Enslaved news for the USA

[Nate The Great]

For Immediate Release
December 6, 2004

ENSLAVED US RELEASE DATE CONFIRMED​

TO FEATURE BONUS MATERIAL​

Philadelphia: Candlelight Records confirms February 8 as the US release date for the new album from two-time Norwegian Grammy and Alarm Award nominated Enslaved. Titled Isa, the US pressing is set contain bonus material not featured on the current European release.

Recorded at Grieghallen Studios (Mayhem, Emperor), Isa is already finding amazing response following its recent European release. Terrorizer Magazine gave the album high nods as "Album of the Month" for their November issue, noting "for an album that resonates so deeply, whatever destination Isa is headed for, surely the status of a ‘classic’ is high on the list of possibilities."

Based in Bergen, Enslaved has given Norwegian extreme metal a unique diversity since their formation in 1991. Their respected ability to twist various genre-specific elements of musical expression into a wholely new direction has been called both dynamic and challenging. Online music resource Rock Detector calls the band, “one of the foremost exponants of Viking Metal.”

Enslaved's first commercially available product was released in 1992 as a split with country-men Emperor. It was followed by a split recording with Satyricon. Tours would keep the band busy while multiple recordings would find the band a growing and loyal following. The Peter Tagtgren-produced Blodhemn would further see commercial expansion as the band’s participation on Europe’s massive metal package - featuring Morbid Angel, The Crown, Behemoth, and Dying Fetus would exponentially increase their profile. The band made their US live debut in 2003, a two-week showcase tour that included a stop at the Milwaukee Metal Fest. With the US release of Isa and a world tour planned in support, set to kick off early 2005 with labelmates Vreid in support and expected to hit the US this fall, Enslaved's growth and worldwide acclaim is expected to continue.

Track Listing for Isa is confirmed as: Intro: Green Reflection, Lunar Force, Isa, Ascension, Bounded by Allegiance, Violet Dawning, Return To Yggdrasill, Secrets Of The Flesh (Instr.), Reogenesis, Outro: 'Communion' (Excerpt) plus video extras - a candid interview with members of Enslaved, new screensavers, the album's lead video for album title track "Isa" and the unreleased song "Sleipnr."

 

[J.]

two months? fuck that. well, this album is destined to be a "is it a 2004 or 2005 release?" topic. To me, it's 2004.

BTW, is the Satyricon/Enslaved split worth picking up?

 

[Hell Mike]

It sure as fucking hell is, own it already

 

[JayKeeley]

Going through '04 releases tonight. Right, I have to make a decision on "Isa" for top 10, so here's a summary via track by track quickies...

Green Reflection - instrumental tid bit, funny though because it sounds like Jason's theme from Friday the 13th -- you know, "ooh ooh oooh aah aah aahh ch ch ch ch..."
Lunar Force - meh, pretty bland to be honest
Isa - meh, bland again
Ascension - very excellent, reminds of Source of Tide's better material, slightly gothic
Bounded by Allegiance - slightly Opeth'ish first 2 mins, it gets repetitive, above average
Violet Dawning - excellent, probably the most progressive song on the album, a favourite
Return to Yggdrasil - excellent, nice combo of instruments, great percussion, great atmosphere, another favourite
Reogenesis - this is the oddball song - poppy, progressive, viking, kitchen sink metal. I love & hate it, depending on the hour, although 8:38 -> end of track is always phenomenal
Secrets of the Flesh - pretty useless really, one riff and lots of warpy stuf going on
Outro/Communion - instrumental synth thingy

So let's say 4 excellent tracks, 1 above average, 3 average, 2 fillers.

Rating: 7/10

Anyone else concluded anything with this album yet (now that you've had time to absorb it perhaps)?

 

[Demilich]

Anyone else concluded anything with this album yet (now that you've had time to absorb it perhaps)?

Probably that it's not even close to as good as anyone says, 'cause I've only been able to listen to it a couple of times without giving up partway through. Pretty uneven, but it has it's moments.

 

[Henrik Main]

BTW, is the Satyricon/Enslaved split worth picking up?

YES. It features two of Enslaved's best songs; "Niunda Heim" and "The Resound Of Gjallarhorn", as well as one of Satyricon's best songs ever; "The Forest Is My Throne". Raw production, sure, but it shouldn't ruin your listening experience.

 

[Demilich]

^^ I've been seeing that split in the same used record store here in Toronto for like a year, never picked it up 'cause I've never checked out Satyricon and assumed I wouldn't like them.

Now I know what to do!

 

[Tranquillian]

I will buy this version, glad I didn't buy it yet. Sleipnr owns, it's on the live retaliation dvd.

 

[Demilich]

Was the original version of the split a vinyl of some kind, or the digipack I saw?

Where can the Enslaved DVD be obtained, if it still can? Been wondering this for some time (i'm lazy).

 

[Dev]

Going through '04 releases tonight. Right, I have to make a decision on "Isa" for top 10, so here's a summary via track by track quickies...

Green Reflection - instrumental tid bit, funny though because it sounds like Jason's theme from Friday the 13th -- you know, "ooh ooh oooh aah aah aahh ch ch ch ch..."
Lunar Force - meh, pretty bland to be honest
Isa - meh, bland again
Ascension - very excellent, reminds of Source of Tide's better material, slightly gothic
Bounded by Allegiance - slightly Opeth'ish first 2 mins, it gets repetitive, above average
Violet Dawning - excellent, probably the most progressive song on the album, a favourite
Return to Yggdrasil - excellent, nice combo of instruments, great percussion, great atmosphere, another favourite
Reogenesis - this is the oddball song - poppy, progressive, viking, kitchen sink metal. I love & hate it, depending on the hour, although 8:38 -> end of track is always phenomenal
Secrets of the Flesh - pretty useless really, one riff and lots of warpy stuf going on
Outro/Communion - instrumental synth thingy

So let's say 4 excellent tracks, 1 above average, 3 average, 2 fillers.

Rating: 7/10

Anyone else concluded anything with this album yet (now that you've had time to absorb it perhaps)?

It's Neogenesis (Say no to gothic characters ) , I'd give this album a 9/10 , all the songs rule immensly , I don't think the firsts two are bland , Bounded by Allegiance is not more repetitive than many Below The Lights tracks (#1 and 3 of BTL comes to my mind) OK I fucking love this album , best of the Monumension - BtL - ISA trilogy for me

My favs are : Violet Dawning and Ascension (GREAT construction)

Old or new , Enslaved still rules .

 

[Henrik Main]

Was the original version of the split a vinyl of some kind, or the digipack I saw?

There has only been one version of the actual split, namely the digipak one. Moonfog wanted to release Enslaved and Satyricon's demo material on a split, because they thought the songs were top notch and thus should be available to those unable to track down the demo tapes.

 

[General Zod]

Lunar Force - meh, pretty bland to be honest

I don't know if it's because it's the 1st track on the CD, and consequently the song I hear the most frequently, but this is my favorite track. That opening line, "Farewell my brother..." completely owns.

I'm hoping these guys come around in 2005 as the article suggests they will.

Zod

 

[MFJ]

I'm hoping these guys come around in 2005 as the article suggests they will.

Zod

That might even own more than Dark Tranquillity playing 30 minutes from my house on April 30th (which is happening).

 

[JayKeeley]

I'd give this album a 9/10 , all the songs rule immensly ,

Yeah, I'm pretty confident about giving this a 7/10, maybe a 7.5/10 if push came to shove, because I've really exhausted myself out on listening to it just to decide whether I think it's "great" or whether it's "good".

I settle for "good".

 

[JayKeeley]

My favs are : Violet Dawning and Ascension (GREAT construction)

Yes, those two are excellent, as are Return to Yggdrasil and R(N)eogenesis (whatever the F it's called, it seems to be listed as both everywhere).

The other songs are not quite as good, so it inherently becomes an uneven album, and so there is no way I can justify a nearly perfect score...