Metal Reviews

Have been listening to Enslaved all day today, and as much as I love Ruun, Vertebrae and Axioma Ethica Odini, I think I prefer Isa. Fantastic album, and the first album I heard by them. Remember being blown away hearing Return to Yggdrasil the first time I heard it.

Which do you prefer? And why?

Isa too. It's a terrific album though I have to be in the right frame of mind to stomach it...

Mardraum.

I excluded both Mardraum and Monumension because I don't feel that they had established the progressive direction firmly on both of those. Mardraum is great though. Most Enslaved is.

Isa was the pinnacle of their later work, in my mind. It is one of those albums that follows wonderfully and must be listened to as a whole.

Being a long time fan of Enslaved I find every album has so much to offer. As for newer Enslaved "Below The Lights" has a special place in my heart due to the production and the atmosphere they create. Although, after that I think I would go for "Ruun" followed very closely by Vertebrae. It's been three or four weeks since I listened to the last four albums of Enslaved so I might be mistaking with the order of my favourites. They are all absolutely brilliant albums. As for old Enslaved, Blodhemn and Frost have been sitting on my desk for quite some while now but I really haven't gotten around re-listening to them yet. They were always in my playlist five or six years ago.

Vertebrae for me. One of the best albums of the '00s, imo. Nothing beats that dreamy Prog atmosphere.

Very tough choice. Went for AEO in the end, since for a while each new album is like the last one made better in some ways. BTL and Isa are both wonderful, too.

Haven't listened to newer era enslaved that much but I do remember Ruun being quite good when i was listening to it.

i like new era allot and i havent realy listented to old and im thinking i really should haha, but the new EP is rather disappointing :/

Really? I think the new EP is very good. Why do you think the new EP is disappointing?

Below the Lights for me. It's highs are higher, and there are some damn heavy moments too. Pity this site scored it so low ..

i suppose because the last album was amazing and then it when to the EP, im not saying its terrible just not what i was expecting, it just feels different.

but as i listen to it more, im starting to like it a little more. Guess i was expecting too much from it.

I see. That tends to happen, yes... although with Enslaved and with many other progressive albums I find that the album needs time for one to able to digest it and listen to it over and over again before coming to a certain conclusion. That's how its been working for me anyways.

Probably a tie between Below the Lights and Isa. They still give off that primtive but majestic "viking" feel that I don't get as effectively from a lot of the later era stuff.

Enslaved was boring as shit compared to Dimmu Borgir live though.

Dimmu are gods, we get it!

Agreed with Sceadugenga on Below/Isa being a class ahead of everything since.

Huskerc...you're comparing the commercialism of Dimmu Borgir with the progressive and much more unapproachable aspect of Enslaved.

Right. Enslaved's first album is really fucking good though. Classic early black metal with keys. I love Ruun but some of their newer stuff I'm just not into as much and it's not really good live music, maybe for listening to while alone. Being that I frequent a lot of concerts having a good live show/good live music is a big part of the whole music experience for me.

Not trying to derail this thread at all, back on topic....

I'm listening to the new EP right now.

I saw that same tour .. and Enslaved were more than passable for an opening act. If you had looked around, you would have noticed many people really "in" to the music which kind of implies they don't need a cheesy stage show to make up for a lack of anything else ..