Jarret S. Williamson 2008-12-21

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

I have been an Enslaved listener for well over 10 years now, and I have been able to witness much of the musical evolution that has transpired over the last several albums. what I have witnessed is a band not content to rest on their laurels, but a band that has a desire to constantly evolve and create music that is not only challenging, but sonically gratifying as well.

What Enslaved has achieved in the last five years is the ability to wear the mantle of being the leaders in progressive black metal, a title which so few have even strived for. The journey really began with Isa and and is now culminating in Vertebrae. Yes, the others albums prior to Isa, (Mardraum, Monumension and Below the Lights), were leaning in the progressive direction, but Isa really drew the line in the sand that showed Enslaved as a progressively minded band with a desire to defy the conventions of black metal and create masterpieces of art that would stand as musical testaments, much like the progressive rock giants of the seventies, (Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant, Camel, King Crimson).

The musical output on Vertebrae capitalizes on the strengths of both Isa and Ruun and continues even further in the direction that both of those albums so eloquently travelled. Vertebrae is truly going to be a hard album to top. Everything from the Floydesque clean vocal harmonies to the discordant guitar parts are all expertly woven together to create what is their current masterpiece. Truly, this is the album to buy this year, no doubt about it. If you liked Isa and Ruun, then you shouldn't even think twice about this purchase, and if you are an Enslaved fan, then your collection is seriously lacking without this album. Take my word for it; this album lives up to all of the hype.

doomsdayer520 2008-12-20

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Enslaved are now very far from their roots in brutal black metal, and this album places them in the elite of the progressive rock pack. Vertebrae follows logically from the last two albums, Isa and Ruun, and is quite similar to those discs but is a bit less aggressive and explores increasingly dark moods. One key development is that Enslaved now effectively has two lead vocalists, with the dark gothic singing of Herbrand Larsen being used less as an occasional counterpoint and more as an equal complement to the brutal metal growl of Grutle Kjellson, thus bringing an unmistakable mood of dread to the overall sound. Meanwhile, Enslaved achieve true heaviness in consistently surprising ways on this album, with deceptively simple riffs, understated guitar solos, and dark keyboard atmospherics somehow adding up to a whole sound that is much heavier than the sum of its parts.

This album is built upon flawless songwriting and mood construction that shows how Enslaved has mastered the arts of progressive rock. The especially punishing "Vertebrae" (the title track) shifts riffs continuously to confound the listener, and "New Dawn" proceeds through a mindboggling array of timing changes that create a mood of both ominous menace and a strange creeping dread. Also of note is the lengthy "Center" which features a very Tool-like slow section followed by a slow-burn conclusion that is reminiscent of the post-hardcore of acts like Isis and Neurosis - yet another style that Enslaved has mastered in their continuing musical development. Call them extreme if you will... but Enslaved has progressed from the extremely brutal to the extremely accomplished, and their musical chops continue to rise to the challenge of creative and fearless songwriting. [~doomsdayer520~]

Steven Hooper 2008-11-15

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

And I thought that Enslaved had become absolute masters of their collective fate and destiny with the release of "Isa", then comes "Vertebrae". No one else can claim the title of "Black Progressive Metal" like Enslaved. Mind boggling good stuff!

D. Edmiston 2008-11-06

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

I have seen many bands lately compared to Pink Floyd if they had gone black metal but this is The black metal Pink Floyd hands down. The clean vocals in many respects remind me of Richard Wright(RIP) and many of the guitar solos remind me of David Gilmour via the Meddle period of Pink Floyd. This is Enslaved most mature album. Nevermind the Pink Floyd comparisons because this is just a band who has established it's own sound. If you like progressive black metal I would highly recommend this cd. I also recommend Vintersorg,Cronian,Arcturus,Borknagar,Solefald and Primordial.

Thomas M. Mickletz 2008-11-01

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

I been an Enslaved fan since 94, and they have been my favorite band for almost two decades now, and all I can say is what an evolution it has been. I know a lot of fans from the early days have written them off after Eld, but those who remained fans after the next few albums which weren't the brightest point in the bands career got a wonderful pay-off with Below the lights and it's two follow-ups Isa and Ruun. We have seen the band actually turn into that : 'a band' with a solid line-up.
Now we come to 2008 and Enslaved bring us Vertebae. I must say I was really digging this from day one. It reminds me a lot of Isa and Below the lights. The songs are very much laid back and they lack the agression of Ruun which suprised me because I really liked that direction. But this is no way a step backwards! The songs are forged with masterful song writting skills (all written by guitarist Ivar Bjornson) and very deep lyrics written by both founding members (Bjornson and Grutle Kjellson). The over-all production is very good and the mix is well rounded.
I would totally recommand this album to all Enslaved fans (past, present, future), and I will be looking forward to their next album. Enslaved have set the bar yet again, and have ushered in a new gold standard on what metal should sound like; which is miles, and miles above everyone else.