ENSLAVED: Below The Lights (PROGRESSIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

There are bands that always anticipate our expectations. At the first listen of this "Below The lights", it seems that something has changed without knowing exactly what. Then, as you listen to it, everything becomes clear. Gone are the psychedelic experiments of "Monumension", we are in a new era. Enslaved have finally found their way and their music.

The band has used all its past experiences to forge a real personality: the result is powerful, heavy, progressive, folkloric and incredibly epic. Every note on this album is pure Enslaved with great progressive riffs, almost improvisational soli and Grutle's unhealthy screams.

Ivar is an incredible songwriter and this is a major work. How can you not marvel at the apocalyptic intro of 'As Fire Swept Clean The Earth', the hallucinating break of 'Dead Stare', the very progressive 'The crossing' and 'Queen Of The Night' and the great solos of 'A Darker Place'. Another example of Enslaved's genius? The track 'Havenless' which ends the same way it begins with an extraordinary, convoluted riff, supported by a choir of traditional vocals. In the middle, two riffs that twirl around for several minutes. With a superb play on moods, this track is incredibly epic and demonstrates that, more than quantity, it is the quality of the ideas that counts.

"Below" The Lights is a record that fascinates, amazes and makes Enslaved a cult band. It plunges you into the deepest darkness without any difficulty. In the vast world of black metal, a pack is breaking away and Enslaved is one of the leaders. - Official website

ENSLAVED

BELOW THE LIGHTS

OSMOSE PRODUCTION

PROGRESSIVE METAL