Enslaved "Isa" (Candlelight)
By Taylor Green
Wednesday. Apr 06, 9:06 AM
Masterful, broad, innovative black metal.

Isa is a difficult album to describe. Enslaved are veterans of the black metal game, and like a fine wine they’ve gotten better with age. Their latest offering is arguably their best and is comparable to the black metal equivalent of Opeth. Each song is masterfully carved with layers upon layers of intense riffs, combative vocals, and unique rhythm that make Isa an incredibly enjoyable listening experience.

The album is 10 tracks (with an intro and an outro) spanning over 50 minutes, and from start to finish there is no repetitiveness, blandness, or loss of direction. And the amazing thing is that it sounds so easy. While there's an overabundance of “trying too hard” in music today, Enslaved go through Isa as if they were born for it. What results is a complete sound that shows Enslaved's mastery of all things metal.

Much like Rotting Christ's Sanctus Diavolos, Enslaved's latest work shows a progressive route for the black metal genre. But while Rotting Christ beefed up their sound and made it darker, Enslaved keep the traditional black metal trademarks (low production, etc.) while expanding those attributes. "Lunar Force" is the perfect example of the band's ability to evolve the genre. The riffs are more complex, broader, and more focused than traditional black metal, but the overall aesthetic of the song is heavily black metal. Overall, Enslaved have shown that with age comes experience, and with experience comes innovation. Isa is a listening pleasure for all fans of metal and is one of the best releases of 2005.

Highlights: "Lunar Force," title track, "Return to Yggdrasill"
www.enslaved.no
www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

Taylor Green

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