ENSLAVED — Where Is the Meaning (review)

ENSLAVED — Where Is the Meaning album cover

Album · 1994 · Technical Thrash Metal

4/5 · 2022-05-29
siLLy puPPy

Some bands have all the luck. Band names are important branding tools in finding an audience who will recognize your name and support your band by name alone if you’re fortunate enough to have such loyal fans. However in the dog eat dog of metal music sometimes a band that finds a name that fits its image is overshadowed by another band who happened to use the same name only the second comer was the one that managed to become famous and sell craploads of albums for decades on end. I’m talking about the band ENSLAVED and no not the famous Norwegian band that every extreme metalhead knows and loves so well.

This ENSLAVED actually came from Eastern Germany in the city of Cottbus situated on the Polish border somewhat southeast of Berlin. This band actually formed in 1990 a whole year before Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson launched their successful band of the same name in 1991. Believe it or not there were actually TWO bands who chose the name ENSLAVED in Germany however the band from Crailshelm which formed around the same time never got beyond the demo stage. This ENSLAVED from Cottbus actually released two albums, two EPs and a split before disbanding in 1998.

ENSLAVED actually started out under the moniker Necrophenistic Nightmare before unfortunately choosing a name that would also be chosen by a band that would overshadow them for the rest of their career. Wisely the band changed its name to Killing Spree when it supposedly reformed in 2001 however only bassist Joerg Reinhardt appeared in the new so-called version of the band so i personally would call it a new band but whatever the case, these guys got ripped off big time due to the fact the Norwegian ENSLAVED has dominated the world of progressive black metal ever since it released its debut “Vikingligr Veldi” back in 1994 therefore absolutely nobody has heard of these guys and that’s too bad because these guys cranked out a brutally distinct version of death metal mixed with Teutonic technical thrash metal.

ENSLAVED’s debut full-length WHERE IS THE MEANING also emerged in 1994 but given the fact that this ENSLAVED came from the far eastern border city ain Germany shortly after the collapse of the entire communist block, it goes without saying that these guys didn’t have the advantages of living in a stable economic nation like Norway so it’s no surprise that these guys never really went anywhere on the world’s stage however it was certainly not for lack of talent. This ENSLAVED consisted of various members in its eight year run but on this album featured Carsten Gutsche (guitar), Lars Weber (drums), Jorg Reinhardt (bass), Frank Zerna (vocals) and Markus Lehnigk (guitars). WHERE IS THE MEANING showcased 11 tracks that went past the 45-minute mark.

This ENSLAVED was nothing like the Norwegian band. This band performed a fiery extreme metal more in the vein of Kreator and old school death metal bands however these guys were very much in that murky area between 80s thrash metal and 90s death metal with some technical chops that put them a few notches above many contemporaries so in that respect they were probably closer to bands like Mekong Delta, Sadus or Hellwitch but not quite as creative or advanced technically speaking. WHERE IS THE MEANING still though sounds quite distinct from most other tech thrash / death metal hybrids of the era. This band featured melodic trash metal chugs, off-kilter technical guitar riffing, straight forward old school death metal rampages and occasional guitar solos. The bass and drums were set to fury with blastbeats and war-like processions. The vocalist exclusively utilized guttural growls.

It’s really too bad this ENSLAVED didn’t A) choose a different name! B) live in a part of Germany more conducive to metal promotion C) continue on because… this band was actually pretty damn good. These 11 tracks have some amazingly diverse death metal riffs, tech thrash complexity, distinct percussive rhythms, well-balanced tightrope act between melodic sensibilities and atonal dissonance and best of all this band had a real feel for making authentic 90s extreme metal despite its isolation from the main scenes of the day. Perhaps this won’t dethrone any of the top dogs of the era but ENSLAVED deserves more attention than just having been a band that happened to choose a name that another successful band also chose. I wasn’t expecting to like this but it has a nasty charm that i can’t shake.