Some metal bands can be compared to historians. There are some bands who dedicate their entire existence to communicating their ideas about culture. There is Nile and Coffin Texts, both Egyptian themed bands; Xibalba, dedicated to Mayan culture; and Drudkh/ Hate Forest/ Astrofaes, who embrace their Slavonic roots. Enslaved, from Norway, have been playing viking-themed black metal since 1991. While the term “black metal” often elicits panda-painted men singing about satan, Enslaved have always operated outside of the box. Not content with the black metal status quo, Enslaved isn’t all tremolo and blast beats. The band side-steps the traditional sound and evolves toward progressive territories. While some Enslaved albums are not my cup of tea, I often look forward to hearing how the band is interpreting black metal. (You can download The Sleeping Gods EP in exchange for an email after the jump.)
Enslaved is headlining a tour that could have been “Clash of the Titans” for bearded Scion drivers. Unfortunately, polarizing group Ghost had to cancel the tour due to visa issues. Fear not bearded hustlers, Alcest, an equally polarizing French shoegaze band made of metal heads are still on board. Don’t expect any rampant satanism, just some time warp college dorm jams to take you back to 1992 and some dudes frowning. Unlike most metal shows, there may be actual women here. I’m letting you know in advance so you can ditch the deer in the headlights look.
Openers include yankees Junius (heavy progressive/ space rock) and local yankees Struck By Lightning.
The show starts at 6:30 pm on Saturday (October 1st) at Outland Live (18+).
Continue reading