My review on Ihsahn's angL:

I first heard Ihsahn's solo work through Guitar World Magazine, when they started to put his column in. Saying that, I can tell you from the first second I fell in love with it. angL is the second album from his Extreme/Black/Progressive solo work. His lyrics are very moving, shifting from Emperor's subjects of Satanism, Nature, and Mythology, to Individualism and Struggles. It seems that Ihsahn (real name Vegard Sverre Tveitan) has grown up and made music that more then just pagans and Satanists can agree with and understand. Its hard for me to choose between Emperor, who I adore so much, and Ihsahn, who's work is so amazing, but I can say that if you don't like emperor because of their "chaotic sound" then you would like Ihsahn, who follows more of a mellow approach to his sound.

The artwork is a little strange as well as the title itself. "angL" is a really dumb name, even if you're Satan himself writing it in concrete slabs with your piss. The artwork is very dark, but it has an angel statue sitting, seeming to be shielding its face from the "light". This could symbolize that the angel (angL?) has sinned and is shielding his face from the wrath of god. However, the angel is hard to make out because of the dark album art, which is dark grey, and the angel is just a few shades darker.

This album is amazing in so many ways. It has taken me months to take in the awesomeness of it's sound, and just the sheer amazement that this was all done by two people (Ihsahn did everything but the drums). It was a huge sound change from the Adversary, which is the first album that Ihsahn put out in his solo project. It could be that the first album he was trying to find his sound, and in this one he has it, or it could be that he is still experimenting. Either way, I'm exited to hear more from his solo work, and from what I hear, he is writing the new album as we speak.

No other words need to be said then: Buy. This. Fucking. Album. n00b.