Enslaved: Mið

Enslaved are icons of Norwegian music and extreme metal. 35 years of graft, and now with 17 albums to their name, the band have defined and then redefined a range of subgenres. Starting their career at ground zero of the infamous Norwegian Black Metal movement, they progressed and developed into a progressive extreme metal band over the second half of their career. I always keep tabs on what this band are doing because they rarely disappoint. Unlike some of their peers they still maintain a solid core of key original members too - Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson have been the driving force of enslaved since the early 90’s and always deliver the goods. I was particularly interested to check this new album out after I read that they entered the studio with close to a blank slate, and with firm time constraints. This is a dramatic change up to their latter-day approach where they would have songs and whole albums laid out in demo tracks, ready to record and tinker with in the studio. Whether intended or not, the result of this changed approach and time constraint is a particularly energetic and honest release.

Mið, an Old Norse word for ‘centre’, or ‘middle’ is a telling name for the album, which both departs a little from their most elaborate recent work, and harkens back to their black metal roots frequently. Perhaps the reference is suggesting this album is at the core of the Enslaved sound.

The short introduction "Non-Being" gets the album underway in the right manner before making way for "I Am Ice", an aggressive yet epic track that really is Enslaved doing what they do best. Progressive Black metal as it should be, with enough sinister riffing, frost bitten vocals and icy cold ambience to keep the black metal fans happy, juxtaposed with emotive clean vocal passages, synth leads, tempo and feel changes - enough progressive elements to keep any discerning extreme metal fan interested throughout.

"Solar Will" comes next and is another very aggressive track that leans heavily into the black metal end of the Enslaved sound. Not quite as compelling as "I Am Ice", but another great track, no doubt. This is followed by "Mountain" which is one of the more unique tracks on the album. It’s a slow sombre build before a heavy, mediative, downtuned riff kicks in about halfway through it’s run time. This heavy section is really satisfying in the way it builds and builds. Great track.

"Spirit Helper" is another unique and memorable track. This one features Blackfeet Nation elder and educator Kevin Kicking Woman who provides a ‘vocal and prayer cadence’. As I understand it, this vocal was provided to the band who then arranged the heavy accompaniment after the fact. Whatever the case, the results are really quite impactful. Enslaved are well known for the way they lean into the Norse language and history, but hearing them collaborate across cultures has real power and emotion. It’s not a typical Enslaved track, but I think it adds a lot to this album and is well positioned mid-way through the release.

The album is run through to its conclusion with an exceptional run of tracks; "Parting", "Tales of Trees", and "I Miðju". In many respects these tracks are more in keeping with what I would have expected to hear on an Enslaved album in 2026. Progressive extreme metal with a nice mix of vocal styles, moods and riffing. "I Miðju" is probably my favourite track on the album and is no doubt a fantastic closer to what is an interesting and enjoyable album.

I think the change of writing and recording approach on this album has been a really well-advised change up. I don’t think Enslaved can ever be accused of getting stale or boring, and in some ways this albums isn’t a drastic change to what they’ve been doing in the last decade, however I like the more straight forward instrumentation approach, and the more spontaneous sound at times. Another great album from a band that only know one way!

Track Listing
1. Non-Being
2. I Am Ice (feat. Johan Sara Jr)
3. Solar Will
4. Mountain
5. Spirit Helper (feat. Kevin Kicking Woman)
6. Parting
7. Tales of Trees
8. I Miðju

Added: November 4th 2026
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Enslaved online
Hits: 13
Language: english

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