Enslaved
Vikingligr Veldi

The purity of the crystalline waters of the Hardangerfjord, the smooth rocky walls, the mist rising from solitary forests, the icy breeze of the heights, the morbid embrace of eternal glaciers. All of this is fiercely screamed by this gem of cathartic sounds and skaldic poetry.
The epitome of viking-metal, the perfect combination of metallic fury and the poetic waterfalls of Norwegian folk. "Vikingligr veldi"!

Grutle, Ivar, and Trym created their first album in 1993-94 for Deathlike Silence, redesigning the patterns of Norwegian black metal by introducing highly original compositions that astonished the experts of the time, especially considering their average age (17 years!). Six hymns to the past of Norway, to mythology, to the magical atmospheres of the county of Hordaland whose epic, wild, misty atmospheres are celebrated with splendor and immense power. The piece "Lifandi lif undir hamri" unleashes an unprecedented fury, accompanied by celebratory keyboard riffs. Bass is prominent (Grutle's technical prowess is a real surprise), warriors' cries with bloodshot eyes are the shrieks of the singer, a thunderous proceeding marked by an imposing drumming. "Vetranott" is furious, sinister black metal. It shatters ear sockets, drags with its crepuscular riffs, leaving you astonished and frightened while "Heimdallr" celebrates the guardian of Bifrost with long rides paired with effective acoustic breaks. The chorus is lacerating where the singer's bark explodes with belligerent energy. Shivers from the ancestral call, wounds of a past never tamed, the lament of a county with violated traditions. "Midgards Eldar", quite epic, is characterized by slightly milder rhythms only to explode in an effusion of feral notes. The guitars clash, wound mercilessly while the drums of the talented Trym (one of the best around ever) is a continuous roll of rambunctious toms. The national-romanticism of "Norvegr" closes, an instrumental where all the elements mentioned so far flow into an effusion of seductive and wild harmonies. Dominated by mid-tempos, it suggests folk-like bass lines and resounding riffs that descend like lava flows of grim melancholy. The power and nostalgic touch reminiscent of the glorious Bathory also due to the use of classical guitars and impactful synths.

This disc embodies paganism in music without ever being garish or redundant. It was one of the first of its genre and only a very few managed to match it. The Grieghallen production in Bergen is excellent as well, surprisingly clean but not lacking the "garage" attitude of black metal. Masterful.