Enslaved are one of the leading lights in the black metal genre. From their inception in 1991, Enslaved were your prototypical black metal band, ugly, dark and full of fury. But then things changed with the release of 2004’s Isa, which saw the band exploring a more progressive direction and this newfound approach was firmly cemented with the stunning follow-ups Ruun in 2006 and 2008’s Vertebrae. From here onwards Enslaved have continued to grow and evolve, leaving much of the black metal scene in their wake. So what have purveyors of progressive black metal provided this time round with their new album Heimdal?
‘Behind the Mirror’ opens proceedings with the trickling of water breaking the silence like a Viking longship breaching the mist, then a far distant fog horn rumbles closer and closer signalling the beginning of the voyage, which is followed by the song’s riff shattering the expectancy before diving into familiar prog territory that Enslaved have cultivated so well ever since the album Ruun. The song then takes a darker turn as the riff is accompanied by more traditional black metal vocals, before again becoming propelled forward by a euphoric, ethereal prog passage, where the synths pulse in and out of the labyrinth structure of the song. It recalls to me a similar sensation as to hearing ‘Ghost of Perdition’ by Opeth for the first time (the opening song from the classic album Ghost Reveries), not that it is similar in style, more that in an opening song, it lays out everything the album is about to offer – like a tasting menu and that what you are about to hear will transcend your expectations.
I will not go into further details about how each song unfolds, this would rob you of a true musical experience. However what I will say is this, Heimdal is an extraordinary album, it is so diverse, yet never once disorientates the listener. It contains some of the bands most dark and gnarly moments since their early albums, yet also contains some of the most expansive and exploratory songwriting in equal spades. When a band couples all these differing musical textures together so sublimely, each song becomes a standout moment and within each song, it contains many standout moments.
For a band such as Enslaved there is always a heavy sense of expectation with each new release, their last album Utgard was one of their finest, so how does the new album Heimdal stand up? Well, Heimdal may well grow to become the best album Enslaved has done. Upon first listen it is near impossible to take in all that it has on offer, which is not unlike an Enslaved album as they have all since Isa, required multiple listens to fully unpack. However, with Heimdal there is an immediate sense that something special has been produced and with each subsequent listen it becomes more and more apparent.
After over thirty years of existence and 16 studio albums, producing an album of this quality is just mind-blowing. Like the when the mentioned Opeth album Ghost Reveries was released, Enslaved have just set the benchmark not just for this year but for all extreme metal music going forward.
Released 3rd of March 2023 via Nuclear Blast.
