ENSLAVED · Hordanes Land (Re-Release) | DIGIPAK CD

CD in digipak.

Background information about 'Hordanes Land (Re-Release)'

There are demos, and then there are demons — and Hordanes Land is very much the latter. Recorded when Enslaved were barely out of their teens, this 1993 EP is nothing less than a foundational document of Norwegian black metal, the kind of recording that makes you understand why a whole scene caught fire around a handful of kids in Bergen and Stavanger. From the opening minutes of "Slaget I Skogen Bortenfor," you can hear the blueprint being hammered out in real time: frostbitten riffing, harsh vocals that feel like they're clawing their way up from under the earth, and those strange, almost mystical atmospheres that would later blossom into the progressive titan Enslaved became. There's a raw, untamed energy here that no later polish could ever replicate — this is the sound of young men channeling the old Norse gods through cheap gear and sheer conviction.

What makes Hordanes Land so enduring isn't just the fury, though. "Allfǫðr Oðinn" and "Balfǫr (Andi Fara / Prologr)" already show flashes of the epic, saga-like storytelling that would define the band's later career, with melodies that feel ancient and inevitable rather than merely composed. The closing title track ties it all together with a ceremonial weight that lingers long after the final note. This is a band discovering its own mythology, and you get to hear that discovery happen. It's short, it's vicious, and it's absolutely essential — not just for black metal diehards, but for anyone who wants to understand where one of the most adventurous bands in extreme music first planted their flag.

For fans of:
Emperor, Darkthrone, Immortal, Satyricon, Gorgoroth

Track listing

1. Slaget I Skogen Bortenfor (Epilog / Slaget)
2. Allfǫðr Oðinn
3. Balfǫr (Andi Fara / Prologr)
4. Enslaved

Manufacturer: By Norse Music, Membran Media GmbH, Langenhorner Chaussee 602, 22419 Hamburg, Germany, Contact: bynorse.com