ENSLAVED · Utgard | CD

Jewelcase CD with 16pages booklet.

Background information about 'Utgard'

Enslaved have spent thirty-plus years refusing to sit still, and Utgard is yet another sharp left turn from a band that long ago stopped needing to prove anything to anyone. Recorded with the band in a state of creative freefall, this record feels like a band tearing down their own walls and rebuilding from the rubble. There is a strange, almost dreamlike atmosphere running through these nine tracks, a kind of mythic haze that pulls you into a world of old Norse darkness and cosmic dread.

From the opening surge of "Fires In The Dark" to the eerie, hypnotic pulse of "Jettegryta," the album moves with a confidence that only comes from decades of mastery. Grutle Kjellson's vocals remain a force of nature, switching between guttural roars and clean, almost chant-like passages, while the guitar work of Ivar Bjørnson and Arve Isdal weaves layers of melody and dissonance that reward repeat listens. Tracks like "Sequence" and "Homebound" show a band unafraid to lean into prog-tinged textures, while "Utgarðr" and "Urjotun" are pure, primal Norwegian fury. The closing stretch, especially "Storms Of Utgard" and "Distant Seasons," leaves you feeling like you have just stumbled out of some ancient forest, blinking in the light. This is an album that grows with every spin, revealing new depths each time.

For fans of:
Opeth, Borknagar, Ihsahn, Wolves In The Throne Room, Vintersorg

Other Versions

BLACK LP · Sold out GREY LP · Sold out CLEAR/BLACK/WHITE LP · Sold out

Track listing

1. Fires In The Dark
2. Jettegryta
3. Sequence
4. Homebound
5. Utgarðr
6. Urjotun
7. Flight Of Thought And Memory
8. Storms Of Utgard
9. Distant Seasons

Manufacturer: Warner Music Group Germany Holding GmbH, Alter Wandrahm 14, 20457 Hamburg, Germany, Contact: www.nuclearblast.com