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.
The Watcher
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fear...
Life...
Cold...
Left alone with no will
Walking in footsteps of the fallen
Blinded by lack of reason
"Farewell,
May the darkness bind them
No one will
Remember the pain when we are...gone..."
Desolate...
Unconscious...
Lost...
Where lays the ones I've slain?
Did I become any wiser?
Will their anger hunt me down?
Did I sacrifice in vain?
"Farewell,
Hear the sound of solitude
No one will
Walk the bridge, to darkness overcome"
Settlement...
Trust...
Relief...
Dawn...
Guide me, watcher in the skies
Transform the forces of the dead
In my dreams I'll hunt them down
I now know the truth
The lyrics to Enslaved's "The Watcher" depict the journey of someone who has been left alone, engulfed by darkness and fear, and now walks in the footsteps of those before them. The singer is aimless, blindly following tales of doom without any rational thought. They reflect on the ones they've slain and question whether they've become any wiser or simply sacrificed in vain. They fear the anger of those they've wronged and wonder where their victims now lay.
However, the song takes a turn towards the end as the singer seeks guidance from the "watcher in the skies." They call upon the forces of the dead to be transformed as they hunt them down in their dreams. The singer has now gained clarity and knowledge through their experiences and seeks relief and trust in a new dawn.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Watcher" speak to the human experience of feeling lost in darkness and struggling to find purpose and meaning. It highlights the importance of seeking guidance and trusting in the journey of self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkness...
A feeling of darkness
Fear...
A feeling of being afraid
Life...
The experience of living
Cold...
A feeling of coldness
Left alone with no will
Feeling abandoned and powerless
Walking in footsteps of the fallen
Following the same path as those who have failed
Blinded by lack of reason
Unable to see clearly due to irrational thoughts
Indulging the tales of doom
Choosing to believe in negative stories
"Farewell,
May the darkness bind them
No one will
Remember the pain when we are...gone..."
Goodbye, let darkness take them, nobody will remember us when we're gone
Desolate...
Feeling alone and empty
Unconscious...
Unaware of what's going on
Lost...
Without direction or purpose
Where lays the ones I've slain?
Where are the people I killed?
Did I become any wiser?
Did I learn anything from my actions?
Will their anger hunt me down?
Will their vengeful spirits come after me?
Did I sacrifice in vain?
Did I lose everything for nothing?
"Farewell,
Hear the sound of solitude
No one will
Walk the bridge, to darkness overcome"
Goodbye, hear the loneliness, nobody will escape the darkness
Settlement...
A place to belong
Trust...
Belief in someone or something
Relief...
Feeling free from stress or worry
Dawn...
The start of a new day
Guide me, watcher in the skies
Help me, guardian of the heavens
Transform the forces of the dead
Change the power of the deceased
In my dreams I'll hunt them down
I'll fight and defeat them in my sleep
I now know the truth
I learned the reality of the situation
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@xCannibalxMuffinx
I used to walk my dog (a lovely Siberian Husky) through the woods and beach while listening to this song. Now... I just walk while listening to this. I miss that dog so much...
Thank you Enslaved.
@aaronstark5060
It sucks, doesn’t it? I’ve been through that myself recently and it’s just one of the most miserable experiences in the world.
@111usul
:(
<3
@flaviomedina5312
T__T
@Cantarerosoul
Even in the end, dogs are great master's, they show us so many lessons!
@1nONLY_DRock
Maybe you'll meet your dog again, but in Valhalla's halls.
@jadis40
Discovered Enslaved when part of this song was played in the Extreme Metal episode of Metal Evolution. Their release this year is really good. Great band.
@jorgeaguilar1783
Same X)
@thomaskittock2866
Same here actually! I love the series too.
@Fyrhp
Same ! i'm excited to add it to my itunes library and listen to every song 8D