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.
Tides of Chaos
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got this noose around my neck
That (just) won't let go
I've got this dream
In which I kill you all
And there is no going back
They've choked the good in me
Sent me off to wander alone
Hunt you down, make you understand
No compassion for the enslavers of will
Your spite for reason makes me strong
Your lack of direction showed me where to go
We've come to share this destiny
No borders, no landmarks
Out in the open
I hold the key to the door
In vivid dreams while awake
I saw a way through
The agony of choice
In a universe where the storms rage endlessly
Time will never come to reinstate me
Mine is none
There was a day when I knew silence
Then came the tides of chaos
Washed it all away
I have seen what you have become
Smiling with evil intent
Betrayal between the lines
I have stepped outside the circle
Better off without
Choking on sand and sorrow
Visions from the suffocated
In this universe where the fire roars endlessly
Peace will never come to reconstruct me
Mine is gone
The song "Tides of Chaos" by Enslaved talks about a person who is filled with anger and hate towards society. This is shown in the lyrics, "I've got this twisted core," which reveals the darkness that the singer has within them. The line "I've got this noose around my neck that just won't let go" represents the idea that the singer is trapped in their own anger and hate. They can't get free from the negative emotions that they feel. The dream that the singer has of killing everyone shows just how much they hate society and want to get rid of it.
The chorus talks about how the singer has embraced their anger and hate and is using it to fuel themselves to go against the established order. They have no compassion for those who try to control others and want to bring them down. They believe that their lack of direction has shown them where they need to go and they will go there with or without the support of others. They plan to "hunt you down" and "make you understand" what it means to be free from the shackles of society.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got this twisted core
I have a corrupted and distorted sense of self
I've got this noose around my neck
I am trapped in a harmful or dangerous situation
That (just) won't let go
I can't escape this situation, no matter how hard I try
I've got this dream
I have a fantasy or desire
In which I kill you all
I imagine a scenario where I am able to defeat or overcome all of my enemies
And there is no going back
I am committed to my goal and cannot retreat or change my mind
They've choked the good in me
Others have oppressed or silenced my positive qualities
Sent me off to wander alone
I have been abandoned or rejected by those who I relied on
Hateful, starving enemy of (your) order
I am a fierce opponent of the established norms and rules
Hunt you down, make you understand
I will pursue and defeat my enemies and make them see the error of their ways
No compassion for the enslavers of will
I have no sympathy for those who try to control or dominate others
Your spite for reason makes me strong
I am motivated and empowered by the irrational and irrational behavior of others
Your lack of direction showed me where to go
I found my path by contrasting it against the aimlessness and confusion of others
We've come to share this destiny
I feel a connection to others who share my goals and beliefs
No borders, no landmarks
Our journey is not constrained by political or geographic boundaries
Out in the open
Our actions and intentions are transparent and visible
I hold the key to the door
I have the power to unlock or reveal something important
In vivid dreams while awake
I have a vivid imagination, and I can see things that others can't
I saw a way through
I found a solution or path forward
The agony of choice
I faced a difficult decision or dilemma
In a universe where the storms rage endlessly
In a tumultuous and chaotic world
Time will never come to reinstate me
I cannot go back to how things used to be
Mine is none
I have lost my place and my identity in this world
There was a day when I knew silence
There was a time when I had peace and quiet in my life
Then came the tides of chaos
Then everything changed, and chaos and disorder took over
Washed it all away
All of the calm and order was replaced by turmoil
I have seen what you have become
I have witnessed the negative changes in others
Smiling with evil intent
They are acting with malicious and harmful intentions
Betrayal between the lines
There is hidden disloyalty or treachery in their actions
I have stepped outside the circle
I have removed myself from a group or community that I no longer fit in with
Better off without
I am happier and more successful independently than I was within that group
Choking on sand and sorrow
I am struggling and suffering greatly
Visions from the suffocated
My imagination is fueled by the pain and difficulty I have faced
In this universe where the fire roars endlessly
In a world full of destruction and chaos
Peace will never come to reconstruct me
There is no hope for me to find peace, even in restoration or rebuilding
Mine is gone
I have lost my sense of peace and stability
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ARVE ISDAL, CATO BAEKKEVOLD, HERBRAND LARSEN, IVAR S. PEERSEN, KJETIL GRUTLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind