RECORDS OF THEIR YEARS...with ENSLAVED songwriter and guitarist Ivar Bjørnson

ENSLAVED's latest album, "E", was released last October via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "In Times" was recorded at Duper & Solslottet Studios in Bergen and was once again mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studiosin Örebro, Sweden.

ENSLAVED are currently on the road in support of “E” undertaking a co-headline European tour with riff masters HIGH ON FIRE. The string of dates started in late September and will run through to mid-October, 14 shows across seven countries. Following two UK headlining shows in Milton Keynes and Leeds, ENSLAVEDwill take in the following shows below:

Oct. 08 - Academy 2, Manchester, UK
Oct. 09 - Tivoli, Dublin, IRE
Oct. 10 - Limelight 2, Belfast, UK
Oct. 12 - The Mill, Birmingham, UK
Oct. 14 - SWX, Bristol, UK
Oct. 15 - The Dome, London, UK
Oct. 16 - La Machine du Moulin Rouge, Paris, FR

During a break in between touring, we were fortunate to hook up with ENSLAVEDsongwriter and guitarist Ivar Bjørnson to discuss some of his favourite records.  Welcome to Records of their Years…

SLUDGELORD: Favourite album from the year you were born?

Ivar: 1981 - it’s got to be ‘Animals’ by Pink Floyd. It’s such a wonderful album with such a great mythology around the cover artwork, surrounding the flying pig above the factory and how it broke loose. It ended up in some, I think Welsh farmer’s field? He found a name tag on it and returned it. When they did the next shoot for the album they had some local posh dudes with shotguns hanging around, just in case the pig broke loose so they could shoot it down.  Just the music on the record is incredible, like the songs ‘Sheep’, ‘Dogs’, ‘Pigs…’ it’s amazing. I know with Pink Floyd there’s other albums that tend to get mentioned more, but ‘Animals’ is a big one, a really important one.

I first heard the album when I was about to turn 11 years old. At some point during the year when I was 10, my dad told me that when I turned 11, he would hand over his entire vinyl collection to me. Around ’87 many of his friends started getting rid of their LPs and buying CDs, you know. Many of his friends threw their LPs out or gave them to pawn shops, second-hand stores or charity shops. Luckily for me, he had a moment of clarity and thought - ‘at least the Pink Floyd albums gotta keep on going, so I’m going to give them to my son.’ I remember listening through the collection and listening to ‘Animals’, and it was really an eye opener. It was quite a lot to take in for an 11 year old, but I had already been listening to ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Another Brick in The Wall’ quite a lot, and some of the stuff from ‘The Dark Side of The Moon’. But there was something about ‘Animals’ that has been following me ever since.

SLUDGELORD: The first record you bought with your own money?

Ivar: The first record I bought with my own money was Europe ‘The Final Countdown’ I believe. I think it was at around the same time that I inherited my dad’s Pink Floyd collection. I don’t know why I made that specific choice; I must have heard ‘The Final Countdown’ and it had an impact on me. No matter how cheesy that one is, it’s still a good song. I got hooked on it, and there are so many other good songs on that album. The circle was finally completed when I went and saw them play live at Sweden Rock festival in 2004. It’s still one of the best concerts I have ever seen.  They’re a very underrated band because of ‘The Final Countdown’ thing. They have so much more to offer than that one track. They’re amazing instrumentalists, with an amazing singer, and quite an intellectual band I would say actually, when you read their interviews and hear what they have to say about what’s going on in their minds behind all of these heavy metal classics.

SLUDGELORD: Your Favourite Non-Metal, Non-Rock Album?

Ivar: That’s a tough one… I would say ‘Bitches Brew’ by Miles Davis. It’s a very psychedelic album, a weird album. When people said he had a psychedelic period, I was like ‘hmm what do they mean, it’s still jazz I guess?’ but when I listened to it closely I was like - ‘WOW, now that is something really different’.  And it opened my eyes to a lot of jazz from that time, the fusion that was going on from that sort of pure jazz, that lead into something so wild and psychedelic. I guess it was sort of around the same time when rock music went into the psychedelic era, but it just feels like the jazz people got even more out of it in a sense.

SLUDGELORD: The Album that most disappointed you?

Ivar: That would be W.A.S.P ‘The Last Command’ – it came about quite early in my days as a record collector. Everyone was talking about W.A.S.P, and about how fantastic they were and so on. EVERYONE. I guess that I’m talking about the 3 other kids where I lived who were into heavy metal. I bought the record and I kind of liked the title song for a little while, but then I listened to more of it… Nowadays it’s okay to not like W.A.S.P, but I lived through many years where people would really give me shit for thinking W.A.S.P were crap. I guess it helps that Blackie Lawless started acting weird, and not being so nice to people. But I’ve said it for 30 years now; they’re not a good band.

SLUDGELORD: Favourite album of all time or if you prefer album (s) you’d run back into a burning building to rescue

Ivar: If the building was on fire I would make sure that I grabbed from my vinyl shelves; Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, Mayhem’s ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’, Bathory’s ‘Hammerheart’ and King Crimson’s ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’. Those defined me when all else was lost, those four albums would be the perfect soundtrack for a new start.

SLUDGELORD: Favourite album (s) of 2018?



Ivar: Krakow ‘minus’.

SLUDGELORD: The last album you bought? 

Ivar: Emmerhoff and the Melancholy Babies ‘Circle Six’ (on vinyl).

Enslaved’s latest album ‘E’ is out now via Nuclear Blast, available HERE.

Band info: Facebook

TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 (October 2017)

Allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of riffs, because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from September, it is time for your SOUR 16. 

You know the drill by now, each month you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below.  All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication are highlighted in the red)

16). Belus - "Apophenia" (710)

“Apophenia” is a breathtaking experience, a challenging listen, and an auspicious first entry from one of the few bands with the audacity to experiment and the chops to pull it off.

15). Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats – “Vol. 1” (Reissue) (744)

Imperfect though it may be, "Vol. 1" is a fascinating introduction to Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats' bold vision

14). Unsane - "Sterilize" (756)

 This is a flawless collection of bile-soaked missives that set the standard for riff-heavy, ugly noise rock in 2017

13). Gruntruck - "Gruntruck" (812)

Gruntruck straddles that line between heavy, melodic, and noisey, not afraid to venture into Pearl Jam territory when it feels like it, then take a hard left and land somewhere near the sound of Alice In Chains.  Listening to “Gruntruck”, I think I finally understand what grunge was about.  Sure it was a trend, but bands like this just wanted to rock.  And that’s what this record does. 

12). Wormwood - "Mooncurse" (892)

Wormwood's performance on "Mooncurse" is doom in the purest sense. Purposeful pacing and incredibly weighty riffs aplenty.  As you make your way to "Passage of Fire," Wormwood's greatest traits are on full display: an impeccable grasp of timing, dark musical sequences and undefeatable heaviness

11). Blackfinger - "When Colors Fade Away" (934)

I cannot find anything to fault here. Blackfinger have delivered nine tracks of trad doom with style and finesse. Eric Wagner has put his name to another excellent doom album and this is recommended to any fans of Trouble, The Skull, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed and so on out there

10). Sarke - "Viige Urh" (952)

“Viige Urh” ignites stronger than the incineration of flames; forcefully ascends high up to Valhalla— it is a projection of eternality, packed up in a form of eight tracks as ferocious as incendiaries. 

09). Merchant - "Beneath"(987)

If you’re a fan of heavy sludge, doom, and death/doom, I don’t see how you could possibly not dig this album. The production is amazing and the tone is ultra-heavy. The drums pound mercilessly, the bass hits like a 50 pound maul, and the vocals pull it all together perfectly. Give this a listen now.

08). Iron Monkey - "9-13" (1383)

"9-13" offers a shredding sludge attack and is a violent rejoinder of why Iron Monkey got its reputation as a doom/sludge vanguard. All these years later, Iron Monkey remains gritty and uncompromising. Predictions for a return were invariably high. "9-13" does not blow those expectations out of the water. Nor does Iron Monkey disappoint. For that, there's much to smile about.

07). Bell Witch - "Mirror Reaper" (1440)

With "Mirror Reaper," the music conveys the reflection back of life and of death; literally that the Grim Reaper is a facsimile of the cycle of life. As with anything Bell Witch, though, such a realization is not engaged with in a fashion that rips at the pain of loss or terror, but rather builds into a deeper, though no less excoriating, meditation on the passage of time

06). Stonebirds - "Time" (1510)

The group merges many influences into a package that still sounds true to the subgenre. Stonebirds is adept at exploring concepts in their music that make it even more intriguing. To put it simply, the trio is one of the Europe's more intriguing stoner/doom performers today. "Time," far exceeds expectations and situates Stonebirds as a band to keep an eye on.

05). Pänzer - "Fatal Command" (1738)

This is a similar beast to their debut- powerful but with melody, hard driving but never out and out thrash. If you are a fan of Priest, Hammerfall, Accept and of course Destruction, there will be plenty for you to enjoy here. Classic heavy metal with a modern stainless steel sheen.

04). Enslaved - ‘E’ (2045)

‘E’ could very well be the foundation for yet another great era in a discography that is already ludicrously loaded with top-tier albums.  It is a  shift made with finesse and the second half of “Storm Son” could be the basis for a whole new era of Enslaved on its own.

03). All Pigs Must Die - "Hostage Animal" (2179)

The riffs are ceaseless as Wentworth and Izzi vary from much faster chords into a war chorus of tonality. And the results are gripping at every second. It, like previous selections, is potent with APMD's militancy. Best of all, APMD made the wait well worth it.

02). Blut Aus Nord - "Deus Salutis Meae" (2381)

What is truly most evident is an extreme music group that will not be bound to definitions, or at least is willing to experiment to ascend beyond what we think we know of a genre.

01). Primitive Man - "Caustic" (2989)

"Caustic" is an ambitious project, among the band's longest and most complex to date. Like their past work, the group explores nihilism in sound that rivals some of the most hopeless metal you've heard. That unrelenting quicksand of guitars and bass is here, as are those vocals of your nightmares.  Primitive Man offer up some of its most excellent music to date, making this sprawling and charging full length worth the wait.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  October 2017’s “SOUR 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Andre Almaraz, Mark Ambrose, Ernesto Aguilar, Daniel Jackson, Theron Moore, Charlie Bulter & Ralka Skjerseth

ALBUM REVIEW: Enslaved - ‘E’

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type:Full-length

Date Released: 13/10/2017

Label:Nuclear Blast

‘E’ could very well be the foundation for yet another great era in a discography that is already ludicrously loaded with top-tier albums.  It is a  shift made with finesse and the second half of “Storm Son” could be the basis for a whole new era of Enslaved on its own.

‘E’CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Storm Son

2. The River’s Mouth

3. Sacred Horse

4. Axis of the Worlds

5. Feathers of Eolh

6. Hiindsiight

The Review:

Just about anyone reading this should be well-acquainted with Enslaved by now. If you aren’t, stop reading this immediately and begin your journey at the beginning, with their debut LP, ‘Vikingligr Veldi’. It’s important to know where Enslaved comes from because, despite being drastically different in 2017 than they were in 1994, there are still faint traces of their black metal roots present in the music they make today.

2015’s ‘In Times’ was exactly what I wanted from Enslavedat the time. The previous album, ‘RIITIIR’, had taken a step too far into a style of prog that came and went without eliciting any real emotional response. It didn’t pull me in, or excite or affect me in any way. It just existed, and then faded from memory without leaving any positive impression. ‘In Times’ was nearly the opposite, having a deep emotional resonance and songs that rivaled some of their best work historically. The album was much closer to what made Enslaved so great following their early black metal years: blending progressive elements into a black metal context, while always sounding genuinely themselves.

That brings us to ‘E’. It’s Enslaved’sfourteenth full length album. Interestingly, this album feels like it has a lot of the same creative aims that ‘RIITIIR’had at the time, but here the band are exponentially more successful with what they’re seeking to accomplish. There isn’t much black metal at all here, or at least nothing close to the musical space “Thurisaz Dreaming” occupied for ‘In Times’. There are sections that flirt with black metal guitar structure, but really, ‘E’ is a progressive metal album in which black metal plays a truly marginal role. And yet, despite my long-standing belief that Enslaved is at their best when taking a “best of both worlds” approach to their sound, this album succeeds largely on its merits in the prog domain.

That isn’t to say that ‘E’ isn’t an album without issues. The prolonged mellow section at the beginning of “Storm Son” is unnecessary, or at the very least could stand to be shorter, as it’s the sort of relaxed, breezy, lite-jam that’s probably a lot more fun for the musicians to play than it is for listeners to sit through. The same could be said for most of “Feathers of Eolh”, a song that seems content to just noodle away and let the weird notes and chords carry the burden of being interesting for long periods of time. Thankfully, the soaring middle section of the song keeps things lively and engaging between its less-inspired bookends.

While the album does have its flaws, those flaws are more than made up for with some truly admirable creativity throughout the majority of the album. The second half of “Storm Son” could be the basis for a whole new era of Enslaved on its own, bolstered by some excellent vocal work from Håkon Vinje, who fills the role vacated by previous keyboardist and singer Herbrand Larsen. His vocals have a smoother, natural feel to them, so much so that he might be an even better fit than Larsen was. His harmonies have something of a late 60s psychedelic character to them, which sits comfortably with the album’s overall direction. I’d love to hear what he sounds like on previous material too.

Enslavedfind themselves—for at least the third time in their career—in musical transition on ‘E’. While there’s a deep-rooted part of me that hopes they aren’t ready to leave black metal behind completely just yet, it’s hard to argue that they haven’t found a compelling way to do exactly that. They’re a band in the process of truly severing themselves from the rage and darkness of their past, and doing so with much more grace and style than certain other major bands (i.e.Opeth) who’ve done the same recently.

‘E’isn’t the sort of radical departure that ‘Mardraum’was following ‘Blodhemn’, even if it does have some of that albums wild-eyed quirkiness, as in “Axis of the Worlds”. Instead, this is a shift made with finesse and done at a time when any reasonable person could envision the top of an hourglass running out of sand for a style Enslaved have explored for nearly fifteen years. ‘E’ could very well be the foundation for yet another great era in a discography that is already ludicrously loaded with top-tier albums.

“E”is available digitally hereand on CD/LP here. 

Band info: Facebook || Twitter || YouTube

EXCLUSIVE TRAILER: Enslaved | Grutle and Ivar discuss early influences

I’m fairly certain that in 2017, an overwhelming majority of our readership, although not specifically fans of their music, will know about ENSLAVED and may have formed an opinion on their careers to this point.  Indeed, I further surmise there are going to be some people reading this who fall into the category of ‘E’ being their first ENSLAVED album; but I’d have to imagine there aren’t many.

On October 13th, true avant-garde Norwegians ENSLAVED will unleash their highly anticipated studio album “E”, which sees the band taking a more progressive approach to their sound. 

Everyone has “their” ENSLAVED album and that runs a wide spectrum of possibilities because ENSLAVED have been excellent in a number of different ways. ‘E’ is just another example of ENSLAVED finding a new energy and turning that energy into something beautiful. With “E” due for released on Friday October 13^th, check out the video below as Grutle and Ivar discuss their early influences.  “E” is available to order/buy here

Band info: official | facebook 

ALBUM REVIEW: In Human Form - "Opening of the Eye by Death of the I"

By Brandon Green

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 23/06/2017

Label: I, Voidhanger Records

The complexity of the songwriting on all of the tracks leaves the listener discovering many layers over multiple listens. This band has some serious talent, and absolutely deserves your time. A massively unique release weaving together so many influences it’s difficult to quantify them all.  This is excellent music, and I can’t wait for future releases from this band.

“Opening of the Eye by Death of the I” CD//DD track listing:

1). Le délire des negations

2). All Is Occulted by Swathes of Ego

3). Apollyon Synopsis

4). Zenith Thesis, Abbadon Hypothesis

5). Ghosts Alike

6). Through an Obstructionist's Eye

The Review:

After their first full length album in 2013, “Earthen Urn”, which was independently released, it was clear the New England outfit had an extremely unique and captivating direction for their black metal sound. Taking a more progressive approach with massively complex-yet-catchy song structures, In Human Form have mastered their craft and continue to surprise. Fast forward to 2017, In Human Form has outdone themselves with an absolutely fantastic release packed full with aggression, prog, and jazz-fueled black metal. The new album, “Opening of the Eye by the Death of the I”, is every bit as raw, introspective, and evil sounding as some of my favorite black metal records. I’ve personally lost count to how many times I’ve listened to this release.

6 tracks in length, the album is mostly constructed with three longer (~15 min) epic tracks with instrumental compositions in between. Overall, the album flows amazingly well given the extremely complicated song structures. The record has many introspective as well as meditative moments among the scorching black metal sections, and the vocal performance on these songs are impressive with Patrick Dupras’ throaty black metal screams and carefully written lyrics/patterns about mortality and mysticism. Nick Clarke’sguitar work is masterfully crafted with an amazing balance of progressive and jazz tinged compositions among the beastly black metal sections. The drum work, although frequently mid-paced, is mind-numbingly complicated and tight throughout, and the bass riffs are carefully constructed to pop and compliment everything in chaotic harmony. The nonlinear approach is highly welcomed on this release, and frankly blows my mind how In Human Form crafts their music and keeps the music paced extremely well. My favorite song is “Through an Obstructionist’s Eye”, which is the album closer.  The opening riff is massively catchy, and the song goes in so many amazing and unthinkable directions a black metal band would typically care to venture.

I’ve had the pleasure of catching In Human Form live a few times where they performed many of the tracks from the new record, and these songs are played with every bit of mastery as they were recorded. The complexity of the songwriting on all of the tracks leaves the listener discovering many layers over multiple listens. This band has some serious talent, and absolutely deserves your time. A massively unique release weaving together so many influences it’s difficult to quantify them all.  This is excellent music, and I can’t wait for future releases from this band.

“Opening of the Eye by the Death of the I” drops on June 23, 2017 on I, Voidhanger Records and is available here

FFO: Ihsahn, Enslaved, Ephel Duath, Death, Frank Zappa

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM PREMIERE: Croatian post metal collective Emphasis deliver monolithic riffs and massive rhythms on "Black.Mother.Earth"

Formed as a quartet in a small town of Čakovec in Međimurje region, Emphasisset out to craft an earnest and personal sound through intense grooves and dark atmospheres. A blend of metal and post rock marks the sonic coordinates of the project, with aggressive soundscapes fusing with melodic textures and lots of ambient drones. This Croatian band bridges the subtle gaps between genres, inspired by performers as diverse as Caspian, Russian Circles, This Will Destroy You, Enslaved and ISISamong others.

They received praise and critical acclaim for their 2007 debut album, “Elements of Morrow”, which was a great blend of textural heavy metal, post-rock and alternative. On their second album, “Gliding Over All”, the band truly set out to refine their own sound formula, working towards implementing intricate melodic patterns, heavy guitar riffs, cymbal washes and other elements that further enrich the sound and textures of the band in a very innovative way; showing significant growth from their earlier record.

The band are set to release latest output, “Black.Mother.Earth” on the 28/04/2017 via Geenger Records, and this collection of songs are slow, heavy and doomy, with monolithic guitar riffs and massive rhythm sections. The sound further expands the band’s aural palette with exciting new musical ideas and collaborations, furthering the legacy of the local alternative metal music scene and reaffirming the band as one of the true pioneers of the local movement towards blending heavy music with post rock and instrumental compositions and today we are giving you to opportunity to stream album in full.  Rest assured this is an album you won’t want to miss.  Check it out below and you can pre-order/buy the album here

Band info: facebook || Bandcamp