Enslaved : "Heimdal"

The band finds ways to keep it fresh 16 years later. Only two original members, though guitarist Ice Dale has been in the band since before black metal became cool and anyone knew who Enslaved were ...well at least in America, where Opeth had just broken big at the time. This album finds them bringing new sounds to the table, while still sounding like themselves which is a testament to their songwriting skills and sense of adventure. Is it more prog than black metal? Yes, but we passed that fjord long ago, and is still more black metal than many bands claiming to be black metal. They can build something dynamic and epic in scope without going more than a few seconds past the 8-minute mark. 

"Forest Dweller" simmers down a bit into more of a proggy place with the sung vocals taking the spotlight. Midway into the song, it roars at you with its more familiar metallic fury. The keyboard solo over this goes above and beyond. "Kingdom" takes you on a wilder journey that I needed a few listens to really wrap my head around. It goes from wildly racing prog to end up at something closer to their earlier work.  "the Eternal Sea" broods a bit at first, but builds into a grooving gallop. It almost has a Tool-like vibe to it, if Tool was more into Iron Maiden than King Crimson. The nasty snarl does emerge to take things into a hard left turn towards heavier metals. 

The last two songs make me think the weed in Norway is getting stronger. They keep an aggressive core amid the atmosphere which "Canvas to the Outer Worlds"  in the periphery as the guitars bring many shades of mean to the table. It's not until over halfway into the song that the drugs kick in and space things out. There is still a strong chug running under things after the cosmic colors begin to drip around the song. The title track closes the album. Here is a song that shows they know how to integrate the weird in ways that keep who they are intact. There is a grooving angular lumber that flows through the pulse of the song. There is an almost Cathedral feel to where the vocals go to. Then midway into the song, there is a wild turn to a taunt palm muted groove that comes out of nowhere. I will give this album a 9.5, it is not perfect but pretty close, the elements you think would take a long time fan time to get used to clicking on the first listen with me, are the more straight-ahead metal parts that might require some time to stew in. That said it is remarkable they keep pumping out songs that are this inspired 16  albums later.