ALBUM REVIEW: Heimdal – Enslaved

The history of ENSLAVED is fascinating to dig into. They started life as a traditional black metal band, but since then have constantly tested themselves, evolving into one of the more progressive-minded acts of the corpse-painted world. They spin sumptuous, melodramatic epics of mind-altering extremity, and calling them ‘black metal’ no longer seems appropriate. ENSLAVED are almost a genre unto themselves, and a textbook example of what happens when musicians are allowed to develop over time.

As they continue into their fourth decade as a band, Heimdal finds them continuing to push the boundaries. Named after the gatekeeper of the nine realms (Idris Elba plays him in the MCU), it’s a deep dive into Norse mythology and one of those albums that demands your total attention. Playing this in the background while driving or gaming isn’t an option, Heimdal requires complete fixation, or you’ll only get a surface-level appreciation.

To put it in the bluntest terms, if AMON AMARTH are the drunken berserkers of Viking metal, ENSLAVED are the practitioners of pagan magic who lurk in forests and commune with the Gods. It starts with no more than echoing horns and running water, but as Behind The Mirror kicks into life, you soon find yourself being drawn down a dark path. It’s an expansive, ethereal track and blisteringly harsh, part prog and part white-knuckled black metal. Close your eyes while listening to it and you’ll see longships emerging from the mist.

The following Congelia is a brutal outburst of Norse violence, the sonic equivalent of a Lindisfarne monk getting his head cleaved in two by a rune-encrusted axe. Drummer Iver Sandøy puts in a standout performance on this one, and there’s some remarkable guitar work too. It leads perfectly into Forest Dweller, a textured and nuanced slice of black-prog, before Kingdom showcases their love of old-school Teutonic thrash.

Fans will already be familiar with Caravans To The Outer Worlds from the EP of the same name, but it still lands with incredible force. Here, surrounded by its thematic brethren, it sounds even more impressive, before the magnificent title track ends things on a high. Heimdal is a foreboding finale, indelibly stamped with the grief of someone who can see the end of the world approaching but is powerless to stop it. This is not a record for raising horns and drunkenly starting rowing pits, it’s one that whispers the secrets of the Æsir into your dreams and demands a blood sacrifice.

The big question of course is whether Heimdal is a contender for ENSLAVED’s best album? It’s too early to say for certain, but it definitely doesn’t do any harm to their illustrious career. This is a rich, multi-layered metal record that commands repeat plays. They’ve named acts as diverse as MAYHEM and PINK FLOYD as influences, and Heimdal perfectly encapsulates that. You could spend all year listening exclusively to this record and still find new things lurking in the otherworldly depths. Highly recommended.

Rating: 9/10

Heimdal is set for release on March 3rd via Nuclear Blast Records.

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