Enslaved

I'm sure everyone has moments like the one I experienced last afternoon: there's some band that you've always read about that sounds pretty rad, but you've just never checked them out. After reading the rave reviews for Norwegian progressive black metal band Enslaved's new album Axioma Ethica Odini, I finally listened in. Suddenly, writing a five-page paper in French about Tristan and Isolde seemed more epic journey than slow agony, and I had to exercise all of my powers of self-restraint to not bust out my air drums in the middle of Tisch.

Check out the album's EPIC opening cut, "Ethica Odini." Part scorched-earth black metal, part melodic bliss-out, this track asserts Enslaved's dominance within the first few repetitions of the central chord cycle.

(Ignore the choke fan-made visuals.)