Music Review : Enslaved – In Times (2015)

Music Review : Enslaved – In Times (2015)

Coming from a string of acclaimed albums from Below the Lights , ISA, Ruun, Vertebrae, Axioma Ethica Odini, and RIITIIR, the Norwegian progressive black metal masters of Enslaved have put in front their rock influences like Rush, Pink Flolyd and Led Zeppelin.

With In Times, Enslaved are going another step forward into melodic rock and retaining the rage and violence of their original genre. It is a catchy album that without Grutle’s growl would have made a noticeable prog rock product. Not that it is a bad thing or not enjoyable either. But, as far as I am an early fan of Enslaved and I’ve followed and appreciated each and every record they did, I feel a bit tired of the formula and I would rank Below the Lights as their masterpiece and then the later albums slowly decreasing in originality and inspiration.

Some would say that as the guys in the band get older they get softer and turn back onto their early influences. It is, in fact, not a wrong proposition but a very dull one as to say that they don’t make them like Mardraum anymore.

Finally, In Times is far from a complete mess but just the continuity of the slow fall of Enslaved from the aforementioned Below the Lights into the boredom of average albums.

6.5