VERTEBRAE

With the release of their tenth studio album Vertebrae, Enslaved continue to demonstrate their ability as innovators within the realm of progressive black metal. Ivar Bjørnson & crew's songwriting seems to get better with each album, and Vertebrae is no exception.

The record starts off with the track Clouds, which showcases the band's current state of mind musically. The guitars, the keys, and the drums have a very organic sound on this song, as well as throughout the entire album. On other tracks such as Ground and Reflection, the overall atmosphere seems a little on the lighter, on the more proggy side, but just when you think it might be getting out of hand they surprise you with the more black metal-tinged drumming and riffing that they were known for in the beginning. It certainly sounds as if they have near-perfected this formula of blending prog with black metal, and Vertebrae is perhaps the best representation of their style to date.

While this album mayn't be as heavy as their previous albums Isa or Ruun, it most definately is their most progressive album so far. So, for people looking to get into Enslaved who also love progressive rock, Vertebrae is must-have release.