The Norwegian veterans once again masterfully mix the brutality and harshness of traditional black metal with progressive and experimental elements. Fast and driving guitars and blast beats give away to dreamy and spacious mellowness. There's more atmosphere and less of the Viking metal sound than on some of their previous albums.
The vocals on Vertebrae are also very diverse. They range from black metal rasps to melodic singing, and are a combination of subdued talking and whispering on "Center." The harsh vocals are as solid as ever, and I'm not sure if it's better production or a better performance, but the clean vocals are stronger on this CD compared to Ruun.
Just because band's style is labeled "progressive" doesn't mean their music actually progresses from album to album, but in Enslaved's case it's absolutely true. They are one of the most creative forces in extreme metal. Vertebrae isn't a drastic reinvention, but another step ahead in Enslaved's evolution.
(released October 28, 2008 on Nuclear Blast Records)
