Artist: Enslaved
Label: Osmose Productions
Release Date: 11/19/01
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Title: Monumension Artist: Enslaved Label: Osmose Productions Release Date: 11/19/01 |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
I’ve always been a big fan of this band, and I guess it shows, it making my top ten for the last two years. However, unlike most of my favorite bands, this band is presently coming out with their best material. Their last album, Mardraum, was my favorite Enslaved album yet, but this can be a curse as much as a blessing. With greater accolades comes greater expectation, and this means that a band has to up the ante to continue to impress me. This can be done one of many ways. A band can branch out to new sounds, but they can also stick with their same sound and refine their songwriting. This new Enslaved album tries to do both.
"A band can branch out to new sounds, but they can also stick with their same sound and refine their songwriting. This new Enslaved album tries to do both." And they are largely successful. The most obvious change is that, for the first time, their lyrics are in English. Of course, I still can’t understand a word of them without a lyric sheet, but it’s nice to know I should be able to. The accompanying promotional material suggests that this is a return to the form of their previous work, Eld (Actually, they call it “Elder”, but that’s not what my disc says.). This is really nothing new. Most people I’ve talked to agree that their last album was a mixture of Eld and Blodhemn, and this album pretty much continues along that vein. The term I hear most often when people are asked to describe Eld is “weird”, and I guess that’s pretty much fitting. While opening with more metered, almost thrash influenced riffing, Enslaved have come out with an album that could easily be called progressive if it had more annoying lightning fast scales played throughout it. What I mean by progressive is that the sound is constantly reaching out further from where it was in the past, but despite this the songs flow effortlessly and there isn’t the sense of tedium that characterizes many songs that are so far reaching.
This album isn’t perfect like it’s predecessor, however, as it saves it’s weakest moments for the end, leaving the listener with a somewhat unsatisfied feeling. The strongest parts to this album are the heaviest, but the album’s denouement comes up a little short. First with a Pink Floyd-like sound that seems to be all the rage in atmospheric metal these days (alright, “Pink” doesn’t seem to fit, how ‘bout Black Floyd, or as these guys would call it, Viking Floyd.), and secondly with a drawn out, chanting anomaly of a final track. Now, don’t get me wrong, these tracks aren’t that bad, in fact they’re well composed. But in the scope of this “concept album” they seem misplaced or unnecessary. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this album doesn’t really end strongly, but fades away. But hey, maybe it’s their intention to “leave ‘em wanting more”.
"End result is that this is a great album, and while I enjoyed the last two a little more, this effort is well worth the price." End result is that this is a great album, and while I enjoyed the last two a little more, this effort is well worth the price. One word review: Awesome.
Death's Review:
The kings and progenitors of "Viking Metal" (not in any way affiliated with Duante Culpepper, Randy Moss, Chris Carter or Dennis Green, mind you) return with their epic conceptual piece, Monumension. Like so many other leaders of the early black metal movement, Enslaved have progressed from their early sound, resulting in a new album that is at times wistful and beautiful, with dreamy clean vocals, at others wrought with violent anguish and the aggressiveness one would expect from Enslaved. The music this time around can often be described as atmospheric and the introspective, further characteristics I hadn't previously necessarily associated with Enslaved. Think Pink Floyd and even groovy, doomy Sabbath, but also think aggressive Norwegian extremity. These are the elements of Enslaved circa 2001.
"All in all, this is a creative and adventurous effort, and with cool riffs, thoughtful songwriting and structure." Yes the album as a whole feels cold as winter. All of the lyrics are in English this time around, although I have yet to fully digest the lyrics and their meaning. The production is first-rate, probably a result of Enslaved's extension pre-production work on Monumension, a first for the band. All in all, this is a creative and adventurous effort, and with cool riffs, thoughtful songwriting and structure, and-like Amorphis' "Greed" for example-death-style vocals that stand out even more and land with more impact due to the surrounding atmospheric elements. This is a complex and artful record, and yet it definitely packs a metal punch. At times it is a bit too atmospheric and experimental to hold my attention, I suppose, but I suspect that may improve with repeated listens. All in all, an excellent effort from a highly regarded band.
Hel's Review:
Monumension is a study in contrast from beginning to end. There are songs which clearly evoke 70s influences, songs which are undeniably black metal, songs which are clearly based on Norwegian folk music. The gambit is run, there and back again, more times than can be reasonably counted. The music is well executed, without exception. The compositions are always interesting, both in relation to the other songs on the albums and as their own individual entities. Clearly, a lot of effort went into creating the music contained on this round plastic disc.
"Clearly, a lot of effort went into creating the music contained on this round plastic disc." Even after listening to it multiple times, I find myself struggling to grasp the overall picture. This is another case in which I feel the lack of additional packaging acutely. Were I to have the lyrics, I might be able to decipher a storyline. I have the feeling one exists, but am unable to make the connection on my own. As I continue to listen to Monumension, I hope for a light bulb to go off over my head, to have finally grasped the larger picture I can’t help but believe this album contains. But alas, my deadline is here, and no flash of insight has been granted. So I leave this album thinking that it is wonderful, but with nagging feeling that I just am not getting it the way I should be. In any case, it is well worth picking up, if the thought intrigues you.
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