It’s been 2 years since Norwegian progressive black metallers Enslaved were last in Australia which doesn’t seem that long ago in the grand scheme of things but a lot can happen in that time. For Enslaved it’s been a new chapter that has come in the form of ‘E‘, their latest album and one which has envigorated the band and pushed them into the next phase of the band’s career.
That new phase will see the band return to Australia this week after their last run of shows down under saw the band celebrate 25 years in the business in the form of the always capitvating and intimate Evening With concerts where it was nothing but Enslaved for a couple of hours. That idea runs somewhat common place in progressive bands and while Enslaved have always had the black metal tag placed upon them, the progressive rock element is something that has become more and more apparent with each new album. ‘E’ of course pushes those boundaries with an almost avante garde sound.
I’m reminded of a quote from an interview I did with guitarist Ivar Bjornson a couple of years ago when discussing the longevity of the band and how people perceive the sound that Enslaved are known for. “So we have a bunch of people with misconceptions who don’t know exactly what Enslaved is. People who heard about us and thought we would be this low-fi black metal band sounding like the 90’s and they saw us and were totally happy with that.” Add to that their fantastic take on the iconic Led Zeppelin track ‘Immigrant Song‘ and you start to get a sense that all is not as predictable in the viking rockers camp as one may think.
Their first run of shows in Australia was actually not that far back in history, 2013 to be exact and we were there to capture their live power which has to be seen to really get an idea of what Enslaved are really about. The live show really seems to be where the band shine the most and their songs lend themselves very well to the stage in front of a headbanging crowd.
Joining Enslaved on the tour will be Solstafir, fellow European post-rock, progressive and pretty much in line with what Enslaved do. The combination of the two acts is going to be a memorable one that Australia may not see too often, in other words, get to one of these shows if you can and spare the excuses to miss what will be a great show.
TOUR DATES
Perth – Wednesday 29 August – The Rosemount
Sydney – Thursday 30 August – Factory Theatre
Brisbane – Friday 31 August – The Zoo
Melbourne – Saturday 1 September – Max Watts
Tickets on sale NOW via: http://davidroywilliams.com/tours/enslaved-2018/
