ENSLAVED - Monumension 2LP (SWIRL)

Monumension is a real step up from the bludgeoning force that was Blodhemn and Mardraum. A lot of the insane blackened Viking metal is still ever so present but contrasts sharply with the bands need to experiment. One could argue that Enslaved began hinting at this new sound with Eld and it may be true to some extent. However, the huge direction they have taken with their obsession for Pink Floyd and other 70s progressive acts wasn’t fully utilized until this album. Monumension serves as the blueprint for Enslaved’ future sound that would only tighten up with each predecessor album. Every band has to start somewhere down the road to becoming the minority in the metal world. That is what Enslaved has done right here. Purist fans of their past efforts will probably treat this as the album that Enslaved sold out their sound on. Their ignorance will only hurt them from seeing the true power that metal can have when it incorporates sharp contrasts into an already tight formula. Monumension may be a touch too long in some of its experimentations. Fortunately, it has shown to serve the band better in the present, setting themselves apart from the hordes of black metal bands; a genre full of elitists that don’t give a damn about progression. Thank the mighty Norse Gods that we have bands like Enslaved to guide us into Valhalla.

Ltd. 298 x A-Side/B-Side - baby blue/sea blue, 2x12" (180g) in black poly-lined innerbag, gatefold, full-color on 350g with 3D UV SPOT, all assembly in a PVC overbag.

Osmose 2022