Review by Adam M on March 14, 2026.

This was a very progressive entry to the band’s discography. It is similar in feel to Below the Lights, but is perhaps more straight-forward.   It is somewhat folkish and has a very characteristic style that is typical of the band’s progressive days. It is very adventurous and interesting. The songs are charismatic and energetic and the entire affair is a rousing time.

 The musicianship on the album is impressive with solid guitars and a great vocal performance. The instruments are fairly nicely produced and allowed to breath. The entire thing is fairly intelligently performed progressive metal. There is not anything that sticks out when compared to Below the Lights, but this is nicely performed indeed.

 This is flawed in the manner that it’s eclipsed by Below the Lights. The music is not as mind blowing as on that album and comes up a bit flat in comparison. There is not the same level of interesting aspects as that disc. This is more of a straightforward type of affair than that other disc and Below the Lights is more of a slow burner that takes time to build up.

 All in all, I had fun with this album and it is one of the more thoughtful progressive releases to be found. It is quite enjoyable and has a great atmosphere to it that is one of a kind and interesting. It is still not the band’s best disc and a step down from the magnificent Axioma Ethica Odini in particular.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Allan on March 12, 2005.

Enslaved has been a longstanding icon in the metal world – always held with high regard and importance; looked up to as innovators and as a band that has never risen to an occasion with anything less than excellence. The band’s last album, Below The Lights, while musically apt and far above the norm, failed to attain a memorable status, and subsequently, left little impression on the mind after the initial awe had worn off. Despite this minor blemish, Enslaved has risen once again to the occasion with Isa, this time demolishing all that lay before it.

If Below The Lights made one question the vitality left in Enslaved, Isa shatters any such notions. Once again treading new paths and bordering on a fine line of progressivism, Enslaved leave us inspired and beyond impressed. As Enslaved have said in the past, they use old tools in new ways. Isa is the best elements of Enslaved reaching an apex in their career. It combines the abrasive nature of Mardraum – which is arguably the album in which the band began their venture into their current direction – with the ambitiousness of Monumension, of course with the band’s ever-growing aptitude in fine composition and style. Moreover, some of the earliest black metal elements of the band’s career are displayed here in fine form. Isa is everything we love about Enslaved, including their unpredictable nature and constant ability to surprise.

Isa provides the not only the music, but the atmosphere and emotion behind it. The band brings forth the bitter coldness of their ninety’s black metal with their modern sound. Furthermore, each and every note played is supported by an intensity that couldn’t have been crafted by chance, but only by a passion that has been evident in Enslaved since Vikingligr Veldi. Moreover, the production boasts a huge, dense sound that fills space, and Ivar Bjørnson’s incendiary guitar tone is incredible.

Every single riff, melody, and rhythm in this album is worth listening to a thousand times over. While I could dissect every element of this album down to the last second, nothing more really needs to be said other than that few if any metal bands around today come close to what Enslaved can do with their music.

Listening to a band like Enslaved, and more specifically an album like Isa, is such an anomaly simply because not only is it one of the finest album’s to come out in quite some time, but listening to it one knows that they’ve got hold of what will go down in metal history as a classic. Isa answers any and all questions as to the validity and importance of Enslaved today.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 11, 2019.

Usually when it comes to stoner doom I'm very reluctant, in some cases it’s immediately dismissed without second thought. That’s because I find the genre to have a somewhat laid-back “whatever” approach which I’m not a fan of. There have been some exceptional bands in this line of music that have been putting out records that are impressive musically and subject-wise particularly within the past few years. But with so many bands filling the stoner doom metal scene without trying to innovate, it becomes harder to pick-out those that do have something interesting to offer, either with the subjects discussed, musical intrigue or both. Tombtoker answers to the challenge of taking the death/doom metal form and blending it effectively with both traditional doom, stoner doom and even punk metal plus many more. With that and some interesting themes surrounding disastrous biological experimentation, I was easily captivated.

It’s great to see another band refusing to cage themselves in by conforming to the norms and stereotypes of the genre. With so many regurgitating the same sound, listening becomes a blandly excruciating experience; but with Coffin Texts it’s the opposite, as I have listened to it countless times in one day. Tombtoker’s style is unpredictable on Coffin Texts; though only an Ep, it adeptly arranges diverse sections with sensible transitions. The guitar playing is superb in handling multiple techniques thus giving a varied and memorable performance throughout the record. The traditional fuzzy sound is there, but it never interferes with the balance of the record's mix or override the other instruments and vocals. The bass and drumming are great as well in being able to keep up with the interchanging styles. And the vocal approach adds a complexion that favors the genre-juggling and concepts explored. 

You get the first few musical notes of “Warfare Revolution” and think to yourself ‘this is stoner doom’; then surprisingly you're hit by hawking yaps and mid-ranged gutturals followed by stoner rock-guitar and punk metal vocals that almost repaints the initial idea proposed by the band regarding their sound. You can hear plenty of that on “Robo Cujo” that blends crossover thrash with psychedelic doom metal/rock; and being one of the stronger recordings, it's only followed by more absorbing romances. It's displayed by Tombtoker that they are diligent at summoning attention and preserving it as time progresses on Coffin Texts. It’s easily discouraging to any listener by having so many influences reside in the makeup of a band’s sound; but if properly applied, the final result may be overly pleasing. In Tombtoker’s case, Coffin Texts has so many surprises expertly inserted that it’s impossible not to notice. “Stenchsquatch” is the highlight of Coffin Texts; it’s the song on the record that brings everything together, and being situated in the middle of the Ep adds to the feeling of completion to the record. “Stenchsquatch” has the best hooks, riffs and momentum control. It’s a pure gold-standard type of song, a real ear catcher this one. Coffin Texts is a mighty javelin toss of a record, one that sets a higher standard in challenging the future of the genre. This record should be celebrated throughout the length and breadth of the underground metal scene for its overwhelming success in mixing so many influences effectively thus creating something satisfyingly different.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10