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.
In Times
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is no end
Around and further
Into the distance
In times found
A secret key
Outside the realm of thoughts
Within the reach of certain dreams
Spun from golden leaves of black holes
And ancient thread
Across the dimensional dome
Above the lone runner
A burst of all things bright
All things pure and beautiful
No more longing
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
The giants of the night side wade
Silently through the sea
Crossing through a singular point
Opened by runic
Penetration
Standing by the sea, I wonder
Alas, my aching heart
We have come to dissolve the shackles
So that we might live and breathe
In all our times
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
In the flickering of the present
Travel across the ocean of times
Become the other as yourself
All things made
Possible
All times made
Achievable
Enter as you leave it all behind
Exit through the heart
See the endless suns burning
The frost never thaws
Rites of stillness
In
Praise transition
Times
Rites of stillness
In
Praise transition
Times
Awoken from lust less slumber
Ice from the eyes
Fire from the mind
Having found direction
In
Side the out
Side
Inside times
In
Side the out
Side
Inside times
In
Side the out
Side
Inside times
In
Side the out
Side
Inside times
Dagaz!
The lyrics of In Times by Enslaved are particularly sublime and insightful. The opening lines, "There is no end / Around and further / Into the distance /In times found / A secret key," references the concept of time and its infinite nature. The song invokes a sense of timelessness, introducing the listener to an otherworldly, mystical dimension. The "feather light astral beauty" and "golden leaves of black holes" are grandiose metaphors of the beauty and grandeur of the universe that exist beyond human comprehension.
As the song progresses, Enslaved alludes to the freedom from the constrains of time and space that can be achieved through mental or spiritual transcendence. The lyrics urge the listener to travel across the "ocean of times" by transcending the present moment, crossing into alternate dimensions and realities. The song concludes with the repeated phrase "inside the out/side inside times," referencing the interconnectedness of all things in time and space.
In summary, Enslaved's song In Times uses metaphors of the cosmos and otherworldly dimensions to invite the listener to transcend the constraints of time and space, and to explore alternate realities.
Line by Line Meaning
There is no end
The journey will never reach its end
Around and further
The journey goes on and on, extending beyond what we can see
Into the distance
The journey leads us towards something far away
In times found
Throughout history, this journey has been taken by others
A secret key
There is a way to unlock the mysteries of this journey
The feather light astral beauty
The beauty of this journey is delicate and otherworldly
Outside the realm of thoughts
This beauty cannot be fully understood by the mind alone
Within the reach of certain dreams
It is through dreams that we can catch glimpses of this beauty
Spun from golden leaves of black holes
This beauty is born from the most powerful and mysterious forces in the universe
And ancient thread
It is connected to the deepest and oldest parts of existence
Across the dimensional dome
It spans across the fabric of reality itself
Above the lone runner
It is something that can be pursued by individuals, but is also greater than any one person
A burst of all things bright
This beauty encompasses everything positive and radiant
All things pure and beautiful
It only includes things that are truly good and lovely
No more longing
Once you have found this beauty, there is no need to search for anything else
In the flickering of the present
This journey can be experienced in any moment
Travel across the ocean of times
We must navigate through many eras and experiences to truly understand this journey
The giants of the night side wade
Powerful and unknown forces are moving in the darkest parts of the journey
Silently through the sea
These forces move fluidly and calmly
Crossing through a singular point
They have a specific destination in mind, and they will pass through it without deviation
Opened by runic
They use ancient and esoteric knowledge to access this place
Penetration
They are penetrating deeper into the mystery of the journey
Standing by the sea, I wonder
The singer looks out over the vast expanse of the journey with a sense of awe and curiosity
Alas, my aching heart
The artist is filled with longing and desire to understand this journey
We have come to dissolve the shackles
The journey is often constrained by external forces that must be overcome
So that we might live and breathe
By freeing ourselves from these constraints, we can fully embrace the journey
Become the other as yourself
To fully understand this journey, you must become a different version of yourself
All things made
This journey can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary
Possible
It opens up a world of endless potential
All times made
This journey spans across all of history
Achievable
It is possible to reach its full potential, no matter how challenging it may seem
Enter as you leave it all behind
This journey requires complete surrender and letting go of the past
Exit through the heart
It is only by passing through our deepest emotions that we can truly exit this journey
See the endless suns burning
The beauty of this journey is eternal and never-ending
The frost never thaws
It is a journey that will always be cold and difficult
Rites of stillness
There are times in the journey when everything must be quiet and still
In
Praise transition
These moments of stillness are to be celebrated as times of growth and change
Times
Awoken from lust less slumber
The artist has been woken up from a state of complacency and apathy
Ice from the eyes
They are seeing the world with a new clarity and understanding
Fire from the mind
Their thoughts are being ignited with passion and intensity
Having found direction
The singer now knows where they must go to continue on their journey
In
Side the out
This journey involves seeing things from a new perspective and breaking free from old habits
Side
Inside times
All aspects of this journey are interconnected and exist within a larger historical context
Dagaz!
A rallying cry to embrace the journey fully and without fear
Contributed by Lauren Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ReliaK Sharr
1. Thurisaz Dreaming 00:00
2. Building with Fire 08:09
3. One Thousand Years of Rain 16:58
4. Nauthir Bleeding 25:11
5. In Times 33:22
6. Daylight 44:07
Disfruten este magnífico álbum
51
ReliaK Sharr
De las bandas de black metal que más disfruto escuchar
Dave K
This band always puts out dynamic music. They are standing the test of time and are true musicians. Every album like a self awakening adventure. Thanx for upload. SKOL!
detnyeriket
Their best album in my opinion
Brandon League
Gods of old, I love Enslaved.
Luis Gore Gonzalez
Great álbum
kristiann rodriguez
The Isdall voice it's amazing in the Thurizas song
Joseph Lacey
kickass progressive black metal or something
JAVI18
1.25 speed