ENSLAVED - Heimdal 2-LP (Black Vinyl)

Released in a gatefold sleeve, with 4-panel lyrics Insert.

Since their fifth album, 'Mardraum (Beyond the Within)', Norwegians Enslaved show a preference for progressive black/viking metal. And of course their sixteenth album 'Heimdal' bears the seal of progressive rock as before. And if the term "progress" is understood not as a reference to musical style, but as a departure from the "roots", then Enslaved have gone very far. In hand-waving terms, their colleagues In the Woods... are much more "the very same good old ones" on their latest album 'Diversum' than Enslaved on 'Heimdal'. This despite the fact, by the way, that In the Woods... currently have only one original member, and even then a drummer who is far from being the main songwriter, put it that way. Whereas Enslaved are still built around the founding duo of Ivar Bjørnson (guitar) and Grutle Kjellson (bass/vocals).

Nevertheless, 'Heimdal' captures all the stylistic elements that Enslaved use to construct their music in recent years, including music for the previous album 'Utgard'. It is progressive rock, of course, that is in the first place – there are as many as you like the prog elements in each song on 'Heimdal'. Black/viking metal sections are trying to alternate with them, but they are still inferior in quantity. These (almost) tremolo-picked riffs over (almost) blast beats seem to be designed to periodically remind the listener where Enslaved started. Correspondingly, there is an almost constant duel between harsh rasping vocals and several clear voices sounded one after another.