HORDANES LAND

Hordanes Land is an EP released in 1993 the year before Enslaved´s album debut Vikingligr Veldi was released. I had some positive things to say about Vikingligr Veldi in my review of that album, even though I eventually concluded that it is an album only real fans will appreciate and therefore gave it 2 stars. Hordanes Land is an even more imature release than Vikingligr Veldi and understandebly so when you know the young age of the members in the band.

The music is typical early Enslaved black metal, which means long atmospheric black metal songs, drawn out, repetitive and very noisy. The production is almost unbearably bad. It´s hard to hear what is happening through the wall of noise. There are some simple synth playing here and there like on Vikingligr Veldi which helps create the atmosphere.

The musicians seems to be incredibly weak and sloppy but I´m sure it´s meant to be. Many early black metal albums seem very primitive and this is no exception. It´s normally on purpose though.

I don´t enjoy this one bit to be honest and I will not recommend this to anyone but the absolute completist or fans of early Norwegian black metal. I find it horrible and that´s not because I don´t like extreme metal, this is just too primitive and sloppy for me. 1 star and no recommendation from me.