Enslaved is a rare bird in the world of extreme metal. They’ve managed to explore new sonic territory on each full length release, without ever losing hold of their Norwegian black metal roots. Furthermore, at no point in time have they ever released anything that sounds phoned in. This is a band who, 32 years and 16 albums into their career, remains creatively invigorated as ever, free from the shackles of stylistic clichés, which is rather ironic considering their name. On their latest studio outing, Heimdal, Enslaved continues to spit in the face of convention and unleash the fury of the gods.
Like every Enslaved release before it, Heimdal is led by primary composer and founding guitarist, Ivar Bjørnson, as well as singer and multi-instrumentalist, Grutle Kjellson. Veteran axeslinger Arve Isdal handles the leads, as he has since 2002, while keyboardist Håkon Vinje and drummer Iver Sandøy, members since 2017 and 2018 respectively, remain prominent contributors on their respective instruments. Together, this lineup is forging a new, bold chapter in Enslaved’s musical saga. If 2020’s Utgard was merely the beginning, then Heimdal is the rising action, when things really start to take off.
The album opens with the enthralling “Behind the Mirror”. Even at their proggiest, Enslaved emphasizes atmosphere and mood over technicality and heaviness, and that remains the case here. The instrumentation is reminiscent of prime 70s prog, but structured within a Scandinavian metal framework. Speaking of prime 70s prog, ever wonder what King Crimson would sound like if they ventured into the abyssal realms of second wave black metal? Look no further than “Congelia”. Schizophrenic, chaotic, and frostbitten to the core, this 8 minute freak-out tests the limits of even the most hardened of headbangers. Proggers used to this spastic experimentation will be in Valhalla.
“Forest Dweller” is the obligatory foray into pastoral, folksy territory with nods to Jethro Tull and Wishbone Ash; gentle acoustic passages clash with blackened prog outbursts, creating a brash, yet exciting, musical contrast. Meanwhile, “The Eternal Sea” stands out as perhaps the most prog rock inspired cut on this album, and not just for its clean vocals. The amalgamation of Scandinavian atmosphere with 70s prog nuances is nothing short of brilliant. “Kingdom” and “Caravans to the Outer Worlds” boast nods to Enslaved’s early 90s heyday, with their thrashing black attach, while the closing title track is an absolute monolith, carrying itself with the heaviness and intensity of primal doom metal.
Yet again, Enslaved have managed to unleash a collection of songs that’s bound to stand out as one of the strongest and innovative in metal this year. Guided by the spirits of their Viking forefathers and the vast Norwegian forests, the band is a well of creativity, on a never-ending musical quest. Their endeavors to further themselves as musicians, arrangers, and a collective unit is nothing short of laudable, especially when Heimdale is as sensational of a listen as Below the Lights (2003), Frost (1994), or the countless other Enslaved masterpieces before it. To Enslaved, I raise my horn of mead and exclaim, “Skål!”
8 out of 10
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Progressive Black Metal
For fans of: Borknagar, Primordial, Opeth