ENSLAVED

1. "As Fire Swept Clean the Earth" (6:35) Gollum vocals! and then, later, deep mountain trolls. The music is so simple with it's two two-chord foundations alternating from start to finish. The Fripp-like lead guitar work in the final two minutes is nice. (8.667/10)

2. "The Dead Stare" (5:37) a little more dynamic fluctuation here but still hard to tolerate with those indecipherable vocals. (8.5/10)

3. "The Crossing" (9:11) acoustic guitars!? Oh. The metal walls of sound take over--again using two two-chord progressions (one major, one minor) as the sole basis for the entire song. The slowed down passage starting at the end of the third minute is actually quite nice. But then an old-fashioned two-chord metal passage is faded in during the fifth minute, bringing with it the growl vocals (the song's first vocals). A minute later the guitars shift to more spacious staccato strumming with normal human voice vocals before the music again shifts into a more of a swing rhythmic pattern. These last two motifs alternate back and forth over the next few minutes before turning to a rather hypnotic (and, actually, pretty) tremolo-guitar-based instrumental section for the ninth minute and finish. Parts of that were actually quite good! (17.5/20)

4. "Queen of Night" (5:59) opening with an odd acoustic guitar and flute duet, the music is quickly supplanted by metal (almost industrial metal) for some display of flashy lead guitar speed shredding. The vocals in the fourth minute have a monastic haunting feel similar to something from Blue Öyster Cult. But then we turn a corner into some very choppy stoccato and machine gun bas and guitar playing over which growl vocalist Grutle Kjellson does his thing. Pretty amazing speeds generated by that bass player! (8.75/10)

5. "Havenless" (5:35) Warrior-like men's group choir vocals over the metal guitar play opens this one before the growler takes over. The most schizophrenic song on the album, there are so many parts and dramatic vocal voices used that it is truly confusing. Interesting but just a little too weird. (8.5/10)

6. "Ridicule Swarm" (6:18) weird keyboard spacey ghostness opens this before the death metal stuff comes crashing in at the end of the first minute. Nice variation with the growls (in both duration and pitch) and nice drum play. Some kind of film voice sample in the background during the midsection is then followed by a "lulling" metal passage before the death metal stuff comes crashing back in. Definitely one of the more interesting songs on the album. (8.667/10)

7. "A Darker Place" (7:01) my brain hurts! Even the acoustic guitar mid-section and more 1980s heavy blues metal finish is more than my puny little vegetarian brain can take. (13/15)

Total Time 46:16

I finally decided to give these Death Metal artists a listen because I so respect and love Ivar Bjørnson for his Viking folk rock collaboration with Einar Selvik, the 2018 release, Hugsjá. but, in the end, I am, as usual, disappointed with the sonic textures presented in support of the death metal growls. Just not my cup of tea. Plus, the music is often far simpler than I expected (especially the drums--the bass is often amazing.)

B-/3.5 stars; a mind-numbing album of metal music that may find fans within the fold but, to my mind, even there might find detractors for the sometimes simple music and not-so-very-impressive soloing on display. Perhaps the messages mean more to those fans, but, as we all know, I do not hear lyrics--and especially not in the death metal growl form. I cannot in good conscience assign this the "excellent addition to any prog rock music collection" precisely because I've never been quite certain of death metal's place in Prog World but also because, even if I try to put myself into a Metal Head's mindset, I can see a lot of flaws and shortcomings with the music this album puts forward.

They throw lots of ideas into the pot, blasting into tech blackened death metal here, acoustic there, some chanting vocals yonder, but to my ears there is no cogent or interwoven structure. The keyboards just don't sound right at some points, while the clean vocals are not as powerful as they could be and detract from the gruffness of Grutle Kjellson. I don't know who produced this, but it has all the hallmarks of self-production as this should have been chopped and external guidance provided as this just does not work for me. I know there are a load of fans out there who have been reviewing this with high marks, but it is just too muddy and confused for me to follow that path.

The core idea at the heart of the album is simple: genre-bending experimentation. The roots of Enslaved's sound are firmly set in extreme black/death metal, with fast-paced, aggressive riffs, brutal drumming, and lacerating growls. From early on, the band had started incorporating into their sound Nordic folk music influences, drawing heavily from Viking cultural and religious heritage. On Monumension, Enslaved further weave into their music influences from thrash and classic metal, as well as marked 1970s progressive rock aesthetics. The legacy of bands like Pink Floyd and King Crimson is apparent throughout the record and especially on tracks like "Convoys to Nothingness", "Hollow Inside" (whose first half is almost an homage to Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd), "The Sleep: Floating Diversity - A Monument Part III" and "Outro: Self-Zero". Elongated and meandering song structures, psychedelic vibes, Hammond organs, vocoders and other strange sonic experiments clash with double-bass drumming, growls and razor-sharp guitar tremolos, conjuring up a world within a world, disorientating the listeners and leaving them breathless.

It's an alluring voyage the one that Enslaved invite the listeners to embark on. It's not a voyage that everyone will enjoy. And there's plenty of bumps and bruises along the road, as the Norwegians are still trying to find their feet and the sonic experiments are not always successful and occasionally backfire, like on the chaotic "Enemy I" or the unmemorable "Smirr". But when the genius strikes, the music turns to gold and I am left in awe of the sheer brilliance of the ideas Enslaved put together on tracks like "Convoys to Nothingness", "The Voices", "Hollow Inside", "The Cromlech Gate" and "The Sleep".

But it's the raw sense of fearless experimentation that is truly astonishing here. Other bands, with a similar musical heritage as Enslaved, were treading similar waters in those years, like Borknagar or Arcturus. With this album Enslaved outclasses the competition, not because Monumension is necessarily a superior product, but because of its boldness and audacity that leave me breathless and excited about this band still today, more than 20 years after the album's initial release.

"Caravans To The Outer Worlds" features 4 tracks and total playing time of 18:12. The opening title track is a progressive metal track, and it´s quite the catchy and memorable track, which could easily have been included on "Utgard" (2020). The track features everything you´d expect from a contemporary Enslaved song, like raspy/clean vocals, vintage keyboards/organ, 70s progressive/psychadelic rock influences, organic rhythmic playing, and of course a dose of atmospheric black metal. It´s one of the stronger and more remarkable tracks I´ve heard from them in a while. "Intermezzo I - Lönnlig Gudlig" follows and it´s a dark, brooding, and atmospheric instrumental.

"Ruun II - The Epitaph" is the third track of the EP. Although this one features clean vocals by keyboard player Håkon Vinje, it´s a continuation of the dark, gloomy, and almost psychadelic tinged style of the preceding track. It´s repetitive and hypnotic in nature, building an ominous atmosphere. The use of choirs and organic acoustic instruments deserve a mention here. "Intermezzo II - The Navigator" concludes the EP and sounds like Enslaved playing a Hawkwind song. Great driving psychadelic space rock. It´s no surprise that Enslaved pull it off with ease. At this point in their career it´s the most natural thing in the world to them.

Upon conclusion "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" is a high quality EP release by Enslaved. It´s less polished and slightly more experimental in nature than the material on "Utgard" (2020), and that approach suits Enslaved well. They´ve always been best when they added a bit of organic grit to their releases, and "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" is one such release. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

A year after the band's Scandinavian folk-infused progressive black metal offering "Utgard," ENSLAVED is back with an EP's worth of four new tracks that offer yet another take on the band's already established mishmash of folkened black prog metal. ENSLAVED proves not only to be an astute long term survivor in the extreme metal world but maintains its popularity due to the fact that this band knows how to juxtapose the aforementioned ingredients and change things up just enough to keep things a bit different than what came before.

CARAVANS TO THE OUTER WORLDS is a short but sweet EP (ENSLAVED's fourth overall not counting demos) which clocks in at only 18 minutes but offers four intense atmospheric prog and black metal tunes that continue to forge ahead into the future. On this EP, ENSLAVED joins the ranks of the more psychedelic black metal bands that look to the stars rather than confine themselves to the fjords with themes from the stars as well as lysergic organ runs and other space rock elements melding their way into the crunchy power chords and blackened prog workouts.

Wisely ENSLAVED sticks to its established sound on its full-length releases but isn't afraid to experiment radically once in a while on these infrequent EP releases. Perhaps this is a testing ground to see how well this type of music is received but if the success of psychedelic black metal acts like Oranssi Pazuzu and Hail Spirit Noir are any indication, ENSLAVED has a pretty good chance of adapting its classic sounds to a new era of hybridized black metal that keeps morphing into the next phase of evolution.

For those more accustomed to ENSLAVED's heavier sounds of yore ranging from the 90s black metal behemoths that culminated with "Mardraum" or the intricately designed black metal prog that ran from "Monumension" to "In Times," CARAVANS TO THE OUTER WORLDS may be a bit of a disappointment due to the fact the clear emphasis is on the atmospheric and ethereal elements with only the heavier parts adding a bit of contrast. ENSLAVED has definitely mellowed out in recent years but that's really not a bad thing at all considering how incredibly well this band crafts melodic folk-fueled catchiness with atmospheric and heavy contrasting elements.

Given that CARAVANS TO THE OUTER WORLDS is designed to take ENSLAVED on a journey into the world of space rock, i'm not really put off by the lack of metal heft in comparison to the classic years of yore. This is simply a really outstanding series of four tracks that actually leave me wanting more. This easily could've been extended into a full-length release and i for one would totally embrace this spacier side of ENSLAVED ever expanding persona. While purists will surely be left cold by this perceived wimping out of an aging metal band, i find this one to be quite a statement of expansiveness to continue to take ENSLAVED down roads never considered way back in the Viking theme days. While by no means ENSLAVED's best works here, this is definitely an essential listening experience for true fans.

3.5 but good enough to round up

Vocals switch between clean and gruff; the keyboards provide polish, the drums are all over the place, and the guitars never stop. They are incredibly tight, witness the ending to Homebound, which is chaotic and then suddenly it comes together and ends ? one would not expect that unless they were watching the timer run down. There are times when the music is more Viking in its approach, with a feeling of monks in a monastery, others it is almost pop while we also have touches of black metal as well as death, all coming together in a progressive metallic album which sounds at times as if it is different bands, not just one. The pop keyboard introduction to Urjotun could be leading us into pop, and when the New Order-style bass comes in, one could be forgiven for not knowing this was a metal band at all. But gradually the menace makes its presence felt, and it becomes something way more dramatic and frightening.

This is not an album for those who want every song to be in the same vein as the previous one, as these guys are pushing throughout. "We have albums that are steps and we have some that are milestones," Bjørnson says and Grutle nods in agreement. "I personally think 'Utgard' is a milestone". Only time will tell if they are correct, but for now, Enslaved are refusing to rest on what has gone before and with their 15th studio album are still pushing boundaries of what is expected of them.

The material on "Utgard" continue in a similar progressive black metal style as the material on "E (2017)". It´s majestic, epic, melodic, dreamy, and occasionally a little more raw, but the band´s black metal roots aren´t heard that often. It´s predominantly lead vocalist/bassist Grutle Kjellson´s snarling raspy vocals and the occasional fast-paced tremolo riff and drumming, which point in that direction. Otherwise this is more a heavy and dark type of progressive metal. Kjellson´s raw vocals are complimented by Håkon Vinje´s clean vocals and harmonies. In addition to guitars, bass, and drums, the music also features an omnipresence of keyboards.

The tracks feature recognisable hooks, but are still adventurous and unconventionally structured. If you´re familiar with the last couple of releases by Enslaved, the overall sound and style of "Utgard" won´t come as a surprise, but there are couple of tracks which stand out. "Urjotun" is quite different from the remaining tracks as it´s basically a psychadelic/space rock track, and it´s refreshing to hear Enslaved try something new. Closing track "Distant Seasons" is an epic melodic track. I wouldn´t go as far as to call it a power ballad, but it feautures melodic clean vocal melodies and opens in a mellow fashion.

"Utgard" features a clear, detailed, and professional sounding production job. It´s a well sounding production, which suits the material perfectly, but personally I could have wished for a slightly less polished sound and a bit more rawness and heaviness. Enslaved are almost too nice these days and the unasuming clean vocals by Vinje aren´t particularly distinct sounding or interesting. He has a very regular sounding voice and therefore some of the clean vocal parts lack power and personality. Enslaved are in many ways the black metal equivalent to (progressive doom/death) Opeth, but regarding the clean vocals they are not up to par with Mikael Åkerfeldt´s powerful vocals and distinct sounding voice.

Other than the clean vocals being a bit bland, "Utgard" is another high quality release by Enslaved, and fans of the last couple of albums won´t be disappointed by the material featured here or by the high level performances by all involved. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

Below the Lights does its part in advancing these exploratory efforts by expertly threading together the most haunting elements of mellotron based 70's prog, Viking-inspired folk, and modern black metal. Coupled with an iconic album cover and esoteric lyrics, this is a record that fosters a palpable sense of impenetrable mystery. Who exactly is trapped below that snow covered forest? How does their pain and misery square with the abject euphoric beauty explored on tracks like "The Crossing"? Who exactly is having these mystical visions of impending darkness? I am not equipped to even attempt answering these mysteries. I am content with letting that mystery permeate through the music.

Despite the above praise, I'm still unable to afford this record a perfect rating. As I have mentioned in my reviews in the passed, black metal is, for my own personal taste, a liability. Compared to a death metal growl, black metal vocals are thin and grating. If death metal vocals attempt to capture the power and terror of Satan himself, black metal vocals imitate the sounds of the small imps running around stirring trouble on Satan's behalf. Additionally, black metal guitars and drums are too keen on using tremolo techniques as the foundation of entire passages. "As Fire Swept Clean the Earth" could easily have been improved had those tendencies been tamed.

To these ears, the 9 songs of Utgard are very exciting, a refreshing and inspiring combination of black metal ferociousness, atmospheric metal accessibility, and sublime progressive extravagance. I may not be as acquainted with Enslaved's past discography as other people here, but to me Utgard sounds like nothing else I have heard from this band or from other extreme prog metal bands in the scene. Sure, nowadays there are many bands that combine black/death metal with clean vocals and acoustic instrumentation and write multi-part and layered compositions that take inspiration from the progressive rock/metal of the past. But it is hard to find releases that combine the various influences in such a well-balanced way and excel to such a high degree in all the components that are brought into the mix. When Enslaved prog, they prog like a pro 70s band. When they push their melodic side to the fore, they can compete with the best atmospheric rock bands out there, like Sólstafir or Porcupine Tree. And when they unleash their ferocious blast beats and growls, well ? that just shows you why Enslaved have been sitting at the top of the black metal scene for over 25 years.

The album brims with ideas. The guitar work is fantastic, shifting between tight riffs, atmospheric leads, blazing solos and mesmerizing jams. The use of synths and sound effects is another great aspect of the album. Keyboard wizard Håkon Vinje joined Enslaved only in 2017 from eclectic prog-rockers Seven Impale, and I cannot help but think that his prog-rock background has played a key role in the development of Enslaved's sound on Utgard. At times the album sounds like progressive rock with black metal influences rather than black-metal-gone-prog, like for example on "Sequence", a superb piece of music that start as a groovy post-rock anthem (Sólstafir come to mind here), before delving into a crazy instrumental prog jam complete with tubular bells, to finally drift into an extended, lysergic Porcupine Tree-esque finale. One of the best tracks on the album, no doubt. The vocals are another high point of the album. Grutle Kjellson's growls are a wonder to listen to, raspy ad grim but so well enunciated that add a whole new dimension to the standard black/death metal growl routine. The clean vocals (provided by dummer Iver Sandøy and Håkon Vinje) are also amazing, of much higher quality than what one usually finds on black metal albums. They play a big role in selling the melodic/atmospheric side of the music so well. Listen for example to the chorus on "Homebound" or to "Distant Seasons". I also thought that the sound production (Jens Bogren / Tony Lindgren) is excellent, retaining the rawness of black metal but allowing enough sonic clarity to let you fully appreciate all the subtleties of the music.

Among the 9 tracks, the three "epics" ("Fires in the Dark", "Sequence" and "Flight of Thought of Memory") certainly stand out as beautifully dynamic, multi-part, multi-layered compositions that stretch out through several twists and turns, and allow the band to showcase the full breadth of their influences. "Homebound" is another great moment of the album. It is a more concise piece, but no less powerful, with a great balance between raw and melodic parts. "Urjotun" is the most daring track on the album, a Hawkwind-inspired cross between post-punk and krautrock that will surprise many fans of the band. "Distant Seasons" is a great closer with dreamy clean vocals and an almost alt/post rock atmosphere. I am not so fond of the other three tracks ("Jettegryta", "Storms of Utgard" and "Utgard", the latter being a short spoken-word ambient piece) that I find more standard and perhaps a tad less inspired.

If I had to find a small flaw with the album is that it somewhat lacks a development arc: its 9 tracks are excellent, but I do not get the sense of an arc that ties them together (musically, not necessarily conceptually) and gives the listener the feeling of having embarked on a "journey". In this sense, Utgard feels more like a collection of great tracks that lacks however the "full-length album experience" where the listener feels that the songs were intentionally composed to be heard together as a whole. But this does not detract too much from the joy and excitement I experience every time I listen to this album. Utgard is one of the best albums I stumbled upon in this 2020, and probably my favorite extreme prog metal album of the year.

(Originally written for The Metal Archives)