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.
Lightening
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pain won't go away
For this treason, I want to see them
... Burn!
Hunt them down
Make them understand
The power I possess
I'll give you piece of mind
And freedom to search inside
I'll suffer for your souls
I cleaned the air
I slew death in your way
The hand of peace
All evil's great dismay
Hear the wheels turn
See the sky burns
For this treason, I want to see them...
Burn!
Track them down
Bring them to silence
My will is the law
I'll bring you life and growth
And erase the memories of despair
I'll suffer for your needs
Don't you forget where your domain lies
Obey your slaves, with their feeble cries
We'll force you back if you linger here
We mock your strength, we see your fear
You'll never set a slave's mind free
Your bane is the grip of anxiety
At the ninth...
REID - Travel with no fear
REID - Remember to return
REID - Defy the laughing chaos
REID - Strike again
You fight the wars for your kin
You leave yourself behind
This settlement, you can't win
The inner eye is blind
REID - Travel with no fear
REID - Remember to return
REID - Defy the laughing chaos
REID - Strike again
You fight the wars for your kin
You leave yourself behind
This settlement, you can't win
The inner eye is blind
I will clean the air
I know the pain will stay
I'll cross the border
I'll never fade away
For this treason, I want to see them...
Burn!
Track them down
Bring them to silence
My will is the law
I'll bring you life and growth
And erase the memories of despair
I will linger on
"Lightening" is a song by the Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved, released in 2000 on their album "Mardraum – Beyond the Within." The opening lines, "I crossed the borders / The pain won't go away," suggest that the singer is a wanderer, someone who has physically crossed boundaries but cannot escape the psychological pain that haunts them. The lyrics go on to detail the singer's desire for revenge against some unidentified group or individual. He wants them to "burn" and "understand the power I possess." This is followed by a call to "track them down / Bring them to silence / My will is the law." The singer sees himself as a kind of avenging angel who will bring life and growth to his followers while erasing their memories of despair.
The lyrics then take on a confrontational tone, with the singer mocking those in power: "Don't you forget where your domain lies / Obey your slaves, with their feeble cries / We'll force you back if you linger here / We mock your strength, we see your fear / You'll never set a slave's mind free / Your bane is the grip of anxiety." The singer seems to revel in his own power, exhorting himself to "travel with no fear / Remember to return / Defy the laughing chaos / Strike again."
The song then returns to its opening lines, with the singer declaring that he will not fade away despite the pain he feels. The lyrics are cryptic and suggest a world in which power, freedom, and revenge are intertwined. The overall effect is a kind of mystical nihilism, a sense that nothing matters except the desire for domination and self-assertion.
Line by Line Meaning
I crossed the borders
I have gone past the limits
The pain won't go away
I cannot get rid of the hurt inside me
For this treason, I want to see them
I wish to witness the vengeance for their betrayal
... Burn!
Let them be consumed by fire
Hunt them down
Find them and capture them
Make them understand
Let them realize the power I possess
The power I possess
My authority that controls everything
I'll give you piece of mind
I will ensure you have mental peace
And freedom to search inside
You will have the freedom to explore within yourself
I'll suffer for your souls
I will take on the burden of your spiritual being
I cleaned the air
I purified the environment
I slew death in your way
I defeated the threat of death that stood in your path
The hand of peace
The gesture of tranquility
All evil's great dismay
It is dreadful to the wicked
Hear the wheels turn
Listen to the sound of progress
See the sky burns
Notice the sky ignite
Track them down
Chase and follow them
Bring them to silence
Force them into silence by any means
My will is the law
My wishes are authoritative
I'll bring you life and growth
I will give you vitality and development
And erase the memories of despair
I will remove any recollection of misery
Don't you forget where your domain lies
Do not disregard where you belong
Obey your slaves, with their feeble cries
Submit to your subordinates, even with their weak voices
We'll force you back if you linger here
We will push you to return if you remain here
We mock your strength, we see your fear
We ridicule your power, we notice your terror
You'll never set a slave's mind free
You will never let a slave experience liberation
Your bane is the grip of anxiety
Your curse is the hold of unease
REID - Travel with no fear
REID - Journey without apprehension
REID - Remember to return
REID - Do not forget to come back
REID - Defy the laughing chaos
REID - Resist the ridicule of confusion
REID - Strike again
REID - Attack once more
You fight the wars for your kin
You battle for the sake of your family
You leave yourself behind
You abandon your own self
This settlement, you can't win
You cannot triumph in this settlement
The inner eye is blind
The mind's eye is unable to see
I will clean the air
I will cleanse the atmosphere
I know the pain will stay
I am aware that the agony will remain
I'll cross the border
I will transgress the line
I'll never fade away
I will never disappear from existence
I will linger on
I will continue to exist
Contributed by Violet B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@inflamedwithrage92
Great song. Had the privilege to see them live in Delhi in 2010. They played this entire album. Majestic !
@bkr23
Lucky! I saw them five years ago playing mostly old songs - which was awesome! - but i would have loved to hear this album live.
@guillermosilvabaeza2729
Obra única!!!!
@czr4330
My fav Black Metal Album of 2010.