Enslaved Album: “Isa”

Enslaved has truly done it again. There are influences here from nearly every style of metal (read: Metal, not the s**t on the radio) in history, and plenty of innovation and technical mastery to propel this album into history.

--DISCLAIMER--

The "tr00" and "kvlt" crowd is going to hate this. But then again, Isa is not for you - go listen to Det Som Engang Var, on repeat, for the rest of your life, since that's exactly what all the cookie-cutter "kvlt" bands are trying to sound like anyway.

--END DISCLAIMER--

For people who are ready to step out of 1994, Enslaved has crafted here for you an epic slab of forward-thinking metal that holds to its roots yet reaches out in several different directions, all without ever feeling stale or sacrificing their trademark songwriting excellence.

Just make sure you give it several listens before you try to sort it out in your head - it may sound a little more accessible than their prior work, but it's also more complex than any of their albums to date.

If Swervedriver made black metal, it might sound like this. Whether or not British shoegazers influenced Enslaved, the note choices, harmonies, and sonic density here recall "Mezcal Head." While standard black metal elements are present, such as double bass drums, keyboards, and the occasional shrieking vocal, Enslaved has carved out its own unique, abstract sound. Curiously, the album is never really heavy, fast, or evil. Riffs chug along with the aforementioned shoegazer vibe, punctuated by well-placed clean vocals. The twists and turns that do occur are organic and natural, suggesting a `70's prog-rock influence; in terms of prog to rock ratio, Voivod comes to mind. This is not the most immediate listen, but repeated spins reveal a rich, masterful complexity.

After so much cornucopian splendour weaving such a wide gamut of emotion and dark colours to the spectrum of brutal majesty, one who can truly appreciate the depth and breadth of this band can only be left speechless under and after the weight of such conceptually breathtaking metallic tapestry. Opeth are the classical masters, continually refining and taking measured, guarded steps into experimentation, and Meshuggah are the scientific vanguard innovators, but Enslaved are the psychedelic cosmonauts, wormholing above and below in the spirit of a heavy Floyd. Plumbers par-excellent of death perception and Black Light Trippin...

personally, I like this less than the previous 2 masterpieces - Below the Lights being more cohesively grand and Monumension being a stunning deparature of near-Damnation proportions - I find more harsh moments here, sacrificing flow for stuttered attack, but to hear the focused precision of "Isa" and the instro is fistpumping, headbanging, heartpalpitating pleasure of the purest metal form. And in the other direction, "Return to Yggdrasill" is among the most beautiful moments they've visited. This band can do no wrong. They have alchemized Black-Folk-Psychedelick into a patented, mutating formula and with it, are always finding new terrain and astral landscape for us to explore. They go places others wouldn't even think.

Enslaved have created yet another unique and powerful record filled with odd time signatures, chords and unexpected spine chilling melodic twists. Clean vocals are mixed very effectively with black metal growls. The guitars and drums occasionally remind me of this band's black metal past but I wouldn't call this black metal at all. Rather this is some sort of progressive hybrid that has roots in black metal and Norwegian folk but goes far beyond the typical stylings of either genre. Since Maudraum, Enslaved have gotten better or at the very least moved forward with every album. Unlike a band like Darkthrone who've tried to maintain their allegience to the rules of "true" black metal, Enslaved are not content to make the same album over and over again or remain within prescribed musical confines. Not to cut on Darkthrone, they do what they do very well, but Enslaved are much more adventurous.

Isa wasn't as immediately enjoyable or accessible as Maudraum or Below The Lights, rather it took a little time for me to get my head around it. But once I gave it the requisite time for it to sink in, damn. Isa is some of the most unique metal out there these days, a stand out release.

...But I'd give the award for best Enslaved album to

. Second would be their latest,

. ~THEN~, I'd say Isa. The eponymous title track is certainly among the best tracks they've laid to, um, hard drive, but I think the other albums have more consistency, and are a bit catchier overall. Perhaps therein lies the rub... not many people want their black metal catchy, but I think it is a preferential quality in all music. Other tracks to check out: they rhythmically complex "Bounded By Allegiance" and the haunting "Violent Dawning." If you're already on this page, though, you've come to a good place. Enslaved are the still-standing prize fighters of the original "second" wave of Norwegian Black Metal. While their original peers have fallen into self-parody or arrested development, they have continued to innovate and morph while still retaining many of the qualities which lend to authenticity. This was the first album where their inimitable form of complex clean / dirty, progy / riffy, black and white metal came to fruition - let's hope their perch atop (or near the top) of the thinking man's black metal isn't soon relegated. I guess I should also mention Satyricon if you're looking for an even more riff-tastic version of black ('n roll) metal (although not nearly as complex). They're still punching, too.