Denmark, 2002. The world was suffering a heavy hangover of Carcass “Heartwork” grooves and “One Kill Wonder”, by The Haunted, was still in the works. Nobody - even the few ones that were lucky enough to grab one of the copies of their “Blessed By Beyond” demo a few years earlier - was expecting the kind of evolution Kolborn presented in their debut album “First Enslavement”. Equal parts brutality and groove, wrapped up in all-rounded technical flawless approach by the band and a clinical production by Jacob Bredahl (Exmortem, Koroded, Hatesphere, Leng T’Che).Firing all-cylinders, the band, led by guitarist Henrik “Heinz” Jacobsen (also of Hatesphere) entered the scene by storm, with the album being received overwhelmed reviews for its musical diversity and brutal groove with a Scandinavian touch of melody.
Martin Leth Andersen, vocalist in “First Enslavement”, recalls: “We prepared ourselves mentally by partying all by ourselves in Køng, drinking cheap, warm beer from the almost functioning fridge and having pissing contests in the manure behind the rehearsal quarters”. The result is, to put it simple, the definition of thrash/death metal made with groove in Denmark.Now, “First Enslavement” will get, for the first time, a reissue treatment. Emanzipation Productions will re-release the album in LP (marble blue, grey and white vinyls), CD (digipack) and digital. The sound was totally remastered in Angioni Studios.
The consistently excellent NYC death-doom dealers dole out another heaping helping of demonic growls and nasty riffs. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 7, 2024