FROST

Enslaved released their second album again containing some old songs from demos with a better sound and more sophisticated impression than by the debut album. Although some fans consider this to be a return to be closer to black metal than the previous album, I see it as a partial truth: There are shorter songs, pretty many blasts but also flashes of Viking metal and acoustic moments. The intro on keyboards is welcoming although cold. "Loke" is in a 100% 90's black-metal style, very dynamic, shrieky vocals. "Fenris" shows more potential as there are changes of rhythms, great riffing, drum fill-ins - it starts to sound like progressive black metal already. The clouds come together again - the second part is then return to the true black metal. "Svarte Vidder" sounds actually more like coming from the first album because of chord sequence and feeling. It's the second most epic track. "Yggdrasil" came early as a demo - it's a nice Viking styled song with clean vocals! "Wotan" has a dark black metal motive, very intesive and feels like dawn setting down. " Isöders Dronning" has a feeling of seeing vast frozen valleys and mist around everywhere. It's an ambitious track with symphonic vocals, whispers, acoustic guitars but also classic black metal blasts. A fine way to exit! Still only marginally interesting to a progressive listener.