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.
I Lenker Til Ragnarok
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(##-Volusp¥)
(Tekst: Grutle Kjellson)
Eiteren drypp, jorda skakar
Eg vrir meg i smerte, lenka til berget
Eg er din angst, eg er din pine.
Eg let meg ikkje rokka, eg er kaos
eg er din skam.
Eg er din èvste visdoms bror,
og din fiende til din dèyande dag.
Bunden eg er, men eg ler av deg.
Tru ikkje eg er til for ¥ tena deg.
Eg er av ei verd du aldri (i ditt liv) kan skjèna,
for eg er vondskap, eg er urkraft.
Ein dag skal me mètast p¥ Vigridsletta.
Ein dag er eg fri for lenker og eiter.
Den dagen vil du skjèna kvifor eg blei til,
kvifor latteren gjallar i natta.
Den dagen skal me kjempa v¥r siste kamp,
og ta kvarandre av dage.
# ...Sola svartnar, jord sig i hav
p¥ hummelen bleiknar bjarte stjerner
Rèyken velatr fra veldige b¥l
Hègt leikar flammen
mot himmelen sjèl... #
(Musikk: Ivar Bjèrnson)
(English translation: IN CHAINS UNTILL RAGNAROK)
(Lyrics: Grutle Kjellson)
(## Volusp¥)
The ether is dripping, the earth is quaking
I am writhing with agony, chained to the mountain
I am your fear, I am your torment
You attemped to tame me, you caught me in nets
I will not be budged, I am chaos, I am your shame
I am your highest wisdom, and your enemy
'til your dying day
Bound I am, but I am laughting
Do not believe that I am here to serve you
I am from a world you can not comprehend
'Cause I am Evil I am the Primal Force
One day we shall meet at the fields of Vigrid
One we I shall be free of chains and ether
That day you will understand
The purpose of my excistance
Why the laughter is roaring in the night
?hat day we will fight our last battle
?nd end eachothers
#The sun turns black, ground slides into the sun
Brave stars are fading in the sky
Smoke rises from great fires
The flame plays up high
Against heaven itself#
(Music: Ivar Bjèrnson)
The song "I Lenker Til Ragnarok" is a powerful expression of defiance against the constraints of society and the inevitability of fate. The lyrics focus on the Norse god Loki, known for his cunning and mischief, who is here presented as a force of chaos and destruction. The first verse describes him as being physically restrained and in pain, but mentally he remains unbroken. He is the embodiment of fear and shame, but also represents a higher wisdom that is beyond human comprehension.
The chorus predicts a final battle between Loki and his enemies at Vigrid, a mythical battlefield where the gods and giants will face off in a cataclysmic conflict known as Ragnarok. Here, he will break free from his chains and his true purpose will become clear. The final lines of the song portray an apocalyptic scene of the sun and earth being destroyed, with only the flames of destruction remaining.
The song's lyrics are written in Norwegian and reflect the band's strong connection to their cultural heritage. The music itself is heavily influenced by black metal, but also incorporates elements of progressive rock and folk music. It showcases the band's technical skill and ambitious songwriting, with complex time signatures and intricate guitar riffs.
Line by Line Meaning
The ether is dripping, the earth is quaking
Poison is dripping and the ground is trembling due to an imminent catastrophic event
I am writhing with agony, chained to the mountain
The singer is in unbearable pain and is bound to a mountain
I am your fear, I am your torment
The singer represents fear and suffering
You attempted to tame me, you caught me in nets
The artist was once captured and confined by the listener
I will not be budged, I am chaos, I am your shame
The artist can not be controlled, they are chaos and represents the listener's shame
I am your highest wisdom, and your enemy
The singer is the listener's oldest knowledge and also their enemy
'til your dying day
Until the listener dies
Bound I am, but I am laughing at you
The artist is laughing at the listener despite being bound
Do not believe that I am here to serve you
The listener should not think that the artist is here to serve them
I am from a world you can not comprehend
The artist is from an incomprehensible world
'Cause I am Evil I am the Primal Force
The singer is the ultimate force of evil
One day we shall meet at the fields of Vigrid
The artist and listener will meet at the end of the world
One we I shall be free of chains and ether
At the end of the world, the singer will be freed from chains and poison
That day you will understand
The listener will finally understand the purpose of the singer's existence on that day
The purpose of my existence?
The reason why the singer exists
Why the laughter is roaring in the night
The artist's laughter echoes through the night during the end of the world
?hat day we will fight our last battle
The artist and listener will fight their final battle on the day of the end of the world
?nd end eachother's days
They will kill each other during the final battle
The sun turns black, ground slides into the sun
The sun turns black and the ground disappears into it
Brave stars are fading in the sky
The brave and shining stars in the sky are disappearing
Smoke rises from great fires
Smoke is rising from large fires
The flame plays up high, against heaven itself
The flames of the fires are reaching high, up to the heavens
(Music: Ivar Bjèrnson)
Ivar Bjèrnson is the composer of the music for this song
Contributed by Lila H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.