Track Listing

1. Clouds
2. Coast
3. Ground
4. Vertebrae
5. New Dawn
6. Reflection
7. Center
8. The Watcher

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #73001 in Music
• Released on: 2008-10-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Album Description
Recorded in the first quarter of 2008, mixed by Evil Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age), mastered by the legendary George Marino (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin) at Sterling Sound, Vertebrae was produced by band members Ivar Bjørnson, Herbrand Larsen, and Grutle Kjellson themselves.

Considered by all band members to be their strongest album in the seventeen years of their existence, Vertebrae's sound, songs, seasoned guitar tone and time-travelling solos and overall atmosphere marks a crowning achievement for the band and the genre as a whole.

Customer Reviews

The black metal pink floyd.
I have seen many bands lately compared to Pink Floyd if they had gone black metal but this is The black metal Pink Floyd hands down. The clean vocals in many respects remind me of Richard Wright(RIP) and many of the guitar solos remind me of David Gilmour via the Meddle period of Pink Floyd. This is Enslaved most mature album. Nevermind the Pink Floyd comparisons because this is just a band who has established it's own sound. If you like progressive black metal I would highly recommend this cd. I also recommend Vintersorg,Cronian,Arcturus,Borknagar,Solefald and Primordial.

Enslaved have reached a creative zenith with Vertebrae
I have been an Enslaved listener for well over 10 years now, and I have been able to witness much of the musical evolution that has transpired over the last several albums. what I have witnessed is a band not content to rest on their laurels, but a band that has a desire to constantly evolve and create music that is not only challenging, but sonically gratifying as well.

What Enslaved has achieved in the last five years is the ability to wear the mantle of being the leaders in progressive black metal, a title which so few have even strived for. The journey really began with Isa and and is now culminating in Vertebrae. Yes, the others albums prior to Isa, (Mardraum, Monumension and Below the Lights), were leaning in the progressive direction, but Isa really drew the line in the sand that showed Enslaved as a progressively minded band with a desire to defy the conventions of black metal and create masterpieces of art that would stand as musical testaments, much like the progressive rock giants of the seventies, (Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant, Camel, King Crimson).

The musical output on Vertebrae capitalizes on the strengths of both Isa and Ruun and continues even further in the direction that both of those albums so eloquently travelled. Vertebrae is truly going to be a hard album to top. Everything from the Floydesque clean vocal harmonies to the discordant guitar parts are all expertly woven together to create what is their current masterpiece. Truly, this is the album to buy this year, no doubt about it. If you liked Isa and Ruun, then you shouldn't even think twice about this purchase, and if you are an Enslaved fan, then your collection is seriously lacking without this album. Take my word for it; this album lives up to all of the hype.

Surprised how much I enjoy this
I didn't like this very much at first. The guitars aren't super heavy, and I usually don't like clean vocals in black metal. In fact, this doesn't sound that much like black metal, which I was sort of expecting. Sometime around the third time I listened, it started clicking for me. If you just skip around listening to little pieces of the album, or listen to the previews of each track, you miss what it's about. Somehow all the pieces add up to a unique and excellent listening experience.

The guitars are not obscured by a mass of distortion...they are somehow clean and distorted at the same time. There are great atmospheric cinematic sounds, interesting breaks, weird and wonderful harmonies, lots of contrast and dynamics. I love the shifting time signatures, the overall vibe.....a unique and beautiful album!

Also, I don't think 'progressive black metal' is a good term for this album. To me it is one of those great albums that defies any genre. It is truly it's own thing.