Enslaved was formed in 1991, by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson. Joined by drummer Trym Torsson, they did their first demo in the summer of 1992. While working with the first full length, there came a call from England, resulting in the two 1993 legendary mini albums; Hordanes Land and Emperor These two mini-albums was released as a split-record "Emperor/Hordanes Land". Due to tragic circumstances, Enslaved’s debut album Vikingligr Veldi was held back until the spring of 1994. Enslaved moved their label base to French Osmose Productions, and Frost were released late in the 1994. Enslaved were now known outside the Black / Extreme circles of Northern Europe. This led to the "Winter War Europe Tour ‘95", and the first Norwegian Black / Extreme tour ever in the US, Canada and Mexico during ’95. The tours were a great success; but Trym Torson moved on to join Emperor as a drummer.
Eld was recorded with drummer Harald Helgeson in 1996, and released the year after. However, working with Harald was no permanent solution, so Dirge Rep (then Gehenna) and R. Kronheim were hired, becoming integral parts during the recording of Blodhemn (’98).
Enslaved released an important milestone in 2000 with Mardraum: Beyond the Within, which marked a turning point for the band; and sent shock waves through the Extreme Metal scene with a revolutionary experimental and innovative approach to their genre. The band kept adding fuel to the fire, and released Monumension in 2001, and again the band was shocked to see the positive response to their "no rules" approach to Extreme Metal. Gigs were still being played in Norway, Europe and the States, in front of a faithful and ever increasing audience.
After returning from the UK in March 2002, R. Kronheim had to leave the band. The band kept on working with new material, in which they now saw a synthesis between the original thesis (the "Blacker" Enslaved) and the anti-thesis forming from Mardraum onwards (the experimental, progressive and gloomier Enslaved) – Below the Lights was recorded in 2002 and released the year after, and presented the perfect blend of power, tradition, progressive elements and dark psychedelia. The process and hard work had taken its toll on drummer Dirge, and he left the band.
A new line-up were put together during and after the recording of Below the Lights, including old-timer Cato Bekkevold (Red Harvest founder), Arve Isdal (aka. Ice Dale) and Herbrand Larsen. With all the changes left behind, Enslaved reached new heights with their live performance, also adding strong visual elements in the shape of video art and more. English market leader Kerrang! rewarded their Inferno 2004 performance with a full house: 5 K!’s.
The new line-up recorded ISA during the autumn of 2004, and was released in Oct/Nov ’04 (Feb ’05 in the US). The album received raving reviews in all territories (except Finland obviously), and put Enslaved at the very forefront of contemporary Extreme Metal. A European Tour with fellow Norsemen Vreid took place in February and March 2005. The tour was rewarded with both great reviews and great turnouts. In absentia, during the tour, Enslaved also received both the Norwegian Grammy and the independent Alarm Price for ISA.
The band released the full length album Ruun in 2006, which received great critics world wide and Enslaved received the Norwegian Grammy (Metal) for the second time in a row. Ruun is an extreme progressive metal record with growl-vocals and quite different from the bands first records.
Enslaved released the album Vertebrae in 2008, which gained wide critical acclaim, including Terrorizer Magazine's album of the year and critic's choice album of the year award for 2008. Many of their techniques on the album, particularly harmonies, have been compared to Pink Floyd
Although the band now records in English, their early songs were mostly recorded in Icelandic or Old Norse, with one track on their first full-length album being performed in ancient Norwegian. Lyrics from Frost to Mardraum were mainly in their native Norwegian. Most of their lyrics relate to Norse mythology or history.
They have also recorded a collaboration with the Norwegian noise duo Fe-Mail, under the name Trinacria.
Current members:
* Ivar Bjørnson - guitar, keyboards (1991-) - (Desekrator, ex-Borknagar, ex-Phobia, Obnoxious, ex-Gorgoroth (as "Daimonion"), live session guitar for Taake)
* Grutle Kjellson - bass, vocals (1991-) - (Desekrator, ex-Phobia, guest for V:28, Insanity)
* Arve Isdal - guitar (2002-) - (Malignant Eternal, Audrey Horne, I)
* Cato Bekkevold - drums (2003-) - (Demonic, ex-Ashes to Ashes , Sirius, ex-Red Harvest, Dunkelheit)
* Hakon Vinje - keyboards, vocals (2017-)
Former members:
* Trym Torson (Kai Johnny Mosaker) - drums (1991-1995) - (Emperor, Zyklon, Imperium, Tartaros, Shadow Season, Paganize)
* Richard Kronheim - guitar (1997-2002) - (ex-Subtitles, ex-St. Satan, ex-Kliftones, ex-Desekrator)
* Per Husebø (aka. Dirge Rep) - drums (1997-2002) - (Gehenna, Orcustus, Gorgoroth, ex-122 Stab Wounds, Desspo Hallelujah, Neetzach, ex-Aura Noir, Secht)
* Harald Magnus "Rivheim" Helgeson - drums (1995-1997) - (Thundra, Zeno Morf, ex-Dwelling Souls, session for Evig Natt)
* Freddy Bolsø - drums (2003) - (ex-Blood Red Throne)
* Herbrand Larsen - keyboards, vocals (2004-2016)
* Øyvind Madsen - keyboards (live only) - (Sulphur, Vulture Industries, live for Black Hole Generator)
Discography:
Full-Length Albums:
1994 - Vikingligr Veldi
1994 - Frost
1997 - Eld
1998 - Blodhemn
2000 - Mardraum: Beyond the Within
2001 - Monumension
2003 - Below the Lights
2004 - Isa
2006 - Ruun
2008 - Vertebrae
2010 - Axioma Ethica Odini
2012 - RIITIIR
2015 - In Times
2017 - E (note that the official title of the album is actually the Elder Futhark rune ᛖ, or Ehwaz, which looks like the roman letter M, but the album title is often written as E for simplicity, including in official sources)
Demos:
1991 - Nema
1992 - Yggdrasill
Splits:
1994 - Emperor/Hordanes Land (split with Emperor)
Live albums:
2009 - Live at the Rock Hard Festival
2017 - Roadburn Live
DVDs:
Enslaved also has two DVD releases, primarily consisting of concert footage.
2003 - Live Retaliation
2005 - Return to Yggdrasill
Trivia:
* Grutle Kjellson and Cato Bekkevold are avid sport fishing enthusiasts; in fact, the two met at a related event.
* The band's song Havenless from Below the Lights was featured in the film "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey".
* The band were also reported to have appeared in an episode of the American cartoon series South Park, but this later transpired to be a practical joke at the expense of the Norwegian press.
Ansuz Astral
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ANSUZ, ANSUZ!
- Skipet fa fr¥ kai
Aldri vil ho vende att;
ho er trygg i stjernenatt
WUNJO, WUNJO!
Han som sèd kjem draumen til;
tek han dit han draume vil
Vidare fr¥ tanken;
fri fr¥ kjèd
Ingen svar, ingen sirkel
Evig fèdsel, evig dèd
"...Eg tok og eg fekk
Eg fall, flaug og gjekk
Det vart mèrkt og eg s¥g
Djupt ned, kor det tyste r¥r..."
Me vandra fritt og langt
Lyset kom, og synet svann
Husa er tomme, og himmelen raud;
Skipet legg fr¥ kai
[Musikk: Ivar Bjèrnson & R. Kronheim]
[English translation: ANSUZ ASTRAL]
[Lyrics: Ivar Bjèrnson]
ANSUZ, ANSUZ!
The ship left for the sea
Never will she return
She is safe in the starry night
WUNJO, WUNJO!
The journey's been long
The dream comes to the sleeping
Brings him where he longs to dream
Further from thought,
free from the flesh
No answers, no circles
eternal birth, eternal death
"...I took and received
I fell, flew and walked
It was dark and I saw
Deep below, where silence roars..."
We wandered far and freely
The light came, and the sight faded
The houses are abandoned, and the sky is red
The ship is leaving for the sea.
[Musikk : Ivar Bjèrnson & R. Kronheim]
The lyrics of Enslaved's Ansuz Astral invokes a powerful image of voyage and transcendence. The song begins with the sound of Ansuz, an ancient rune associated with the divine, which signals the departure of a ship into the starry night. The ship is not meant to return, as it is safely sailing towards its final destination.
Wunjo, another rune, is then invoked as it signifies joy and fulfillment. The journey has been long but it has finally achieved the desired goal. The dream of the sleeping is now fulfilled, taking the dreamer where he long wished to be.
The song speaks of leaving behind the physical world and the limitations it entails, as the singer is venturing into the unknown, where there are no answers or circles. It speaks of a journey without destination, from which there is no return. The lyrics suggest that the traveler is embracing the cycle of life and death, as they are eternal and interconnected.
The song seems to evoke a sense of liberation, as the traveler moves towards a realm of pure potentiality beyond the shackles of the body. The image of an empty world and a deserted sky further implies the idea of breaking free from the constraints of time and space, leaving behind the known world to reach an astral plane.
Overall, Ansuz Astral can be seen as a poetic portrayal of a journey towards transcendence, where death is not the end but signifies a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
ANSUZ, ANSUZ!
The ship has departed and will not return, as it sails safely under the starry night.
WUNJO, WUNJO!
After a long journey, dreams come to the sleeping and bring them to where they long to dream.
Further from thought, free from the flesh
Moving on from thoughts and leaving the physical body, experiencing eternal birth and eternal death without answer or circle.
"...I took and received, I fell, flew and walked, it was dark and I saw deep below, where silence roars..."
Experiencing a journey of falling, flying, and walking where darkness veils deep silence.
We wandered far and freely, the light came, and the sight faded
Wandering freely brought us away while the light has shone and sight disappeared.
The houses are abandoned, and the sky is red, the ship is leaving for the sea.
As the houses become abandoned, the red sky signifies departure and the ship leaves for the sea.
Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PEERSON IVAR SKONTORP, ROY KRONHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind