### Enslaved: Isa

#### 19/12/07 || The Duff

If you’re going to be any metal band, Enslaved is the one to be, as you’d have had a fifteen year career not having put a foot wrong, and been an inspiration to thousands of those looking for bleak soundtracks to which to burn churches and sacrifice homosexuals to Pagan Gods. Now, those of you who have heard more than two albums from these Norvegays might be thinking “Oh yeah, they write a lot of outstanding music!” – well, wrong motherfucker; EVERY move this band has made since its dawning has been faultless, including its kidnapping of a sheep so as to prove a point to some political party not likely to gain power anytime soon. Whatever they chose to do to the sheep behind closed doors I’m sure also constituted equally necro behavior; I would even go so far as to proclaim a sheep made victim to a circle jerk at the hands of Enslaved exceptionally privileged, and likely to pass onto the next world with a smile on its chops and a click in its step.

The name of the game for Enslaved is forward-thinking Black/Viking metal, except on the band’s past album, “Below the Lights”, things took a turn towards straight-forward rock and spaced-out prog – some old-school fans may have been put off due to its flirting with prog elements, but that’s their loss, as I believe “Below the Lights” to have been a step in the right direction, overcoming the drawbacks of the prior two releases that may have been too long-winded and a little haphazard flow-wise. “Isa” continues down the same path as “BTL” in that the black metal influence of earlier releases has been reduced, and the music overall sinking deeper into prog territory. This means that if you didn’t like where Enslaved were taking things before, you will show an aversion to this, whereas if you’re into intellectual metal of the same ilk as Opeth (not identical, but both bands share similarities), then you can’t go wrong with “Isa”.

Enslaved deliver a profoundness to their music by weaving stark atmospheres and contrasting them alongside music of a bold emotional richness all the while making it sound as though everything should form one magnificent piece, and in so doing, display a maturity rarely expressed so masterfully in music these days; regarding the band’s impressive back catalogue, “Isa” is proof that Enslaved aren’t likely to break their stride anytime soon. Even an outfit as heralded as Opeth can rightfully be criticized for using a copy & paste method to writing their material, yet Enslaved make their music the sonic equivalent to taking an unusually smooth shit after two burritos, six pints of lager and a double-fisting session at the hands of Michael Chiklis.

“Isa” is a varied album; what’s more, five of the ten tracks break the five minute mark, one of which is over ten minutes in length – you sure do get excellent value for that thing you did for the counter-clerk at Wal-Mart in the parking lot that shan’t be mentioned in these paragraphs… Who am I kidding? They don’t sell black metal at Wal-Mart – to sell music of such a bleak nature next to the shotguns would mean many a valued customer meeting their respective end at the hands of cult loonies and McDonald’s clerks recently dumped by their girlfriends. Looks like you took a shot in the mouth for nothing, but that doesn’t imply you shouldn’t buy this.

9 yes, I think this is a deserved score out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2004
- Label: Candlelight
- Website: www.enslaved.no
- Band
- Ivar Bjornson: guitars
- Grutle Kjellson: vocals, bass
- Cato Bekkevold: drums
- Arve Isdal: guitars
- Herbrand Larsen: synth, vocals

- Tracklist
- 01. Green Reflection
- 02. Lunar Force
- 03. Isa
- 04. Ascension
- 05. Bounded by Allegiance
- 06. Violet Dawning
- 07. Return to Yggdrasill
- 08. Secrets of the Flesh
- 09. Neogenesis
- 10. Communion