ENSLAVED return with their highly anticipated 17th studio album, Mið. When a band as fiercely relevant to so many subgenres of music returns, the metal community must slow down to take notice. If a dedicated hesher who listened to Vikingligr Veldi in 1994 were able to time travel to today and listen to this expansive record, one can only assume his feeble mind would be utterly blown.
Whether that is due to the band's remarkable artistic growth, or to the listener's profound disappointment in what that growth reveals, is the ongoing debate among passionate ENSLAVED fans. A band so exceptionally talented, with such a distinct discography, lends itself to being framed against past works in a unique and challenging way. The question for this reviewer remains: is this latest step in ENSLAVED's journey toward becoming progressive death metal gods a worthy addition, or does it fail to get off the ground in its ambitious attempt at skyward ascension?
The record reaches across cultures for its themes, with select tracks leaning into Indigenous voices as guest singers flesh out the sonic landscape: Blackfeet elder Kevin Kicking Woman on the compelling second single, "Spirit Helper," and Sámi yoik singer Johan Sara Jr on "I Am Ice." In many ways, your reaction to that single may serve as a reliable barometer for your overall enjoyment of the offering. For the most part, this blend of concept and sound meshes fairly seamlessly, giving the album a refreshing novelty to differentiate it from their previous few records. Yet, in other ways, it does not differentiate itself enough: the album relies on similar slow, melodic cleans juxtaposed with deep, guttural growls and spacious instrumental passages sprinkled throughout, which can leave it feeling slightly gimmicky despite the fact that the band clearly possesses a deep and authentic passion for the Indigenous cultural components presented.
A band this formidable and prolific is inherently difficult to critique. Every track is meticulously thought out and flawlessly executed, accompanied by immaculate production quality. Every member of the band is absolutely crushing their individual performance on this record. Yet, my overwhelming takeaway after multiple immersive listens is that this album is missing a spark. It struggles to sink its sharp teeth in. As a devoted, longtime fan, I may simply carry a different interpretation of the work. It feels surprisingly indistinct—a strange takeaway for an ENSLAVED record that brings in guest voices this distinctive. Listeners newer to the band may not have this nostalgic anchor attached to their enjoyment and might find it far more appealing. In the official press release, it was noted that the title stands for "middle" or "center" in Old Norse. In many ways, that literal definition is a fitting summation of my review: solid, but distinctly mid.
Tl;dr: Great band enjoys Fire In The Mountains and wants to tell you about it.
★★★½ 7/10
ENSLAVED (feat. Kevin Kicking Woman) - Spirit Helper (official visualizer):
Follow ENSLAVED
- Official Website: https://enslaved.no/
- Bandcamp: https://enslaved.bandcamp.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enslaved
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enslavedofficial/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpiAJxyAbGPC2FngeSzlrzQ
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HmtB6wVRRi3z0JwZHtkiD
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/enslaved/251500660
Promo provided by Secret Service Publicity and Nuclear Blast Records.