When it comes to talking about the truly great modern day progressive rock bands, both in terms of excellence and in genuine evolutionary steps, Enslaved are arguably one of the most overlooked. Even during their root years in the early 90’s, within the hotbed of ideas and directions that was the second wave of black metal, Enslaved began to stand out from many of their peers, in part due to their, at the time, unusual song structures and their more overt Viking influences. Cut to present day and recent albums such as RIITIR and In Times (Nuclear Blast) showed much greater prog influences, whilst retaining much of their extreme metal heritage (take the blistering ‘Thurisaz Dreaming’ off of the latter, which is arguably the most ‘typical’ black metal song in their canon for many years).
Multiple side project,s including the experimental ambience of Bardspec and Ivar Bjørnson’s heritage project Skuggsjá with Wardruna’s Einar Selvik further showcase their wider branching nature, and their lack of regard for moulds. With such recent activity, it shouldn’t be too surprising that latest album E (Nuclear Blast) is their most esoteric and diverse album to date, but it is staggering at how consistent and exciting Enslaved have remained over a 14 album, 25 year (plus) career.
In a move completely asymmetrical to In Times’ furious opening, ‘Storm Son’ instead greets the listener with a cinematic passage of a Viking longboat approach, replete with signalling horns and horse wails before it builds from near shoegaze, dreamlike melodicism, to a mid-paced riff. Interestingly it’s the debuting Håkon Vinje (replacing Herbrand Larsen on clean vocals and keyboards) who takes most of the vocal spotlight on this opening track with his vocal lines and chanting much more prominent than Grutle Kjellson’s distinctive growls, even after the later more breakneck section.
‘The River’s Mouth’ is perhaps the most familiar sounding song on first listen and the most archetypal black metal song with the presence of growls from the off and its quicker pace; yet even here it doesn’t quite reach blast-beat levels of speed, while still showing a tireless and dynamic drum display by Cato Bekkevold. Nor is it afraid to venture into melodic and atmospheric breaks, much like the following ‘Sacred Horse’.
It is with itsi closing two tracks that E really showcases its creativity and expansive nature. ‘Feathers Of Eolh’ virtually strips away all signs of extreme vocals, instead giving centre stage to Vinje who gives such a vivid contrast to Kjellson and a stronger range than his predecessor, able to match up with both the galloping segments and really shine during the stripped back, calming, Alcest-reminiscent passage. Closing track ‘Hiindsiight’ proves the crown jewel of E and showcases a near limitless arsenal of ideas, ever twisting from post-rock and metal influences at the beginning, through doomier landscapes, bouts of extreme pace and guest saxophone spots and what sounds like traditional instrumentation courtesy of Selvik.
Enslaved are a band that genuinely offers something different with each album, even if still retaining a core of their black metal roots. Whilst by no means altogether stripping away this fabric, E is certainly the furthest the band have pushed away from such, and further expanded into many different styles and directions, whilst still sounding unique to themselves and it all sounding entirely fluid and natural. E may polarise some opinion with those who want a return to ‘basic’s kind of record, but it is the band’s most diverse and progressive release and a sign that even after close to three decades, they aren’t slowing down by any means.
A thoroughly rewarding and impressive effort from one of the all-time great progressive extreme metal acts.
9.0/10
CHRIS TIPPELL