Location: Bergen
Country: Norway
Genre: Progressive black/Viking metal
Full length: Heimdal
Format: CD, digital
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release date: March 3, 2023
Enslaved’s sixteenth recording “Heimdal” is the culmination of more than four decades of exploration and self-discovery which haven’t exhausted these Norse Viking metal pioneers.
Since embarking on solitary excursions into the distant Scandinavian past and chronicling what they discovered on their demos "Nema," "Yggdrasil," and "Hordanes Land," they've sought not only to distinguish themselves from their contemporaries, but to transcend every perception of extreme metal from Immortal, Gorgoroth, Mayhem (though the line from Mayhem’s song “Pagan Fears,” “the past is alive” is more than appropriate when discussing this album). In doing so Enslaved generated soundscapes that couldn’t be defined as black metal or anything else.
"Frost," "Eld," "Mardraum (Beyond the Within)," "Isa," "Ruun," "Ritiir," and "E" were not only unique but exuded timelessness and heralded new phases of innovation, regardless of commercial viability or lack thereof. Beyond sword and sorcery and Robert E. Howard-inspired fantasy, Enslaved writes lyrics based on historical accounts and mythological legends.
"Heimdal" is named after the Norse deity who watches over Ragnarok from Himinbjörg, his dwelling between the rainbow bridge and the skies. The motif running through "Heimdal," reflecting Enslaved's long periods of growth and development, is Heimdal proclaiming the foretold war between the old Nordic gods, which would eventually lead to a new epoch with new gods replacing the gods who fell during Ragnarok. The Gjallarhorn's sound echoes far and wide across the world, drawing slowly but steadily closer, signaling the end of an era and the eventual coming of a new one.
The complex, eerie, mesmerizing and darkly beautiful "Behind the Mirror," "Forest Dweller," "The Eternal Sea," and "Caravans to the Outer Worlds" contribute a stronger foundation to the shadowy undercurrent behind the lyrics. The conflict between the old gods begins not with explosions and widespread destruction, but rather with relentless waves as one section of a song flows into another. As the tracks alternate between unsettling vocal harmonies and harsh, rough-edged voices, the guitars and bass also vary between bizarre, soporific arrangements and drawn out, discordant tremolo plucking.
Many sections, being lengthy, avoid becoming monotonous or repetitive since they’re written to capture and flow gradually deeper into your mind and soul. The combination of strings, keyboards, synthesizers, and electronic sounds forms an ever-changing setting with shifting complexities and a stimulating atmosphere that invites your interest to the arrangements and the hidden vibrations beneath.
You get the idea that the band has found a niche they can expand on after devoting considerable time exploring and searching for a sound that was elusive but within their reach. Now that they've achieved it, they're just getting started evolving to heights you hadn't expected from a black or Viking metal band. We can expect much more from Enslaved in the future. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Ivar Bjørnson: Guitars, keyboards, effects
Grutle Kjellson: Vocals, bass, keyboards, effects
Arve Isdal: Lead guitars
Håkon Vinje: Keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy Drums, keyboards, effects, vocals
Track list:
1. Behind The Mirror
2. Congelia
3. Forest Dweller
4. Kingdom
5. The Eternal Sea
6. Caravans To The Outer Worlds
7. Heimdal
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