Release date: 3/3/2023
Origin: Bergen, Norway
Personnel: Grutle Kjellson-vox/bass, Ivar Bjornsen-guitar, Arve Isdal-guitar, Haken Vinje-vox/keyboards, Iver Sandoy-drums
Enslaved just keep on keeping on as one of the premier progressive metal bands. Even though they haven’t gone full clean vocals like Opeth, I feel than Enslaved has moved on from being considered purely a black/death metal band. I always say that these guys are kind of the Rush of the black/death metal scene because they are continually evolving their sound in new and creative ways while still retaining the core sound that makes them Enslaved. Honestly, this album is probably the weirdest album they have come up with. And, if you can embrace the eccentricities on it, you’ll end up rewarded with one hell of a metal album.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
10. Enslaved-Heimdal
11. Thron-Dust
12. Harboured-Harboured
13. Herod-Iconoclast
14. Insomnium-Anno 1696
15. Spirit Adrift-Ghost At the Gallows
16. Church of Misery-Born Under a Mad Sign
17. Primordial-How It Ends
18. Imperium Dekadenz-Into Sorrow Evermore
19. Royal Thunder-Rebuilding the Mountain
20. Katatonia-Sky Void of Stars
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 