What is Ihsahn's Arktis.? Is it black metal? Is it prog? Is it death metal? Is it electronic rock? Is it symphonic rock?
In this day and age of rock n' roll being so divided into styles and sub-styles, an album having the ability to make you ask these kinds of questions is an early sign of greatness. For, in truth, it embodies a little bit of every rock genre listed above.
While tracks like "Mass Darkness" and "Disassembled" are definitely examples of extreme metal, there are entries in here that boggle belief, with "South Winds" being anchored entirely around an electronic section and "Crooked Red Line" even finding room for a saxophone solo. "Frail" has elements of the acoustic and the downbeat, while "Pressure" is laden with deep, doom metal melodies and harmonic guitar leads.
Arktis. is easily in contention for being the most diverse metal album of 2016 with so many influences and generic conventions involved in it, but at the same time it is something that will also please the black metal fanatics that have followed Ihsahn since his stint in Emperor in the '90s.
The album is gloomy and melancholic, keeping the spirit of black metal alive even if it doesn't strictly adhere to its musical rules. It's a fantastic beast, so go and find it.