Beloved Enslaved, with new album “Heimdal”. Sixteenth album please, from a band that, if nothing else, is productive and with quality work. All of Enslaved’s work is worth mentioning, with care in all areas.
   “Heimdal” left me with a bittersweet aftertaste. On the one hand, the new work of a favorite band, on the other, a work that did not excite me.
Listening to the album several times, I thought it would bring out something in me that I couldn’t pick up on the first few listens, which had also happened with other Enslaved albums. But this did not happen with “Heimdal”.
“Heimdal” is weak to my ears and often pointlessly complex, leaving the listener looking for somewhere to latch onto, to start liking. That’s where Heimdal loses, because it will either keep you searching or you’ll get bored by the first few tracks.
     This by no means means it’s a bad album, as we said Enslaved is far from it, but I believe few will love it. This is supported by the fact that in the band’s discography, there are excellent and much more listener-friendly albums.
     The progressive rock touches of the 70’s are also present in this album, as well as the many clean vocals. The atmosphere dominates with the guitars a little further back. The progressive black aesthetic is also here. The production could be a bit stronger. The lyrics to the classic themes, with stories from the frozen forests of the Vikings to mysticism. If I had to pick better pieces, these would be, Congelia and Heimdal.
     Enslaved’s new album enters as the 16th album in their discography, not to diminish its value, but to keep it at very high levels. Could it be better? maybe. But we are happy, without celebration, about Heimdal and that’s enough.

     7/10
     Spyros Trimpos