Formed in Sveio, Norway by Ivar Bjørnson and Gruttle Kjellson at an obscenely young age – Bjørnson was only 13 – Enslaved are one of the great acts who have shifted from the depths of extreme metal to a more progressive and Pink Floyd-ish sound over the course of their 20 year career.
Early Days:
Created in 1991 by Bjørnson and Kjellson, both of whom remain in the band today, Enslaved began life first as a death metal act, before moving to Viking-themed black metal for their first two albums Vikingligr Veldi and Frost – both released in 1994. The supposed Viking influence became more pronounced over the next couple of releases, with 2000’s Mardraum – Beyond the Within regarded as the last truly black metal sounding release, as well as being the last to feature lyrics purely in Norwegian.
Style Change:
Everything about Monumension (2001) showed off the band’s new progressive slant, from the song titles, album art and, of course, the music itself. Follow up Below The Lights was a staggering release, featuring amazing cuts like “As Fire Swept Clean the Earth” and “The Crossing”, both of which highlight the more prog and experimental edge to the group. 2004’s Isa and 2006’s Ruun continued both the high quality level and saw Enslaved delve deeper into the experimental realm, with the band’s sound undertaking a post-black metal style.
Critical Favorites:
Named Terrorizer magazine’s best album for 2008, Vertebrae saw the band break into the more mainstream metal world, with the widespread critical acclaim continuing to 2010’s Axioma Ethica Odini, named the best metal CD of 2010 by this site.
If You Like Enslaved, You Might Also Want To Check Out:
Emperor, Ihsahn, Primordial
Current Enslaved Members:
Gruttle Kjellson – Vocals, Bass
Ivar Bjørnson – Guitars, Keyboards
Arve Isdal – Guitars
Cato Bekkevold - Drums
Doug Scarratt – Vocals, Keyboards, Mellotron
Ivar Bjørnson – Guitars, Keyboards
Arve Isdal – Guitars
Cato Bekkevold - Drums
Doug Scarratt – Vocals, Keyboards, Mellotron
Former Band Members:
Trym Torson – Drums (1991-1995)
Harald Magnus “Rivheim” Helgeson – Drums (1995-1997)
Dirge Rep – Drums (1997-2003)
Roy Kronheim - Guitars (1997-2002)
Freddy Bolsö – Drums (2003)
Harald Magnus “Rivheim” Helgeson – Drums (1995-1997)
Dirge Rep – Drums (1997-2003)
Roy Kronheim - Guitars (1997-2002)
Freddy Bolsö – Drums (2003)
Enslaved Discography:
1994 Vikingligr Veldi (Deathlike Silence)
1994 Frost (Osmose Productions)
1997 Eld (Osmose Productions)
1998 Blodhemm (Osmose Productions)
2000 Mardraum: Beyond the Within (Osmose Productions)
2001 Monumension (Osmose Productions)
2003 Below the Lights (Osmose Productions)
2004 Isa (Tabu Records)
2006 Ruun (Tabu Records)
2008 Vertebrae (Nuclear Blast)
2010 Axioma Ethica Odini (Nuclear Blast)
1994 Frost (Osmose Productions)
1997 Eld (Osmose Productions)
1998 Blodhemm (Osmose Productions)
2000 Mardraum: Beyond the Within (Osmose Productions)
2001 Monumension (Osmose Productions)
2003 Below the Lights (Osmose Productions)
2004 Isa (Tabu Records)
2006 Ruun (Tabu Records)
2008 Vertebrae (Nuclear Blast)
2010 Axioma Ethica Odini (Nuclear Blast)
Recommended Enslaved Album:
Vertebrae
Balancing both the harshness of black metal with both experimental and post-metal influences is no easy task, but with Vertebrae, Enslaved faultlessly combine the two to create an amazing singular entity. A myriad of influences are to be heard across the album, with the more prominent usage of clean vocals helping creating a classic prog-rock vibe. Though it was never expected to send Enslaved into the stratosphere of success, Vertebrae is an album that will be revisited time and time again by fans of experimental heavy music for many years to come.
Balancing both the harshness of black metal with both experimental and post-metal influences is no easy task, but with Vertebrae, Enslaved faultlessly combine the two to create an amazing singular entity. A myriad of influences are to be heard across the album, with the more prominent usage of clean vocals helping creating a classic prog-rock vibe. Though it was never expected to send Enslaved into the stratosphere of success, Vertebrae is an album that will be revisited time and time again by fans of experimental heavy music for many years to come.
