Customer Reviews

Ruun

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

ENSLAVED - RUUN
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For those unaware, Norway's Enslaved are on their 10th album in 16 years, they have shifted a few members here and there, and have constantly progressed and pushed the limits of Black/Viking Metal.
Though I am not thoroughly familiar with their older works I have been more than impressed with their last two albums Below the Lights (2003) and Isa (2004) and now their latest RUUN (2006) has toppled all expectations I had for them.
Enslaved, are more than loyal to progression, each one of their albums holds true their Black/Viking Metal roots, yet they further explore the prog-territory in vein of 70's era King Crimson. Anyway on to the Album:

RUUN, begins with the powerful Entroper, a very subtle build drives this 6 minute opener along... near the end unleashing some stunning vocal work (actual singing) from the new keyboardist, Herbrand Larsen. They experimented with various guest vocalists on Isa but, Larsen's voice seems more than suited and is a perfect contrast with Grutle Kjellson venomous rasp. Also Gruntle's, Rickenbacker(?)Bass work is noteworthy as it is nicely turned up in the mix. The second track, Path to Vanir is another stunning song with a midsection that would make the mighty King Crimson proud followed by pure black-metal fury. Fusion of Sense and Earth, goes back to their roots, with some incredible guitar playing by Ivar Bjornson and Arve Isda. Isda's soloing is especially impressive. The title track RUUN is a nice combination of black metal and prog-rock. Holding a delicate balance of beauty and brutality, for the entire song. Tides of Chaos, begins with probably my favorite intro on the album, the guitar play is simply fantastic, especially when complimented by the groove heavy drumming of Cato Bekkevold. The spoken vocals are well executed and provide a nice change of pace. Track six, Essence, is masterful track which is simply put beautiful... There is some very nice spoken work in this song and again the play between clean and rasping vocals is perfectly balanced. Best of all, the clean vocals come off as very sincere and not as some sheik attempt to gain mainstream attention. Api-Vat is prog-filled journey into experimental territory, yet like this entire album holds true to its roots. The closer Heir to the Cosmic Seed, is appropriately placed as the final track and is probably the most, prog filled and off-kilter track on the CD.

All in All RUUN will be in my top honours for best of 2006 and though it has tough competition this year, (Akercocke, Burst and Tool to name a few.) an album like this can only continue to grow...
Best of all I don't think Enslaved has yet reached their Magnum Opus and I am a definite fan of their Blackened, Progressive-Viking Metal and look forward to what the future holds.

Favorite Songs: Tides of Chaos, Essence, Fusion of Sense and Earth, and Api-Vat.
-5 Stars

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I'm only familiar with a few of the Norwegian black metal bands, and decided to try out Enslaved after reading some good reviews. I'm quite surprised and intrigued by the creativity in this band's sound, and they've gotta be one of the most progressive and interesting bands in their dark circle. I bet if the most adventurous and big-thinking Vikings had access to modern instruments, as well as a yen for both classic extreme metal and prog rock, they'd make music like this. As opposed to the relentless violence of their compatriots, Enslaved enslave the listener with an ominous creeping dread and slow-burning menace. The most powerful tracks on this album, such as "Entroper" and "Tides of Chaos," build that power with shifting dynamics and unexpected stylistic changes, while the haunting acoustic breaks in "Path to Vanir" and "RUUN" find the perfect balance between beauty and power. Now that's how to build true heaviness, rather than just bashing away at full blast all the time. Prominent keyboards and some snippets of exotic instrumentation, as well as the interesting juxtaposition between the Alice Cooper-like sneer of Grutle Kjellson and the forlorn wizened singing of Herbrand Larsen, are all signs of a band that is fully committed to breaking out of its category, and moving that category into new musical realms. This extreme metal is extremely fascinating. [~doomsdayer520~]

...or maybe a bit of both...have you ever watched a cat chase a flashlight on a wall...entertaining indeed...however, this album makes me feel like the cat. Can't really put my finger on what it is about this album...suffice it to say...it has slayer (early), opeth, stoner rock, classic progressive and whatever else you will bear witness round about listen 20, but a fine effort indeed. Everything just seems to find its place in the mix on this album and that is a testament to the band and the production quality. Some may spew venom about the sound quality being too proggy, but if that were the case the drums would be much higher in the mix! To me the drums are great, but the guitar and keyboard interaction make this record what it is. 8 tracks with no repeatition what-so-ever...and for a band of this propensity...you would believe them to be less prolific...but you would be wrong...

I have listened to this as much as 10,000 days and think this album is much better...and that album has its moments.

Enjoy!!!

Should you hear the words "best metal band out there," Enslaved probably isn't the first band that comes to mind. But pause and reflect. Enslaved has a reputation for always pushing for something new and interesting. The amount of output alone is impressive--since their famous split EP with Emperor (on which they blew Emperor away, I might add), they've done ten full-lengths in total, releasing pathbreaking albums almost yearly since 1999. The quality, even more remarkable--from the epic, deft, assaultive Viking metal of the early years to the ever more progressive, strange, and psychedelic albums of recent times, there is probably no metal band whose discography matches that of Enslaved. Just when you think they finally _have_ to release a `bleh' album, they blow you away again.

Where _Ruun_ ultimately stands in relation to the rest of the catalogue is uncertain, but it any case it is an exhilarating, progressive, and powerful. There are only peripheral features that tie the band to its former days or black metal in general. It otherwise an extension of _Isa_ the way _Isa_ was an extension of _Below the Lights_ and so on -- each album is a step that feels natural and reaches tremendous heights (_Maudraum_ and _Blodhemn_ was the most profound change of style, probably). On _Isa_, it seemed the band have reached its immanent end and perfected itself. _Ruun_ just keeps running with the concept. The paradox of the reviewer is that one can describe _Ruun_ mostly with reference to _Isa_, and yet it is difficult to articulate the abstract changes that have taken place, so one might lose sight of the progression at play. Same sorta qualities, really: wall-of-sound metal, tight choppy riffs, complex songwriting, phantasmagoric arrangements, prog-like rhythmic labyrinths, and album flow orientation. The album starts with the driving "Entroper" with driving metal chording and subtle melodic grace. About two minutes into "Fusion of Sense and Earth", Enslaved channels what sounds like a lost passage from Opeth's "The Amen Corner" - vox too! "Tides of Chaos" culminates in a _Larks_-era King Crimson-esque slog, highly metallized. As much as I hear sounds evoking other bands, this is purely Enslaved's album - I haven't heard any metal band write a heavy, shimmering song like "Essence" or pull off such a bizarre, vertigo-inducing guitar solo in the climax of "Heir to the Cosmic Seed". That last song is also amazing with its slow galloping riffs, chanting, and drifting guitar notes. Brilliant moments of metal riffage, instrumental interplay, and atmospheric weirdness abound. Yes.

The other 8 reviews have covered this record very well. I just want to add: This record contains supreme musicianship and brilliant songwriting. Enslaved, quite possibly are the best band in this genre of metal. I strongly urge everyone reading this to "add to cart" So far in 2006,IMO, RUNN is the second best release falling a little short. The band to top this is Drudkh with their release "Blood in our Wells" which unfortunately Amazon does not have. Excellent Ukrainian Black Metal, IMO, the top band in the depressive Black Metal realm. Remember, Drudkh and Enslaved for Black Metal you can't do much better. Peace.

Some years back, a new album from Norway's Enslaved was an occasion for pagan celebration only among those few who honestly appreciated "Viking" black metal of EPIC quality... people like me for whom a band in tunics and tights was indeed "cool". But more and more folks came around to this band's undeniable if eccentric brilliance (and their stage clothes have become less archaic). Now they're one of the biggest acts in the world of "extreme metal" and the release of a new album like this one (Ruun being their ninth full-length in a 13 year career) is a big deal. As it should be. I've always made a big deal about Enslaved's albums.

So as always, excitement ran high for this new disc. And my reaction to it is similar to how we felt about their last one, Isa -- it's obvious immediately that Ruun is another proud entry in the Enslaved discography, and one that promises to be a grower too. The carefully crafted, complex collision of aggro black metal and '70s inspired prog rock (a la Rush, Genesis, King Crimson) that Enslaved have been perfecting (or, at this point, could be said to have perfected!) is in full effect, each composition holding hidden secrets to be revealed only on repeat listens, while not for a second stinting on the venemous METAL that you want right of the gate. Already there's certain tracks that I just want to keep hitting "repeat" on.

Grutle's vocals still alternate between vicious rasping growls and "clean" Viking vox, the music similarly incorporating both jagged metallic riffing (stormwracked seas, longboats tossing) and spacier, more melodic symphonic passages (astral travels to ancestral lands beyond the stars)... the classic Enslaved dynamic at work! Though maybe there's something smoother about such transistions nowadays as Enslaved have matured (if not mellowed). Or maybe I'm just used to it now. What I do know for sure is that Ruun's technical, emotional, majestic music for the discerning headbanger will earn Enslaved even more plaudits, not to mention the usual well-warranted comparisons to Sweden's Opeth, who have been travelling a similarly progressive path from extreme metal roots. But I also hear traces of such Nordic BM bands as Emperor and Satyricon -- and of course Voivod, and psychedelic grandaddies Pink Floyd, on the album's dreamier moments.

I was introduced to this band by this album, and I can say with one hundread percent ceartainty that this is one of the best metal albums of 2006, and one of the best black metal releases ever. A very atmospheric and textured audio journey, Enslaved's 'Ruun' is a masterpiece in every aspect.

What you have here is far from your standard black metal power chord driven half steps and high pitched shrieking vocals. 'Ruun' is a very melodic and mournful album, that dives into many different themes and styles. From softer acoustic passages and melodic clean vocals, to devestating, yet very beautiful riffage and black metal screams, 'Ruun' keeps the listener successfully alert.

What you won't find here are the beefed up guitar sounds of most black metal acts today. The guitar tone does not drown anything out which is the trend of modern black metal bands, and rather than giving the album a 'hollow' sound due to this old school approach, Enslaved have successfully filled up the space with sheer musical genious. All of the riffs are original, and everything flows together fluidly creating a constantly building and changing atmosphere.

This is a true 'diamond in the rough'. Absolutely essentual to any intelligent metal-head.

In their 15 years of existence, Enslaved have had several lineup changes, but they've remained one of the biggest forces to be reckoned with in black metal, because they are constantly experimenting with and pushing the genre's limits. Following up last year's very progressive "Isa" rather quickly, this Norwegian quintet release their tenth album, which is another gem.

By exploring their progressive side, Enslaved have gotten further and further away from their roots as a somewhat prototypical Norweigan black metal band, but they've never turned their back on them, entirely, either. And "Ruun" is no exception to that rule: this disc offsets corrosive, heavy black metal parts with beautiful, psychedelic prog rock which is in the same vein as King Crimson and at times even Pink Floyd. Several of the songs contrast frontman Grutle Kjellson's throaty, venomous rasp with clean backing vocals, and the results are always great and often mindblowing.

These songs prove there are two ways of doing black/dark metal: making a beefed up sound (like Cradle of Filth's "Damnation And A Day" or Dimmu Borgir's "Death Cult Armageddon"), or making an album by using the "less is more" theory. Enslaved definitely chose the latter option for "Ruun," because it's very simple. It uses uncomplicated riffs, monorhythmic drum patterns, minimalist noise, and skeletal song structures almost exclusively.

The door opens with "Entroper", a heavy song which puts surging guitars and snarly, high pitched vocals over a grumbling bass line and a lurching beat. The proceeding track, "Path to Vanir", is probably the best song on here. It also has a catchy, lurching rhythm and thick, churning riffs, but this song is different because it makes brief use of an organ before segueing into a pretty acoustic interlude around the 2:30 mark. Later on, Grutle is allowed to show off his commanding, visceral, roaring bellows on songs like "Fusion of Sense and Earth", but "Tides of Chaos" and "Essence" are both somewhat melodic, and have clean, angelic, Mikael Akerfeldt-esque backing vocals which work like a charm.

"Ruun" is a deceptively simple album which will probably take several listens to fully appreciate, absorb, and unfold. Even with a boring, repetitive part or two, this is still the best black metal album of 2006 so far, and it will almost definitely be the finest black/Viking metal album to be released all year long. So if you're a fan of this genre or this band, "Ruun" to your local record store to buy this!

Black metal - check.
Viking metal - check.
Progressive metal - check.
Enslaved falls neatly into all three categories, thank you very much. They have been in this "manly" metal business for 16 years, and they know what they are doing. Ruun is their tenth full-length album, and is following "Isa", a disc that many never thought that they could top. If they did not actually surpass the mighty "Isa", they certainly made a great effort, maybe even equaling that work.

I have to give this band the credit they deserve. After being in this business for 16 years, they continue (like Katatonia) to produce quality work. They have allowed themselves to grow, having transcended the confines of black metal, exploring their roots, and successfully honing their talents to the point that the progressive route where they roam today is a perfectly natural environment. This is not an easy task, but this band makes it look easy enough since nothing on this album feels forced.
Singing duties are shared between founding member and bassist Grutle Kjellson, who provides a black metal rasp that is sheer perfection, and the newest member, keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, performs most of the clean vocals. Larsen's vocals are above the norm, nicely performed and his voice is well suited to the style. The combination of these two guys singing/rasping in tandem (as in title track "Ruun" and sixth track choruses of "Essence") is a completely wondrous, nearly visceral experience, and part of what makes this band stand out.

The musicianship is rock-solid throughout, from the lovely bass lines by Grutle on "Entorper", to the angular guitar chorus on the very experimental "Tides of Chaos". I really like the almost purely black metal vibe of seventh track "Api-Vat", the lead guitar solo at the end of this song flows beautifully into the final song "Heir to the Cosmic Seed", a song that just screams the word "progressive", with an instrumental reminiscent of great 70's prog-rock.

Seeing how much I love this album, I am finding it difficult to find anything to say that has not already been said. This album just owns, so you should own it!

I have to mention that I saw them perform live after writing this review. Grutle surprised me by doing a lot of the clean singing himself, and did it well. They delivered an excellent and polished live performance. and they were very "manly". yes, indeed.

What can I say about Enslaved? A band with a mature and progressive approach to viking/black metal. Ruun is basically Isa's natural followup; Enslaved aren't necessarily adding anything new to their sound, but rather, exploring the niche they gradually established within the course of 10 albums. The instrumentation is virtuosic, technical, but still predatory, and Grutle's vitriolic growl recall the days of oldschool black metal. Top it off with majestic, well-integrated synth arrangements, and what you get is a viking-infested, cosmic sea that's possibly this year's best album. Must buy.
- Thus says the Pellington