New Road Report: Enslaved, Alcest, and Junius
11/1/2011 2:02:05 PM by Frank




Once the blue shadows lifted from the stage, the hour had come for Enslaved, one band that I have never missed since discovering 'Below the Lights' almost 10 years ago. In many superficial regards, this show was quite like each of those I've seen them perform in the past. The backline is evenly split between the impassive Cato on stage right, holding down a meticulous beat from behind his impressive kit, and the angular but elegant Herbrand leaning into his keyboard and swirling up through the mix at every right moment. Ice Dale, the eternally shirtless “living action figure" (as Grutle called him), commands front stage left with his black Les Paul, which he wields like a champion carrying a banner. Grutle holds court at center stage, his rune-inscribed bracers the band's most visually direct nod to their Viking roots, gesticulating grandly and transfixing the audience with his intense stare. On stage right, the bearish Ivar, perpetually wearing a black t-shirt depicting a heavily knotted cross (honestly, I think he's worn it at every show of theirs I've seen over the past five years), keeping mostly to his corner and churning out headbanging riff after riff. This precisely describes the lineup, stage setup, and outfits the band has employed each of the last four times I've seen them. But in digging a little deeper one sees how their chemistry, their confidence as US-headliners, and their maturity as musicians have all developed...

Link: Full Road Report

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