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.
Queen of Night
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In each step an abyss is built
Through misty dreams he touched her hand
The boar is dead
Its blood is spilt
He set his foot on the slopes of far away
He walked through night, walked through day
Landless mourning lord
Why should we let you by?
The road is blocked by men of three
If you need ask, you already know
They said to let him pass, to leave him be
At the shores of sorrow
How far he'd come (to see her eyes)
After moons and more moons
He'd be there tomorrow
And I would travel across the water
To where she lies
On the sea of solitude he rows
The winds howl her name, he has no fears
Tired and smiling he falls, downwards he goes
There she is, waiting after all these years
The lyrics of Enslaved's song "Queen of Night" describe a journey of a character seeking his beloved in a distant, dark land. The opening lines "Across the scorched fields of fathers land, in each step an abyss is built" suggest a landscape that has been ravaged by some unknown force, and each step that the character takes is leading him further into the depths of darkness. The lyrics then describe a dream the character has of touching his beloved's hand, but it is followed by the realization that the journey to find her is littered with obstacles and dangers, as depicted in the lines "Why should we let you by? The road is blocked by men of three. If you need ask, you already know". However, the character persists and continues his journey despite the challenges.
As the character reaches the "shores of sorrow", the lyrics suggest he has finally arrived at his destination after traveling for a great length of time. He is tired but determined to complete his journey, as depicted in the lines "How far he'd come (to see her eyes). After moons and more moons he'd be there tomorrow". The final verse describes the character traveling across the water, rowing towards his beloved's location on the "sea of solitude". Despite the harsh winds and dangers that surround him, he fears nothing and smiles as he falls towards her embrace. The final lines "There she is, waiting after all these years" suggests that the journey has been long and difficult, but ultimately successful in finding his beloved.
Overall, the lyrics of "Queen of Night" speak of perseverance, determination, and the lengths someone will go to find their true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Across the scorched fields of fathers land
He walks through the land where his ancestors had once lived and the fields are parched and desolate.
In each step an abyss is built
Every step he takes towards his destination represents the struggles and difficulties he overcomes in his journey.
Through misty dreams he touched her hand
He has been yearning for the touch of his beloved and even though it's just a dream, it gives him courage to keep going.
The boar is dead
His mission to kill the boar, which was a test of courage to prove his worth, has been accomplished.
He set his foot on the slopes of far away
He has reached the outskirts of a foreign land he has never been to before.
They'd been asleep when his sun roared
The people in the foreign land were not prepared for his arrival and were caught off guard.
He walked through night, walked through day
He pushed through the long and arduous journey, never stopping, never giving up.
Landless mourning lord
He is a lord, but his birthright has been taken away and he grieves for the loss of his home.
Why should we let you by?
The people of the foreign land question his intentions and wonder if he's a threat to their safety.
The road is blocked by men of three
He encounters three men who refuse to let him pass and block his way.
If you need ask, you already know
He knows deep down that he has to fight and prove himself, despite the men's reluctance to let him through.
They said to let him pass, to leave him be
The men acknowledge his prowess and permit him to move on.
At the shores of sorrow
He arrives at the coast where he will have to cross the sea to reach his beloved and it saddens him.
How far he'd come (to see her eyes)
He realizes the great distance he has traveled to finally be with the one he loves.
After moons and more moons
After many long months of traveling, he has finally arrived at his destination.
He'd be there tomorrow
His journey has only one more day of travel before reaching his destination.
And I would travel across the water
He would go to any length and distance to be with the one he loves.
To where she lies
He wants to be with his beloved who has passed away and lies buried in a distant land.
On the sea of solitude he rows
He is now on the sea, completely alone and in silence, rowing towards his destination.
The winds howl her name, he has no fears
Even though he is exposed to the elements and is being tossed around by strong winds, he is not afraid and calls out to the one he loves in the midst of all of it.
Tired and smiling he falls, downwards he goes
He is exhausted from the long and dangerous journey, yet he is content and at peace, knowing that he is almost there.
There she is, waiting after all these years
He finally spots his beloved after all the time and effort he has put into getting to this point.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MITCHELL HARRIS, SHANE THOMAS EMBURY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind