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.
To the Coast
Enslaved Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Static sanctuary
Longing for the heart of the changer
Chained to the past, a dream of liberation
The vultures above, they know, they've seen him linger here
Where the barren land meets sea; the mother and the reaper
The irony of...
Hanging head
Gaze upon the waters and turn back again
Like so many times before
Riders on the horizon with darkness in tow
Too painful to let go of the fear, too strong the ties
He came without a face
...And a promise of belonging
So I caved and gave way to this vision
Bleak and never-ending the pages
I'd like to see what lies beyond
Dissolving ink in salt water
Wrecked and laughing at the skies and the open sea
To the coast but not across
Had some strange days then walked back
To the coast but not across
Longing for the heart of the changer
Chained to the past, a dream of liberation
The vultures above, they know, they've seen him linger here
Where the barren land meets the sea; the mother and the reaper
The irony of...
Riders on the horizon with darkness in tow
Too painful to let go of the fear, too strong the ties
He came without a face
...And a promise of belonging
So I caved and gave way to this vision
Bleak and never-ending the pages
I'd like to see what lies beyond
Dissolving ink in salt water
Wrecked and laughing at the skies and the open sea
Black clad back into the all over again
The song "To the Coast" by Enslaved is an introspective journey of a person who desires to break free from their past and search for liberation. They long for change and seek to find solace in the coast, which is described as a "static sanctuary." However, the person is held back by their fear and strong ties to their past, unable to fully let go and move forward. The vultures above, symbolic of death and decay, represent the inevitability of change and the cycles of life.
The singer also acknowledges the irony of their situation, where despite their desire for change, they continue to linger in the same place. The repeated lines "to the coast but not across" indicate their hesitance and inability to fully commit to the journey. The reference to the "mother and the reaper" portrays the duality of the coast, representing both birth and death.
The lyrics also touch upon the theme of identity and belonging. The singer meets someone who promises a sense of belonging, but they do not have a face, suggesting that this is an unknown and potentially dangerous path for them to take. The bleak and never-ending pages in the vision represent the unknown future and the uncertainty that comes with it. The dissolution of ink in saltwater further emphasizes the transience of life and the impermanence of human existence.
Overall, "To the Coast" is a multifaceted song that explores themes of change, liberation, identity, and the cycles of life and death.
Line by Line Meaning
To the coast, but not across
Moving towards the coast but not venturing to the other side
Static sanctuary
A peaceful and unchanging place of refuge
Longing for the heart of the changer
Desiring to understand and connect with the force that brings about change
Chained to the past, a dream of liberation
Feeling trapped by past experiences but yearning to break free
The vultures above, they know, they've seen him linger here
Indicating that others have observed the person's presence in a desolate area
Where the barren land meets sea; the mother and the reaper
Highlighting the duality of the ocean as both a source of life and destruction
The irony of...
The writer implies that the upcoming line is ironic
Sorrow kept close
The person is holding onto their sadness
Hanging head
A physical posture that suggests sadness or defeat
Gaze upon the waters and turn back again
Looking at the sea but not being able to continue going forward
Like so many times before
This is a repeating pattern
Riders on the horizon with darkness in tow
Dark and ominous figures on the far-off horizon
Too painful to let go of the fear, too strong the ties
The pain of holding onto fear is overwhelming, but the attachment is too strong to release
He came without a face
Someone arrived without a clear identity or intention
...And a promise of belonging
They made a commitment to be a part of something
So I caved and gave way to this vision
The person gave in to the idea, surrendering their will
Bleak and never-ending the pages
The story continues with no hope or resolution
I'd like to see what lies beyond
The person is curious about what lies ahead
Dissolving ink in salt water
The ink is disappearing in the salty sea water, representing the fading of something important
Wrecked and laughing at the skies and the open sea
Feeling defeated and hopeless but still finding humor in the situation
Black clad back into the all over again
Going back to a previous state or situation
Contributed by Amelia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.