"The Weight of Silence": Karelius Ihlang’s Cinematic Transformation Into Stillness Album
With The Weight of Silence, Norwegian musician and multi-instrumentalist Karelius Ihlang ventures far from his previously established musical realm. As a fact, Ihlang is mostly known for his drumming work in the atmospheric metal bands Eldamar and Paracrona. However, he completely changes his emotional approach in his ten-track album. The album is filled with gentle sounds taking the place of the harsh, and silence envelops the whole thing. And by that, Ihlang brings to the surface his most vulnerable and emotionally powerful music statement among his discography.
This album is very much an ambient, cinematic, and instrumental work, and it sounds like the artist has figured out how to express quiet moments from his life through his music. When you are aware of Ihlang's Romani background, you can understand that the artist has made his own way instead of simply following the path of his father. Though Ihlang is the son of famous saxophonist and composer Gisle Røen Johansen, his album The Weight of Silence clearly demonstrates that his expression comes from being alone, looking inside oneself, and from the inner world that he has been mastering for years.
The concept of “The Weight of Silence” is embodied in the song of the same name with its slow, deep, and emotionally delicate qualities. The sparsely played piano in the song reveals the artist's talent that makes the power of the music felt through withholding other means. “Troubled Flow” and “Whispers in the Wind” bring more of the cinematographic sensation by mixing voluminous sounds with subtle movement and, seemingly, following the mental process's progression. At the same time, “A Promise Once Made” is the track that reflects most clearly its creator's emotions by skilfully balancing the sadness with the feeling of optimism.
Made with a focus on its spaciousness, the album is more than willing to share its silent moments with the audience. Every song on the record is like looking inward and talking to yourself. The listeners of Johannes Bornlöf, Gavin Luke, and Yiruma will here recognize a certain gentleness; still, Ihlang's individuality is in the unresolved tension that is left between the night of the atmosphere and the light of the calm, the scar of his metal yesterday, which still is the source of his ambient music.
The Weight of Silence goes beyond being a simple solo piano project and is actually a pivotal moment that the artist captured on tape. It records the artist's evolution from being very intense to being very intimate, from loud and dense sound made of many layers to the delicate and barely readable outlines of quiet. This music is meant to be played at the dead of night, appropriate for an inward journey, and is for those who can see that silence also has its weight and which Ihlang lifts to a great height of elegance.
Get In Touch With Karelius Ihlang:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011842860105
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eldrasilofficial/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kareliusihlang
Bandcamp: https://kareliusihlang.bandcamp.com/
