Enslaved - Heimdal Review

Enslaved Heimdal There are bands that belong to the B league. There are bands that belong to the A league. And, of course, there are bands that belong to their own league. Those bands usually don’t play by the rules. Or better yet, the rules don’t apply to them. My dear child of the night must have noticed that to some bands I say that they are very hard to be labelled. However, there are bands that labels don’t apply at all. Both things are very different. Enslaved are one of those bands I mentioned here. By “Heimdal,” the first album I hear from them, I see that the band is really something else. Of course, I’ve heard and read a lot about about them, but never had the opportunity of listening to an album. Ok, there is always a first time for everything and I have to say that it couldn’t be a better album.

To say that Enslaved’s music is hard to define is redundant. Much more for someone that is having contact with it for the first time, which is my case. It’s only that the band mixes Progressive Metal with Black Metal, it’s also that their combinations are pretty out of the box. There are moments here with “Heimdal” that is really impossible not get where the band is going. What I consider fantastic. Take “Caravans to the Outer Worlds,” for instance. There are moments that it’s impossible to know where the song will be or what kind of mix Enslaved will take out of the hat. Or, the tittle track and grand finale “Heimdal” that kicks off with a Black Metal grip and, then, out of the blue turns into something ethereal, but not the Atmospheric Black Metal ethereal. It’s the Progressive Metal ethereal I’m talking about. The thing is that Enslaved allow much more to their music. As I said, the impression is that one never knows what the band will take out the hat. There are also the unthinkable melodic constructions as in “Congelia,” which are the thing that gives the band all their taste. Take “Forest Dweller,” for instance. Pay attention to all the changes the song goes through. The ELP keyboards mixed with the Black Metal outfit gets something really out of the real. The song starts a little boring, I have to say, but when the changes come everything changes. It’s exactly where Emerson, Lake, and Palmer meet Venom, just to mention one band.

“Heimdal” is just the kind of album to make your day. The one to share with all your friends that say that Metal music is always the same.

Enslaved “Heimdal” will be released on March 03rd via Nuclear Blast Records.

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