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.
Roots of the Mountain
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the seeds of time
Cosmic pulse
Aeons of chaos
Feel the flames, the streams of life below
Feel the flames, that blind your inner eye
Seek and find, what lingers deep inside
Spread the wings, and fly into your mind
Spread the wings, and find the eagle in the sky
Find the source, the ancient passion play
Find the source, the roots of the mountain
Hark, men of faith
Where were you
When your children bled to death?
Listen, men of law
Where were you when the mothers were slain?
Feel the flames, the streams of life below
Feel the flames, that blind your inner eye
Seek and find, what lingers deep inside
Seek and find, but do not try to understand
Hark, men of faith
When you set fire to the fields,
The grass grew stronger
Listen, men of law
When you turned from life,
The flames endured
Leave order, the fiend of the earth
The self is all you've got
Enter life on the waves from the void
Behold the ancient roots
And the battles shall forever go on
With peace comes our certain doom
The mother will love as she hates
Where there is life, you will die
Approaching life
Aeons of chaos
Feel the flames, the streams of life below
Feel the flames, that blind your inner eye
Seek and find, what lingers deep inside
Seek and find, but do not try to understand
Spread the wings, and fly into your mind
Spread the wings, and find the eagle in the sky
Find the source, the ancient passion play
Find the source, the roots of the mountain
The lyrics of Enslaved's song "Roots of the Mountain" explores the concept of human existence and the struggle to understand the purpose of our lives. It highlights the idea that life is a continuum that was established from the beginning of time, and our existence is a result of the chain reaction of events that occurred throughout history. The first stanza, "Approaching life from the seeds of time, cosmic pulse, aeons of chaos," hints at this idea.
The song's chorus, "Feel the flames, the streams of life below, seek and find what lingers deep inside, spread the wings and fly into your mind, find the source, the roots of the mountain," encourages listeners to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings, urging them to discover their true identity and purpose in life. The song also seems to confront religion and law and their failures to protect their followers when in need, as seen in the lyrics, "Hark, men of faith, where were you when your children bled to death? Listen, men of law, where were you when the mothers were slain?"
The overall message of the song appears to be that individuals should strive to find their roots and connect with their true selves instead of blindly following societal norms or religious beliefs. It encourages people to embrace chaos, search inward, and discover their identity and true purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Approaching life
Starting to live and experience the world
From the seeds of time
Starting from the beginning of time itself
Cosmic pulse
The rhythm and energy of the universe
Aeons of chaos
An extremely long time of disorder and confusion
Feel the flames, the streams of life below
Become aware of the intense emotions and experiences that lie beneath the surface
Feel the flames, that blind your inner eye
Experience emotions that are so strong they make it hard to think clearly
Seek and find, what lingers deep inside
Search for the hidden and profound truths within oneself
Seek and find, but do not try to understand
Discover things without necessarily needing to explain or intellectualize them
Spread the wings, and fly into your mind
Expand one's mind and explore new ideas and possibilities
Spread the wings, and find the eagle in the sky
Rise to new heights and achieve great things
Find the source, the ancient passion play
Discover the very origins of human emotion and desire
Find the source, the roots of the mountain
Discover the fundamental principles that give rise to all things
Hark, men of faith
Listen up, believers
Where were you
Why weren't you there?
When your children bled to death?
When innocent people suffered and died
Listen, men of law
Pay attention, keepers of justice
Where were you when the mothers were slain?
Why didn't you act to prevent the deaths of innocent women?
Leave order, the fiend of the earth
Reject the idea that strict rules and systems are the only way to live
The self is all you've got
In the end, the only person who can truly understand you is yourself
Enter life on the waves from the void
Embark on the journey of life with courage and a sense of adventure
Behold the ancient roots
Marvel at the deep and powerful forces that guide the universe
And the battles shall forever go on
Conflict and strife are a constant part of the human experience
With peace comes our certain doom
If everything were perfect and peaceful, we would be doomed to stagnation and boredom
The mother will love as she hates
Even the strongest love can be mixed with powerful negative emotions
Where there is life, you will die
Death is an inevitable part of life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Herbrand Larsen, Ivar Peersen, Iver Sandoy, Kjetil Grutle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind