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.
Smirr
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hooves echo the approach of the third coming
On it's back a goddess with shining black armor
The steel that will separate the will from doing
Closing in as he falls to his knees, surrounded by
Plasma of dying chapters
Life succumbs to silence, desire alone to the dying
Of inner banes
Winds play their mourners dirge through heaps of corpses
The hooves thundering the arrival of the final coming
Carrying forth the seeds of eternal night
So that the shadow may sleep, eternity weeps
While we laugh and remain forever
She feels the cold floor giving no comfort as she fades
The hooves echo the approach of the third coming
On it's back the faceless her Elder Ones saw
The agents of microcosmic change shattering the megalith
Stories told, divinity unfold
She passes on, yet remains in Smirr
Cold remains scattered in dead void dreams
The lyrics of Enslaved's song "Smirr" depict the end of the world and the arrival of the third coming. The main character sees his world through a crystal state of departure, indicating that he understands the bigger picture of what is happening. He hears the hooves echoing, signaling the approach of a powerful force. On its back is a goddess with shining black armor, representing the inevitability of death. She carries the steel that will separate the will from doing, indicating that no one can resist this force. As the singer falls to his knees, he is surrounded by the plasma of dying chapters, representing the end of time. Life succumbs to silence, and all that remains is the desire to die. In the end, he laughs as his hands no longer grasp contraction, accepting his fate.
The second verse describes the approach of the final coming. The winds play a mourners dirge through heaps of corpses, indicating death on a massive scale. The hooves thunder as the agents of microcosmic change shatter the megalith, representing the end of civilization. The seeds of eternal night are carried forth, and the shadow may sleep, while eternity weeps. This signifies the end of everything, and we can do nothing but laugh and remain forever.
The final lines depict a female character feeling the cold floor, which offers no comfort as she fades. The hooves echo again, announcing the arrival of the third coming. On its back is the faceless her Elder Ones saw, representing a powerful, unknown force. The agents of microcosmic change shatter the megalith, and she passes on, yet remains in Smirr. This symbolizes the continuation of existence in some form, despite the end of the world. Cold remains scattered in dead void dreams, indicating the emptiness that remains after everything has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
He sees his world through the crystal state of departure
He views his reality with a distorted, dream-like perception
The hooves echo the approach of the third coming
The sound of hooves signals the nearing of a significant event
On it's back a goddess with shining black armor
The approaching event brings with it a strong, powerful entity
The steel that will separate the will from doing
This entity will forcibly divide thought from action
Closing in as he falls to his knees, surrounded by Plasma of dying chapters
As the event draws nearer, he is overwhelmed by past failures and regrets
Life succumbs to silence, desire alone to the dying of inner banes
In the face of this entity, all hope is lost and only internal pain remains
His hands no longer grasping contraction as he laughs
He has lost all control and can only laugh at his own powerlessness
Winds play their mourners dirge through heaps of corpses
The wind creates a sorrowful song amongst a field of death
The hooves thundering the arrival of the final coming
The approaching event is the last, decisive moment
Carrying forth the seeds of eternal night
This event will bring about permanent darkness
So that the shadow may sleep, eternity weeps
In order to bring about peace, eternity must mourn its own loss
While we laugh and remain forever
In contrast to eternity's pain, we can only find fleeting happiness
She feels the cold floor giving no comfort as she fades
She experiences a sense of isolation and emptiness as she approaches death
The hooves echo the approach of the third coming
The imminent arrival of the entity looms over her
On it's back the faceless her Elder Ones saw
She envisions the same entity her predecessors faced
The agents of microcosmic change shattering the megalith
This entity will change the fundamental nature of her existence
Stories told, divinity unfold
As she passes away, her legacy and divine potential is revealed
She passes on, yet remains in Smirr
Although physically gone, her essence is present in the world she left behind
Cold remains scattered in dead void dreams
Death leaves behind only emptiness and a sense of lifeless separation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: IVAR PEERSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind