ENSLAVED — Mardraum: Beyond the Within (review)

ENSLAVED — Mardraum: Beyond the Within album cover Album · 2000 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Mardraum: Beyond the Within" is the 5th full-length studio album by Norwegian black metal act Enslaved. The album was released in 2000 through Osmose Productions.

The music on the album marks a slight transition in sound for Enslaved. While the basis in the music is still black metal/ blackened thrash (it´s very obvious that Enslaved are influenced by eighties thrash metal acts like Possessed, Celtic Frost and Kreator), progressive rock elements have begun to sneak into the music. The best examples are "Entrance - Escape", "Frøyas Smykke" and the 10:07 minutes long opening song "Større enn tid - Tyngre enn Natt". The latter is definitely the highlight of the album to me. Don´t expect a lot of progressive ideas though this is still first and foremost a black metal album. The vocals are pre-dominantly delivered in raspy and harsh black metal style but there are also clean vocals in a couple of the songs.

The musicianship is excellent. Tight playing and great harsh and clean vocals. Note that there are guitar solos on the album as well. Something that is not as dominant on earlier recordings by Enslaved. And great solos too I might add.

The production is strong and well sounding. It´s actually the first Enslaved album where it is apparent that they employ a bassist.

"Mardraum: Beyond the Within" is the first Enslaved album where I begin to understand what the band are capable of. I enjoyed both "Eld (1997)" and "Blodhemn (1998)" greatly but with "Mardraum: Beyond the Within" the band bring just enough new elements into their sound to really intrigue me. A 3.5 star rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Rot Stink Rip Death Metal
TOMBSTONER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Human Rosin Melodic Metalcore
HATE BREEDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Through The Hell Hardcore Punk
ENEMY 906
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lightmatter: Rebirth Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Eye Of Horus (Lightmatter EP Pt. 2) Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 4 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 4 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 4 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 5 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 5 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed