Enslaved, Vreid Concert
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Enslaved, Vreid Concert
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Dragon's Review (2/14/05, Nachtleben, Frankfurt, Germany):
So, it was Friday night and I had decided to look through Metal Update, a webzine that I contribute to every once in a while. I was looking at the tour dates and I was knocked on my ass when I saw that Enslaved was playing Frankfurt in 3 days, on Valentine's Day. I started emailing TABU records (Enslaved's Record Label) on Friday, but I knew it was too late in the day for anyone to answer. The weekend was not a good time to contact anyone, so I started calling on Monday. I managed to get a hold of someone at TABU records who gave me the phone number for the band's road manager, Paul, who I contacted. He immediately put me on the guest list and even arranged for an interview. Pretty amazing what a little bit of persistence can do. All in the same day, I had arranged for the press pass for the show and an interview. Later that day, I was sitting across from Ivar, one of the founders of Enslaved. I was bursting at the seams as the new Enslaved Isa had been spinning in my car stereo for over a month. I was floored by Isa much in the same way Madraum had hit me several years before. Finally, I was going to see a band that had eluded me whenever they toured. I had always wanted to experience them live; I was not disappointed.
Photos by Dragon
EnslavedI was quite surprised at the small club they played at in downtown Frankfurt, Nachtleben (means Night Love). The first floor was a pastel coffee house with the typical pseudointellectuals as their regulars. However, it was surreal to see the metalheads strewn about at tables with their friends like it was nothing new, and none of the regulars seemed concerned. Though, one older couple did come in and did a 180-degree turn. The pastel colors of the granola ground floor bar were in sharp contrast of the dark shadowy stairway down into the basement venue. The stairs were lined with damp black walls, plastered with graffiti and flyers of upcoming concerts and concerts past. In a way the stairs were an opening to a dimension; seeping out into the world of mediocrity, at the same time a black hole pulling you in. As I entered through the downstairs door, I stepped off the face of the planet into a small room capable of holding no more than 200. The venue packed in a bar, a small area to set up a merchandise stand, and a stage that you literally could rest your foot upon. I walked my way over to the merchandise table, and picked up a long sleeved Enslaved Isa T-shirt. As a metal journalist of sorts, I get some free CDs and passes to shows, and in return I write about the shows. This does provides a way to extend their fan bases, however, if you really want to directly contribute to your favorite bands, buy a T-shirt, the majority of the money from T-shirt sales goes directly to the band.
VreidUp first was another band from Norway, Vreid. I was told their lead singer had died in the past year, but they continued on by having one of their guitar players pull double duty as the front man as well. The frontman/guitar player did seem a bit stiff in his new role, but with time he will most likely become more relaxed and natural. It is no easy task to play an instrument, and sing at the same time. With that in mind, they still played raw progressive metal. When I say progressive, it means that even though the core of the band's music was thrash mixed with a bit of death, they still use harmonies which hooked the listener, and brought me into their storm. Vreid had performed well, and the crowd showed them respect.
While the set for Enslaved was going up, I slipped upstairs to get another energy drink for my dry cottonmouth. A few minutes later, Enslaved was playing. I had been waiting for this moment for years, and here I was only a few feet from the band. I could have reached out and touched their guitars; we were face to face. Enslaved kicked ass all up and down in those cramp quarters. What you hear on their albums is restrained next to what you hear live. At first, I think Enslaved was disappointed that they were playing such a small club, yet they let it crank. Song after song pulled from both new and old, jamming each one with true vigor. Ivar, rhythm guitarist, played so hard he busted guitar strings twice. Even with a missing guitar string, he played on, and I think nobody noticed. Ivar did a quick change of strings in the backstage area, while the rest of band continued to play. Ivar slipped back in seamlessly and the stream of psychic metal continued to travel into ever expanding atmospheric planes.
EnslavedNow, there was a humorous episode during the show, a fan got way too drunk and leaped out of the closet and proclaimed to vocalist Grutle, "I love this man's voice." Then he defiled himself by yelling something to the effect that his voice makes love to him! He could barely stand, and I think most of us wanted him to fall down as he was grabbing Grutle's mic stand to prevent himself from falling. He was also putting his hands up into Grutle's face. Gurtle should have booted the guy, but instead showed he was a true professional and continued on as though the drunken fan wasn't there. Quite a task considering this guy kept right in his face throughout the last quarter of show. I guess with years of touring you see many things, and it helps put episodes like this into perspective, i.e. not worth going to jail over. A word of advice: If you are going to drink yourself to oblivion put some duct tape over your mouth so you don't scream out your love for your favorite band's lead singer. Though, you gotta admire this guy's passion for Enslaved. Personally, I am surprised that more metalheads are not as enthused about Enslaved. Enslaved has made some incredible albums in the 21st century, and it time for more metalheads to give them the patronage they have earned. Spread the word of Enslaved to the four corners of the world.
Enslaved has managed to meld thrash metal and progressive metal and made themselves into one of the very few bands who walk the razors edge between aggressiveness and melodic without becoming boring. Rather, Enslaved is heavy metal's Pink Floyd - see Ivar's (founding member and rhythm guitarist) new Dark Side of the Moon tattoo. Enslaved's heavy metal roots, their craft's material and their progressiveness sail them through the roughest of psychic content, and when combined with the underlying themes of the collective unconsciousness, Enslaved stand strong in the eye of the storm.
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