Axioma Ethica Odini

Enslaved | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nuclear Blast America
• ASIN: B003XQE0RC
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,724 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Larger Than Time, Heavier Than Night, October 1, 2010

By 

David Chris Dalton (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Axioma Ethica Odini (Audio CD)

I will be brief here. "Axioma Ethica Odini" is hands-down the finest Enslaved album since "Below the Lights." It virtually crushes the three albums that preceded it.

As odd as it may sound, there is not that much new here. Enslaved have been far beyond the leading edge of prog/black metal now for almost a decade. Each album has offered a mix of '70s progressive rock, bizarre Voivod riffing, black metal obliteration, etc. The same holds true on this release, just everything has been tightened up immeasurably.

Jens Bogren was brought in to mix the record. He is responsible for the skull-crushing sound that can be found on the latest albums by Opeth and Amon Amarth. Possibly the only current metal producer who gets a massive, professional sound, particularly crafted to each band, that doesn't sound compressed and brickwalled into the absurd noise found on so many major heavy releases.

The vocals have had particular attention paid to them this time. The ever-improving clean vocals have advanced markedly and Bogren gets an absolutely phenomenal sound from Grutle Kjellson's harsh vox, guttural bellows and shrieks; swirling around one another approaching the heights of Mikael Akerfeldt's genre-defining performance at the end of "Blackwater Park."

Enslaved have been guilty in the past of throwing whacked-out riffs together in a seemingly random fashion, having songs go on too long or randomly switching between clever parts at the most inappropriate moment. "AEO" finds the songwriting tighter and more succinct than it has been in ages, even though many of the tracks are around the seven minute mark.

And of last note, I feel as though the band have not performed with this much ease and confidence since "Mardraum" roughly a decade ago. It is almost as if they KNEW how mind scrabbling the new material was which allowed them to truly grind forward like a monolithic Glacier Giant. Much more forceful, aggressive and destructive than recent submissions. If you've been a fan of this band to any degree over the past decade, I highly recommend their newest.

Welcome back, Enslaved!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite possibly their best..., October 1, 2010

By 

apuleius15 (Fresno, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Axioma Ethica Odini (Audio CD)

This album combines all the best elements of their entire career. Everything is high-impact and immaculately crafted. They have recovered some of the excitement of "Mardraum" a decade ago and blended it with their new technical virtuosity. "Vertebrae" had made me doubt these guys, but they are now back with a vengeance.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enslaved to Greatness, October 8, 2010

By 

D. Chilstrom (Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Axioma Ethica Odini (Audio CD)

Is it prog metal or black metal? Does the distinction matter? With "Axioma Ethica Odini," Enslaved answer with a resounding "no." It truly does not matter what genre category one applies to the band when they write songs of such impact and resonance. Grutle's vocals stay true to the black metal archetype, and his voice is in as fine a form as ever - he is the definition of visceral, cutting through your stereo like a battle axe. Herbrand Larsen (on keyboards) consistently contributes great clean vocals (Night Sight being a tremendous example). On guitar, Ivar and Ice Dale sound better than ever (and deliver the RIFFS!), and Cato is tight on the drums.

None of this should surprise Enslaved fans, but I have to say that the band has exceeded my expectations with this album. I never doubted this mighty horde, but didn't know if this record would be a masterpiece. Based upon this aural argument, one would do well to take ethical cues from the great Mr. Odin. This is a serious contender for my favorite album of 2010.