Definitely a stronger release than In Times, if only marginally. At the same time it feels like they have backtracked a little here. Still a great release, but nothing that will likely wow you if you're familiar with the band.

Best song was not a pop cover, , its weird isn't it? album well its not BM, if you love old school BM, forgot this band don't plays it, but it has ideas, philosophy and some structures and Nordic heathen way still is into music. not best not bad either.

Not sure if I dig the direction they took with this one. Something seems missing. Possibly the departure of Herbrand Larsen, although the new clean vocalist is excellent. I'll try to let this grow on me.

Written by Bad English on 17.10.2017 at 17:12

Best song was not a pop cover, , its weird isn't it?

The cover is decent but, of course, I prefer the original.

Written by Paz on 18.10.2017 at 10:37

Written by Bad English on 17.10.2017 at 17:12

Best song was not a pop cover, , its weird isn't it?

The cover is decent but, of course, I prefer the original.

not in this case dude

Written by Bad English on 18.10.2017 at 11:54

not in this case dude

I know that you despise any form of electronic music, but this song is objectively well written. If you weren't so narrow-minded, you'd understand that

Written by Paz on 18.10.2017 at 13:30

Written by Bad English on 18.10.2017 at 11:54

not in this case dude

I know that you despise any form of electronic music, but this song is objectively well written. If you weren't so narrow-minded, you'd understand that

I am not narrow mindet I listen such kind a music, but this song is best in bands album and better as original one.

Written by Bad English on 18.10.2017 at 13:40

I am not narrow mindet I listen such kind a music, but this song is best in bands album and better as original one.

OK, let it be.

Hiindsiight = Song of the year!

I'm surprised this album is being better received here, I'd say this is my favourite release by them since Axioma and even the cover song is highly enjoyable

Written by PatrickBateman on 19.10.2017 at 20:51

I'm surprised this album is not being better received here

It's not generic enough.

This album is still growing on me. Loving "Sacred Horse" right now.

Does sound pretty average to me, even after multiple listens. No "wow" moments. I personaly enjoy In Times much more.

Written by Nicko's Nose on 20.10.2017 at 01:37

Written by PatrickBateman on 19.10.2017 at 20:51

I'm surprised this album is not being better received here

It's not generic enough.

Yeah, I have to agree. Experimentation and evolution of sound doesn't usually sit well with the "We want band X to make another album like Y over and over again forever!" crowd.

I think this is one of the best records Enslaved has ever done. Not only is each song tremendous in its own right, but they fit together brilliantly as an album.
This admittedly hasn't been the strongest year for metal releases, but this is an album of the year candidate for me.

Written by JayMo4 on 21.10.2017 at 18:17

Written by Nicko's Nose on 20.10.2017 at 01:37

Written by PatrickBateman on 19.10.2017 at 20:51

I'm surprised this album is not being better received here

It's not generic enough.

Yeah, I have to agree. Experimentation and evolution of sound doesn't usually sit well with the "We want band X to make another album like Y over and over again forever!" crowd.

I think this is one of the best records Enslaved has ever done. Not only is each song tremendous in its own right, but they fit together brilliantly as an album.
This admittedly hasn't been the strongest year for metal releases, but this is an album of the year candidate for me.

I like that one.

People are getting too blind in their affection and love towards favourite band/bands or too rigid in their expectations. First group will sign hymns of prise about new work of their favourites regardless of how shit in fact it is and others will not accept any change at all.

I grew up with modern metal. Bands are evolving, changing, one may say growing up, maturing. And since late '80 I witnessed that many times. First great band that fell from grace was Metallica, than others followed: Napalm Death, Fear Factory, In Flames, Samael, Hypocrisy, Paradise Lost, Opeth... most recently Solstafir and unfortunately Enslaved.

I just don't like the way their evolution is going. E is boring and toothless. I have to admit that it got few brilliant moments but far to few to make it into something that is worthy of more than 5 spins (I like that expression; I learnt something new today).

But there is a hope. Some bands seems to come to their senses (apart of Opeth, they're beyond any hope now) so I believe that Enslaved would do too. Soon

This album turned out better than I expected. A bit uneven (tell me an Enslaved album which isn't...) but the highs outweighs the lows.

The highlights: The epic chorus of "Storm Son" (rest of song is a bit meh), the 70's homage and especially the keyboards of "Sacred Horse", the bonus track "Djupet" (which is far, far better than the 'letdowns') as well as the overt King Crimson touch on "Feathers of Eolh" and "Hiindsiight". Also the bonus cover of "What Else Is There" is pretty badass...

The letdowns: Enslaved need to stop trying to write rock songs; "The River's Mouth" sucks just as much as "Building With Fire" from In Times did. "Axis of the World" is pretty meh. Some noodling in the beginning and a half-arsed chorus.

Swap the two bonus tracks for Track 2 and 4 and I'll consider the album a 9. Hello? HELLO?!!! Enslaved, are you reading this!? Damn it.

Written by terroriser on 22.10.2017 at 16:46

People are getting too blind in their affection and love towards favourite band/bands or too rigid in their expectations. First group will sign hymns of prise about new work of their favourites regardless of how shit in fact it is and others will not accept any change at all.

I grew up with modern metal. Bands are evolving, changing, one may say growing up, maturing. And since late '80 I witnessed that many times. First great band that fell from grace was Metallica, than others followed: Napalm Death, Fear Factory, In Flames, Samael, Hypocrisy, Paradise Lost, Opeth... most recently Solstafir and unfortunately Enslaved.

I just don't like the way their evolution is going. E is boring and toothless. I have to admit that it got few brilliant moments but far to few to make it into something that is worthy of more than 5 spins (I like that expression; I learnt something new today).

But there is a hope. Some bands seems to come to their senses (apart of Opeth, they're beyond any hope now) so I believe that Enslaved would do too. Soon

Couldn't agree more. Evolution for the sake of evolution means nothing. After all, the quality of music is what counts. E is mainly boring with very few awesome moments and the cover of Royksopp's amazing song is just meh.

First of all, I really wanted this to be a relevant, modern metal record, I don't mind all the "weird stuff" in music in general as long as it has the vibe and the point.

Now, plenty off ridiculous stuff written here, "it's growing on me", "oh, a big step fwd, like it more than IT", just bullshit. Why protect a weak music from any (well-known) band? And these old Norwegian former metalheads - fuck off, I want metal from you and you haven't delivered any. For a long time now. Not the speed, not the heaviness nor the sharpness anymore. A blunt, used knife. "Experimentation" but why don't you experiment with the fucking metal? "Not interested in metal anymore" is fair to say but then go under another name, not the former great black metal band of Enslaved, you reptile, you...
Apart from everything (and I am a music lover, not just metal) and it hurts the most, this is just not interesting (anymore) may it be pop or metal or jazz, it just doesn't do anything musically. It has no energy! I really do not appreciate these old bands that have "outgrown" metal and try to put anything/everything under the moniker of their former music/name/logo. It's sad to see someone lose their identity and "E" seems a bit lost to me. Go make film music (sort of) like Ulver, it's more honest than this non-metal metal music.

Written by gavrosaurus on 25.10.2017 at 20:37

Now, plenty off ridiculous stuff written here, "it's growing on me", "oh, a big step fwd, like it more than IT", just bullshit. Why protect a weak music from any (well-known) band?

Maybe because they actually do like the music and don't think it's weak?

It's hilarious to read some of the responses to this. basically it's the same rough blueprint they've been doing since AEO. for all the pining of the past, if you look at where they were between Monumension through Vertebrae, then AEO and the albums that follow, while they've arguably introduced more prog, they seem to have done a great job at looking and pulling back from their past as well.

if you don't like it, i suppose i can get that. but to call out others for their appreciation of it (especially from a "music lover") is too hilarious.

it's not like they went radio friendly, dropped the distortion and Grutle's harsh vocals to strip everything down to a 4 minute verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus-solo-verse radio format.

Written by Nicko's Nose on 26.10.2017 at 03:27

Written by gavrosaurus on 25.10.2017 at 20:37

Now, plenty off ridiculous stuff written here, "it's growing on me", "oh, a big step fwd, like it more than IT", just bullshit. Why protect a weak music from any (well-known) band?

Maybe because they actually do like the music and don't think it's weak?

Then that's fine, I can live with that, not everyone has the same taste & feeling towards it. If that is a genuine feeling, I respect that.

Written by Mr. Mackey on 21.10.2017 at 14:55

Does sound pretty average to me, even after multiple listens. No "wow" moments. I personaly enjoy In Times much more.

I 100% agree, I found 'In Times' to be much more interesting.

I have come to like this a lot.

Written by Guest on 05.11.2017 at 17:33

I have come to like this a lot.

Same. I thought it was merely okay at first, but I found myself coming back to this album a few times, and I actually like it a lot. Seems a bit of a grower, I guess. It's at least on par with the last few Enslaved albums, and it still has that magical, mystical quality that they've always had, the thing that made me like them in the first place. The new vocalist/keyboardist is excellent, as well--I thought I'd miss Larsen, but as much as I like the guy, the new bandmember fills the position quite nicely.

The new singer in Axis Of The Worlds has Ghost's Papa vibe and is kind of Anciients-esque too. Or might be hallucinating.
Edit: And now I realized, Feathers of Eolh is totally Anciients-esque. Anyone?

Pretty cool álbum. "Storm Son" is the best song, in my opinion.

Written by Netzach on 10.12.2017 at 21:48

Don't really know why but this is the only album of theirs that I keep returning to since "Vertebrae", maybe just a change in taste on my part, I should re-evaluate some of their later albums. Sometimes the harsh vocals sound a bit weak and the song lengths could use some editing, good stuff anyway.

Definitely enjoying it more than In Times, maybe because its more to-the-point, direct and has less build-ups and meandering passages.

I admire how adventurous they are here. However I prefer the more straightforward In Times

I've come to see this as a rather high-quality work that simply doesn't appeal to me all that much and that has mostly to do with the riffs. Enslaved used to have pretty great riffs a decade ago and before that, but nowadays their riffs sound generic and it's almost like they're trying to overcompensate for that with more prog and that bittersweet semi-dissonant soundscape of theirs. I gave this a re-listen today and then went back to Monumension and Below The Lights and this album doesn't hold a candle to those two (not to mention Isa). It's not like Enslaved release the same album over and over, there's always some change, but overall, they've been doing the same thing for slightly too long for my tastes it seems. There're simply no "wow!" moments on this.