Isa - Enslaved

Formed back in 1991 and hailing from Norway, Enslaved have been at the forefront of this genre along with a few other bands. Though they started out as predominantly a Black Metal band from Norway, their progressive leanings kicked in around 1997 with their album ELD, and from this album on, you definitely hear other genres slipping into their music from using clean vocals, growls and screams, to clean guitars, unusual chord structures, melodic rhythms and synthesiser/keyboard work that Pink Floyd would have been proud of. I particularly love the fact that some of the lyrics are Norwegian, whichs makes for more of an Auditory experience than concentrating on ...  Read the complete review

'Isa' is the only album Enslaved have released in their turbulent and creative career that I would consider something of a disappointment, if only in comparison to their usual high standard. Reinventing their approach to black metal with every album or two, it was perhaps inevitable that one would fall through, and while 'Isa' isn't bad by any means, it's distinctly average in its ideas and execution. The songs don't all sound the same, but each one is led by a dominant guitar riff or melody that is repeated a little too often, while gimmicks such as a repetitive keyboard thrum effect show up far too often, perhaps in a contrived attempt to create a sense of ...  Read the complete review