Monumension is the sixth studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 19 November 2001, through Osmose Productions.[1][2] It is Enslaved's first album to feature lyrics sung entirely in English, although some versions of the album include the Old Norse track "Sigmundskvadet" as a bonus.
| Monumension | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 November 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Black metal, Viking metal, progressive metal | |||
| Length | 52:38 | |||
| Label | Osmose | |||
| Producer | Enslaved, Pytten | |||
| Enslaved chronology | ||||
| ||||
Monumension was the last Enslaved album to feature guitarist R. Kronheim; Arve Isdal would replace him on Below the Lights.
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Ivar Bjørnson, except as noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Convoys to Nothingness" | 7:58 | |
| 2. | "The Voices" | 6:07 | |
| 3. | "Vision: Sphere of the Elements – A Monument Part II" | Roy Kronheim | 4:58 |
| 4. | "Hollow Inside" | Bjørnson, Trygve Mathiesen | 5:38 |
| 5. | "The Cromlech Gate" | Grutle Kjellson | 6:55 |
| 6. | "Enemy I" | 5:16 | |
| 7. | "Smirr" | 4:26 | |
| 8. | "The Sleep: Floating Diversity – A Monument Part III" | Kronheim | 8:12 |
| 9. | "Outro: Self-Zero" | 3:08 | |
| 10. | "Sigmundskvadet" (bonus track) | 6:59 | |
| Total length: | 59:37 | ||
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Chronicles of Chaos | 7.5/10[4] |
From the reviews the album has received, Monumension has been generally well received.
AllMusic praised the album, calling it "astounding" and "truly daring".[3] Chronicles of Chaos's review was generally favorable, though writing, "Monumension occasionally comes across as too over-the-top in terms of its experimentation, and the album as a whole lacks some focus and consistency."[4]
Personnel edit
- Enslaved
- Ivar Bjørnson – guitar, synthesizers, organ, piano, special effects, choir vocals on "Sigmundskvadet", production, mixing
- Christian Kronheim – guitar, vocals, special effects, choir vocals on "Sigmundskvadet", production, mixing
- Grutle Kjellson – bass guitar, vocals, choir vocals on "Sigmundskvadet", production, mixing
- Dirge Rep (Per Husebø) – drums, percussion, special effects, choir vocals on "Sigmundskvadet", production, mixing
- Additional personnel
Production edit
- Pytten (Eirik Hundvin) – production, recording, engineering
- Davide Bertolini – recording, engineering
- Herbrand Larsen – recording, engineering
- Jørgen Træen – mixing
References edit
- ^ "ENSLAVED: nuovo album in arrivo". MetalItalia.com. 24 September 2001. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Enslaved's website". Enslavedunion.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2001. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ a b Serba, John. "Monumension – Enslaved : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ^ a b Azevedo, Pedro (14 January 2002). "CoC : Enslaved – Monumension : Review". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 23 September 2012.