Ihsahn - Eremita (2012)

And here's another one of the best and most atypical black metal albums of the year. Ihsahn, of Emperor fame, almost veers off into avant-garde jazz territory with wild saxophones blaring throughout the album. He also makes some pretty catchy tunes (i.e. The Paranoid). It's an amazingly diverse and brilliantly crafted album that may just be his best solo album to date.
9.5/10