VIKINGLIGR VELDI

I've started getting to know Enslaved with this release and it remain one of my favourite ones and certainly the most atmospheric one by Enslaved. The album pales out a bit when comparing to more mature and diverse debut albums by Ulver and Borknagar, but these came later, the band members were older. Nevertheless, Vikingligr Veldi contains something that no other progressive black metal debut album has: an epic instrumental 10-minute depressing "Norvegr" whose chords could well be also played by a post-rock band. Due to its rawness, the record will please most black metal fans, due to its repeativness, it should be more accessible to progressive minds, too. This is black metal, not meant to be technically proficient, it has interesting wintery dark chord structures, progressive keyboards, raw guitars and classic black metal drums/vocals. All songs are quite long, some a bit too long but it allows to full focus in the magic atmosphere. My favourite tracks are brutal and dark "Vetrarnуtt / A Winter's Night" but also the last instrumental song that is captivating from its first mischievous chord until the piano accompaniment. This album is best enjoyed not at home when drinking beer/wine/coffee; go out in a snowed forest with hilly landscapes, alone or with a dog, with few people around, put on headphones and observe the trees and white clouds. This will pay off and add the emotional depth to listening. Why only 2 stars? Because I want to be objective and think that 80% of the progarchives listeners, especially the conventional ones, won't be pleased by the sound and distance from progressive metal.