Review: Enslaved – Mið
Style: progressive black metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Emperor, Borknagar, Opeth
Country: Norway
Release date: 30 October 2026
In the esoteric world of progressive black metal, no band’s influence ranks higher than Enslaved’s. If they didn’t create the style entirely, these Norwegians have carried the genre’s flag for decades, spanning a discography legendary for its consistency. The band’s penchant for stylistic progression makes their track record all the more impressive—although no single release has totally reinvented their sound, each of the preceding sixteen albums has covered new ground without a marked drop in quality or loss of identity. From early grim and frostbitten riffs to expansive melodic soundscapes, prog- and folk-filled explorations, and everywhere in between, Enslaved’s catalog is one of the richest you’ll find. Their seventeenth album, Mið, continues in this spirit of measured progress.
More than any previous Enslaved album, Mið feels human—grounded, perhaps. Cosmic themes and spacey atmospheres course through the record, as expected, but they’re woven into an earthly, immediate sound. The tribal chants coloring “I Am Ice,” provided by Sámi1 musician Johan Sara Jr., imbue an otherwise blistering cut with a palpable sense of connectivity. “Mountain,” meanwhile, begins with lazy strumming and synths reminiscent of a campfire flickering at a mountain’s base. Then, at the track’s midpoint, a deep, chunky, truly thunderous riff storms in, as if to illustrate the mountain’s grandeur and the power of nature, to which we’re all ultimately subject. The massive bass tone and off-kilter rhythm add to the effect. Best capturing Mið’s ethos, though, is “Spirit Helper,” a morning prayer sung by Kevin Kicking Woman, a member of the Blackfeet Nation.2 Enslaved took his recital as originally recorded at a ceremony in New York and composed around it. The band’s recognizable acoustic guitar textures, melodic riffing, and airy atmospherics wrap organically around ritualistic vocalizations, recontextualizing Enslaved‘s sound to forge an almost spiritual connection between themselves and KKW. As the album’s thematic centerpiece, “Spirit Helper” faithfully captures the inarticulable essence that binds us all.
Setting these loftier themes aside, Mið is fundamentally a progressive black metal record, and an excellent one at that. The verse of “Solar Will” is surely an album highlight, as rolling tremolos surge beneath perfectly placed melodic accents and traded harsh and clean vocals. “Tales of Trees,” too, offers a balance of hostility and soaring beauty that only Enslaved can strike—particularly when its floating, synth-driven chorus is satisfyingly ripped down by biting guitars and emphatic growls. Both tracks are masterclasses in concision, making an extraordinary impact with runtimes under five minutes. Yet it’s “Parting,” the longest track on Mið at just over eight minutes, where Enslaved are at their most enrapturing. A gorgeous keyboard intro followed by an equally enthralling Bathory-esque acoustic passage sets the tone for a track with riffs and vocal melodies so dreamy it’s hard to believe we’re still somewhere in the black metal genre. “Parting” is quintessential Enslaved; their signature style at its peak.
All this said, my praise for Mið wasn’t instant. As with virtually all of Enslaved’s works, it took me repeated listens to make sense of the songs’ structures and buy into the album’s vision. What started as roughly organized sonic bits cohered into a legible musical narrative over the course of weeks. A few parts have remained misaligned: the short album opener “Non-Being” doesn’t feel like an essential lead-in to “I Am Ice,” and the tribal-oriented outro of “I Am Ice,” in turn, sounds stapled on. “I Miðju” is more straightforward than the other tracks and falls slightly flat as an album closer, and each time I hear “Mountain,” its second half feels a little short—as great as the track is, it could have been expanded into something especially epic. But these quibbles aren’t nearly enough to stop Mið from being one of this year’s most powerful listens.
Seventeen albums and over thirty years in, Enslaved remain the de facto voice of progressive black metal. Beyond that, few bands in any genre have a catalog as consistently forward-thinking and exciting. Mið is a testament to the group’s deliberate evolution, taking a more grounded musical shape that captures the spirit of human connectedness. And still, the blackened bite, compositional sophistication, and melodic ingenuity that have long defined Enslaved remain intact. Of a late-career release, really, what more could we ask? The band’s well of inspiration is infinitely deep.
Recommended tracks: Solar Will, Mountain, Parting
You may also like: Namu, Finsterforst, IATT, Juodvarnis, Vintersorg
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Enslaved are:
– Grutle Kjellson (bass, harsh vocals)
– Ivar Bjørnson (guitars, backing vocals)
– Arve Isdal (guitars, backing vocals)
– Håkon Vinje (keyboards, clean vocals)
– Iver Sandøy (drums)
With guests:
– Kevin Kicking Woman (vocals, “Spirit Helper”)
– Johan Sara Jr. (additional vocals, “I Am Ice”)
0 Comments