Vikingligr Veldi still lives in my car. Monumension and Below The Lights still find occasional play, but if I am to be honest – I’ve been sleeping with the Earth a little too long and the last new release I bought from ENSLAVED was Isa. It’s been a long tyme since then.
The newest ENSLAVED offering haes a curious beginning, but once the guitars begin to twiddle in I found myself thinking “Okay, I think I can get into this”. Mið doesn’t really come alive until ‘Spirit Helper’, but when it does, it bursts forth in deep blacks and vibrant blues. I feel the snow pelting my face. My cold toes, wet and raw in the snow, and the warmth of the fire projected ‘round the knees. ‘Spirit Helper’ is a remarkable track. After this song, the album feels more fluid and alive clear through to the end when I ask myself “Over so soon?”
I know that some of my tastes have shifted in my two decades beneath the dirt. This album may be more phenomenal than I think, but really…listen to track five. Loud.
Review By: Autumn Ni Dubhghaill
ENSLAVED
Mið
Nuclear Blast