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.
Night Sight
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seeing all I need to
Nothing is hidden here
Deep into the woods
Casting letters that speak of all
Is all, is naught
Knows of this place
The sanctuary
Where I construct
Where I construct
Dream, dream while there is no strife
Anguish pulls no weight
One can see and the other is blind
Through the same pair of eyes
We have lost sight
Of the night-side of the self
Hunted by the fear of reunion
Night-sight is bliss
For he who dares look into
A world where you embrace the opposite
Where you are whole
There is no lasting joy
In numbness and dogma
Too much is too little in knowledge
Driven mystery
We have lost sight
Of the night-side of the self
Hunted by the fear of reunion
Night-sight is bliss
For he who dares look into
A world where you embrace the opposite
Where you are whole
The song "Night Sight" by Enslaved is a deeply contemplative piece that encourages an exploration of the self. The lyrics speak of seeing through a veil and seeing all that needs to be seen. The singer seems to be in a place of solitude, deep in the woods, where nothing is hidden. They are casting letters that speak of all - is all, is naught - suggesting a search for truth and knowledge. The singer is alone in their quest, with no one knowing of this place, where they construct their thoughts and beliefs.
The chorus speaks of the lost sight of the night-side of the self, which is hunted by the fear of reunion. Night-sight is portrayed as bliss for he who dares to look into a world where one embraces the opposite, where one is whole. The song encourages a rejection of numbness and dogma, as they offer no lasting joy. Instead, the listener is urged to embrace the mysteries of the self and the world. The song suggests that one can only see the world and fully embrace it when they are willing to explore both its light and dark sides.
Overall, "Night Sight" is a song that invites introspection and self-exploration. It speaks of the power of embracing the unknown and suggests that joy and wholeness can only be found by looking beyond the surface level.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see through the veil
I possess the power to see beyond surface level and uncover hidden truths
Seeing all I need to
I am capable of perceiving only what is necessary for me to understand
Nothing is hidden here
There are no secrets or undisclosed information in the place where I am
Deep into the woods
I am located far away from society, in a remote and secluded place
Casting letters that speak of all
I am writing messages that reveal everything about myself and my surroundings
Is all, is naught
The message I am conveying is neither important nor irrelevant, it simply is
No one but me
I am alone in this experience, and no one else can understand what I see
Knows of this place
Only I am aware of the existence of this location
The sanctuary
This place is a refuge for me, a safe haven
Where I construct
This is where I create and build my own reality
Dream, dream while there is no strife
I am free to dream and imagine without being disturbed by conflict
Anguish pulls no weight
I am not burdened by sorrow or stress
One can see and the other is blind
Some people are able to perceive what I see, while others cannot
Through the same pair of eyes
The perception of the world varies from person to person, even if they use the same senses
We have lost sight
As a society, we have forgotten about the importance of exploring the unknown and embracing our true selves
Of the night-side of the self
We have neglected the darker, less explored aspects of our personalities and identities
Hunted by the fear of reunion
We are afraid of reconnecting with ourselves and our true nature
Night-sight is bliss
Having the ability to see beyond the veil and into the unknown is a pleasurable experience
For he who dares look into
Only those who are brave enough to face the unknown can benefit from it
A world where you embrace the opposite
The night-side of the self represents the opposite of our usual selves, and by embracing it we become whole
Where you are whole
By acknowledging and accepting all parts of our identity, we become complete and fully realized
There is no lasting joy
Prolonged happiness cannot be achieved by denying parts of our identity or sticking to dogmatic beliefs
In numbness and dogma
Being unresponsive and blindly following beliefs will not bring true happiness
Too much is too little in knowledge
Having too much information without exploring the unknown is not enough to bring true understanding
Driven mystery
A sense of curiosity and exploration is necessary to uncover the mysteries of life
Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Борис Радев
Night Sight is bliss.
Wilson Llivicura
Great song 🎶 a from a extraordinary band!!!🖤
Reeder
I can see through the veil
Seeing all I need see
Nothing is hidden here
Deep into the woods
Casting
Letters that speak of...
All
Is all
Is naught
No-one but me
Knows of this place
Sanctuary
Where I construct
Dream while there is no strife
Anguish pulls no weight
One can see and the other is blind
Through the same pair of eyes
We have lost sight
Of the night-side of the self
Hunted by the fear
Of reunion
Night-sight is bliss
For he who dares look into
A world where you embrace the opposite
Where you are whole
There is no lasting joy
In numbness and dogma
Too much is too little in knowledge
Driven by mystery
We have lost sight
Of the night-side of the self
Hunted by the fear
Of reunion
Night-sight is bliss
For he who dares look into
A world where you embrace the opposite
Where you are whole
Shadow of the Night
Enslaved are so fucking underated it hurts
Wayfinder Warrior Coaching
same thought just now man...they're absurdly channeling goodness from other realms....