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.
Storm of Memories
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In lack of better directional insight
Something stirs and leaps
Casual roads of reason intersect
Conceptual wormholes in the lawless black
In ancient matter
Unknown kin, as they thoroughfare
Accumulation
Icebergs of the abyss never melts
Ideal energy, it's building within
Unlike loyalty
C'verous and spirited; I work
Composite and uniform; I sacrifice
Resist the wisdom
With limited perception we see
We learn, and we laugh, and we sleep,
And we watch
Logic is worthless
Storm of the ions, ecstatic mind
Seeps through the cracks, it fills up the bones
I remember now
The here and the now - it is nothing
This Eve, haunted by a storm of memories
Immortality
Then it was quiet, then it was dark
Trees, dreams, and the runes
Makes for a future
I'm on the inside
Looking at the sky, I think of you
Life is a room, in between the greater halls
There we'll met again
I can't make out what is what is what
In this storm of memories
Now it all comes back
I know there's strength in my blood
I can hear the past
Fearing not
Time has come... listen
There's a storm
Within
Storm of the ions, ecstatic mind
Seeps through the cracks, it fills up the bones
I remember now
The here and the now - it is nothing
This Eve, haunted by a storm of memories
Immortality
Then it was quiet, then it was dark
Trees, dreams, and the runes
Makes for a future
I'm on the inside
Looking at the sky, I think of you
Life is a room, in between the greater halls
There we'll met again
Unknown kin, as they thoroughfare
Unexplored utopia lineage
Accumulation
Icebergs of the abyss never melts
Ideal energy, it's building within
Unlike loyalty
C'verous and spirited; I work
Composite and uniform; I sacrifice
Resist the wisdom
With limited perception we see
We learn, and we laugh, and we sleep,
And we watch
Logic is worthless
"Storm of Memories" by Enslaved is about a journey into the unknown and a search for answers beyond the realm of logic and reason. The singer describes a land described as "the beyond", where something stirs and leaps, defying directional insight and reason. The singer encounters an unknown kin whose utopia lineage remains unexplored, and they accumulate knowledge different from logic or loyalty. Instead, they build ideal energy, and resist wisdom with limited perception. The singer discovers that logic is worthless, and the storm of memories fills them up, haunting them with the idea of immortality.
The lyrics convey the idea that there are things beyond our understanding and knowledge, and that knowledge is not only obtained through logic and reason. The singer's journey leads them to encounter an accumulation of knowledge that transcends logic, and they resist wisdom with limited perception. The storm of memories represents the idea of immortality, and the knowledge that there is strength in the singer's blood. The song suggests that there is more to learn through following a path beyond what we know, and that the accumulation of knowledge is not always linear or logical.
Line by Line Meaning
In the land described as the beyond
In a place that is beyond our understanding
In lack of better directional insight
Without a clear sense of direction
Something stirs and leaps
A feeling of excitement and anticipation
Casual roads of reason intersect
Logical paths cross unexpectedly
Conceptual wormholes in the lawless black
Abstract portals through the unknown
In ancient matter
Within the very essence of existence
Unknown kin, as they thoroughfare
Unfamiliar relatives as they journey
Unexplored utopia lineage
A heritage of an undiscovered paradise
Accumulation
Gathering of energy
Icebergs of the abyss never melts
Deep and eternal mysteries that remain unsolved
Ideal energy, it's building within
A perfect force that is growing
Unlike loyalty
Different from faithfulness
C'verous and spirited; I work
Energetic and adventurous; I persist
Composite and uniform; I sacrifice
Combined and consistent; I give up something important
Resist the wisdom
Rejecting conventional knowledge
With limited perception we see
Our understanding is restricted
We learn, and we laugh, and we sleep,
We grow, we enjoy, we rest
And we watch
And we observe
Logic is worthless
Rationality is insufficient
Storm of the ions, ecstatic mind
A tempest of excitement and mental exultation
Seeps through the cracks, it fills up the bones
Penetrates all aspects of the body and mind
I remember now
I recall something significant
The here and the now - it is nothing
The present moment carries no weight
This Eve, haunted by a storm of memories
This night, plagued by reminiscences
Immortality
Eternal existence
Then it was quiet, then it was dark
Silent and obscured
Trees, dreams, and the runes
Nature, aspiration, and ancient symbols
Makes for a future
Leads to a potential time
I'm on the inside
I'm introspective
Looking at the sky, I think of you
As I gaze upward, you come to mind
Life is a room, in between the greater halls
Existence is a space between significant moments
There we'll met again
We'll reunite there
Unknown kin, as they thoroughfare
Unfamiliar relatives as they journey
Unexplored utopia lineage
A heritage of an undiscovered paradise
Accumulation
Gathering of energy
Icebergs of the abyss never melts
Deep and eternal mysteries that remain unsolved
Ideal energy, it's building within
A perfect force that is growing
Unlike loyalty
Different from faithfulness
C'verous and spirited; I work
Energetic and adventurous; I persist
Composite and uniform; I sacrifice
Combined and consistent; I give up something important
Resist the wisdom
Rejecting conventional knowledge
With limited perception we see
Our understanding is restricted
We learn, and we laugh, and we sleep,
We grow, we enjoy, we rest
And we watch
And we observe
Logic is worthless
Rationality is insufficient
I can't make out what is what is what
I don't understand what is happening
Now it all comes back
Everything is suddenly clear and recognizable
I know there's strength in my blood
I possess an inner power
I can hear the past
I recall sounds and events from history
Fearing not
Without anxiety
Time has come... listen
The moment has arrived... pay attention
There's a storm
A tumultuous event is occurring
Within
Inside of me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Herbrand Larsen, Ivar Peersen, Iver Sandoy, Kjetil Grutle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind