Episode 79 – Simen Hestnaes aka ICS Vortex: 25 Years of Agility and Quirk

For the final installment of our 6-episode Norwegian tour across this most creatively-fertile country, Radical Research surveys the career of Simen Hestnaes. Working both under his given name, as well as his better-known nom de l'acier, ICS Vortex, Simen has assembled a large and exceptional body of work that stakes claim in the metallic regions of black, doom, prog, avant, and beyond. Episode 79, accordingly, finds Radical Research operating in its most voluptuous mode, suited to indulge this similarly-Rubenesque assemblage of Simen-splashed audio titillation.

Note I:

That’s Jeff’s cat, Cora (aka Corgoroth), mewing at the 1:30:32 mark.

Note II:

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Music cited, in order of appearance:

Lamented Souls – “Var” (1995 recording) Lamented Souls – “Essence of Wounds” (1997 recording) Borknagar – “Oceans Rise” (The Archaic Course, 1998)

Borknagar – “Universal” (The Archaic Course, 1998)

Borknagar – “The Black Token” (The Archaic Course, 1998) Borknagar – “Colossus” (Quintessence, 2000)

Borknagar – “Revolt” (Quintessence, 2000) Borknagar – “Up North” (True North, 2019) Dimmu Borgir – “The Insight and the Catharsis” (Spiritual Black Dimensions, 1999)

Dimmu Borgir – “Kings of the Carnival Creation” (Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, 2001) ICS Vortex – “Storm Seeker” (Storm Seeker, 2011)

Arcturus – “The Chaos Path” (La Masquerade Infernale, 1997) Arcturus – “Shipwrecked Frontier Pioneer” (Sideshow Symphonies, 2005) Arcturus – “The Arcturian Sign” (Arcturian, 2015) Arcturus – “Crashland” (Arcturian, 2015) Arcturus – “Pale” (Arcturian, 2015) Lamented Souls - "Hybris" (1997 recording)

Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.