To the few outsiders who know much of anything about it, the Norwegian Black Metal scene probably is mostly known as a collection of rejects dressed like third-rate KISS cover band members who, when not making records that sound like they were recorded in Satan's bathroom, ward of the cold of a winter night by burning down churches. And as for violence, Gangsta rappers have nothing on these guys... indeed, just read about the histories of genre founding fathers such as Emperor, Gorgoroth, and of course the justifiably infamous Mayhem for all the carnage you could want. Not many bands remain from these early days, but Enslaved have been a constant force in the genre, and over their near two-decade history, have consistently pushed their music forward while growing a fanbase beyond the stereotypical metalhead punters.
Critics love to compare this Norwegian five-piece to Swedish Death Metal maestros Opeth, and it's easy to see why... many metal bands embrace a "progressive" direction as they mature, but very few do so while remaining true to their extreme roots as these two acts have done. Following a period as an early pioneer of the Viking Metal idiom on albums like Frost and Blodhemn Enslaved began to incorporate elements of 70's Prog and Space-Rock. One might think that lush mellotrons and reverb-drenched clean guitars would sound ridiculous next to frontman Grutle Kjellson's gargled vocals. And yet, this band has consistently reaffirmed it's position in the vanguard of thinking man's extreme metal with releases like the seminal Below the Lights and the awesome Vertebrae. It's a risky road to walk, as the danger of letting the notoriously conservative metal fanbase down is great... it's a paradox of growing musically, while remaining somehow familiar. The same, but different.
On their latest release, Axioma Ethica Odini, Enslaved let us know right away that things are going to be a little different this time around. The last few releases wholeheartedly embraced the old-school Floydian prog ethos in production, with a sense of vast spaciness that is almost jarring in the "more is more" world of extreme metal. However on the opener "Ethica Odini" we are assaulted with a suffocating avalanche of blurry, distorted guitars and rapid-fire drumming, with Kjellson's familiar croak right on top rather than miles away in the mix. It's almost as if they're launching a pre-emptive punch in the face to those that might have thought to trot out the time-tested accusation of "going soft. Indeed, this is Enslaved showing us all that despite all the exploration and prog-noodlings, at the core of their blackened hearts they are a metal band. The headbanging good times continue on the almost Motorhead-like "Raidho," the classic Black Metal riffs and blast-beat drumming of "The Beacon" and the Sabbath-like guitars on the aptly named "Giants." As the record wears on, the prog influences do make their their presence felt, in the trippy interlude "Axioma" and most especially on the gorgeous "Night-Sight" (one of the most amazing songs this band has ever put out; imagine a Norwegian King Crimson, and you might be in the ballpark with this one.) But even with these meanderings, Enslaved have never sounded as focused as they do here.
Performance-wise, the is at the top of it's game. Kjellson's rasp is in fine form, and is ably countered by the soaring clean vocals of keyboardist Herbrand Larsen. Many bands these days play with the fusion of clean and growled vocals, but most save the actual singing for catchy choruses. Enslaved however use both styles along side each other in a surprisingly complimentary fashion; it's not merely a hook to "sell" the song (though Larsen's vocals can be extremely catchy,) it's yet another element that fits into overall architecture of the band's compositions. Ivar Bjørnson and Arve Isdal's guitars are more in-your-face on this release, the most classically "heavy" this band has sounded since 2001's Monumension. Drummer Cato Bekkevold might be the most underrated percussionist in the Black Metal scene, and his work on "Ethica Odini" and the album-closing epic "Lightening" show that he deserves to be mentioned alongside genre greats such as Mayhem's Hellhammer and Satyricon's Frost.
Enslaved have shown that for all their musical exploration they remain undeniably their Black Metal selves. Purists who have in the past turned up their noses at the band's wanderings would be wise to take a second look at them through this release. Progressive and yet still undeniably heavy, it may be the finest metal album of 2010, and possibly of the band's long career.
5 out of 5
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