ENSLAVED – Axioma Ethica Odini CD
Indie Recordings
I’ve never been a huge fan of this band’s post black metal work. I consider their first three full lengths as essentials. When they started moving away from that into what I now consider progressive metal with black metal elements ala “gray metal”, my appreciation for them faded. I don’t think of their progressive material to be total shit since ENSLAVED have a black metal past and it’s clearly evident when listening to their releases. They’re just one of many who have decided to push the envelope and have become synonymous with what people consider post black metal. What’s really funny is how DIMMU BORGIR, whose latest dud of a CD I reviewed a week ago, has followed a similar path since they too have progressed far from what they originally started out as. The difference being that in certain BM circles DIMMU BORGIR gets trashed while ENSLAVED gets heralded. Both bands ride the black metal fence and yet you have people on opposite sides trying to push each one over. DIMMU BORGIR, who considers themselves BM, is trying to stay while people are pushing them out. On the other hand you have ENSLAVED, who really don’t consider themselves BM anymore, wanna get out but people are pushing them back in.
Something else of interest is that for every older fan lost they’ve gained a newer one who sees the gray and likes it. Out of all of the bands from the early Norwegian BM scene, who are still around, only ENSLAVED are today looked upon by these individuals (mainly Indie Rockers into metal) as being worthy of greatness. Also there’s this attitude amongst some people which started when the band released Isa in 2004 that has set my bullshit detector on constant alarm. You have these snobby little gay pop pedigree fucks that look down their nose at this band’s early greatness as if it were adolescent garbage along with everything else in the early history of Norwegian Black Metal. They look at Isa and everything up to 2008’s Vertebrae, which I didn’t like at all, as greatness from a band who climbed out of what they consider the gutter of Norwegian Black Metal. It’s because of this attitude that I became suspect of what was being written about ENSLAVED over the past five years. I’ve said it many times but it bears repeating especially in this case. Its one thing to expand the parameters of a music genre but there comes a point where the sound has been diluted. ENSLAVED has always been a unique band. They started out from inside the dark woods and now have clearly passed the edge of the black forest.
During the time I was home over the weekend I had this playing while I fucked around doing chores. I think I must’ve listened to this dink over twenty times. As far as Axioma Ethica Odini goes, it sounds like a potentially good black metal release ruined. The opening cut “Ethica Odini” is a perfect example as a song which represents the bad pattern of this release. Things start off at a blackened tremolo picked gallop with harsh vocals and a good solid rhythm but then the storm clouds suddenly break to let the sunshine in. Your evil comfort zone gets upset with melodic clean vocals and the prog elements. Imagine sitting at home listening to some decent extreme metal then your roommate walks in, turns it off and pops in Love Beach by ELP. We’re talking about an abrupt change in styles here which ends up in a fight to see who outlasts the other. The second cut “Raidho” follows the exact same pattern except this time the two distinct vocal styles mirror what you hear with deathcore as in harsh vocal/clean vocal. I really hate that crap. On the third cut “Waruun” they repeat the process. ENSLAVED have clearly run out of new ideas and are now just following a recipe making sure each ingredient is measured perfect. “The Beacon” is probably the only song on this release which harkens back to this band’s early Viking black metal days. “Axioma” is two plus minutes of ambient FLOYD worship. “Giants” sounds like some decent epic doom found on the recording studio floor after AMORPHIS left the building. The song “Singular” follows suit but is epically ruined by prog. Once you reach “Night Sight” you’re ready to move the fuck out and you still got one more cut to go. “Lightning” adds more FLOYD worship. By the way PINK FLOYD only had one record that I liked/still like and it wasn’t progressive 70’s rock. Care to guess which one? As for this release I think it’s perfect for Indie Rockers or Progressives. If you had any question whether or not ENSLAVED have moved on from black metal then this should answer it. Mine was answered years ago.
www.indierec.no
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