27. Enslaved - Ronnie James Dio Stage - Friday, August 9th 2024 - 16.05 - 16.50

When is a black metal band not a black metal band. The answer is when they are Enslaved. Whilst they may cling to their old Nick bothering and corpse paint adorned roots, the simple fact is Enslaved stop being a black metal band along while ago.

Sometime Around 2006's sublime "Ruun" they evolved into something much more progressive and introspective than the communal garden black metal. They traded in the under-produced harshness for cinematic widescreen sound that brought to mind the epic sweeping contours of the homeland. They brought a cerebral magnificence to extreme metal that we didn't know was missing.

They may well be on album 16 but they are yet to put a foot wrong. Every release has singularly pushed forward the concept and the boundaries of what is possible with our music. Anyone who considers black metal to be "not anything" is beseeched to attend the main stage on Friday late afternoon because Enslaved will single-handedly change your mind.