Origin: Haugesund, Norway  
Genres: Black Metal, Viking Metal
Official Site
Last update/review: March 7, 2023

Enslaved

Enslaved was formed in 1992 in Haugesund, Norway, with an earlier incarnation of the band featuring none other than Hein Frode Hansen, who left to form Theatre Of Tragedy. Eventually they attracted the attention of Euronymous (of Mayhem) who signed the band to his Deathlike Silence label. That label was set to release the debut album, Vikingligr Veldi, but the chaos that ensued following Euronymous' death prevented that, and Voices Of Wonder eventually released that album, with the band later signing to Osmose, the band staying on that label for several years before a recent switch to Tabu. Though the band prefers the label "Viking Metal", Enslaved is very much a black metal band in musical style, if not in spirit. Enslaved is somewhat of a paradox -- a listen to any of their earlier albums (such as personal favorite Frost) reveals all the classic trademarks of early black metal -- the vocal stylings, the insane blast beats, that distinctive black metal guitar style -- and yet Enslaved somehow makes it original and distinctive enough so that only Enslaved could perform it. Part of this might be due to the guitar work, as it has that faintly dischordant style that occasionally reminds one of Denis D'Amour of Voivod (indeed, several sections of the Mardraum album are of the "what if Voivod played black metal" variety), and part of it might simply be that Enslaved is less derivative and more innovative than their contemporaries. The newer albums such as Mardraum and Monumension show a true expansion of their sound, incorporating new and varied influences into the mix without detracting from their past.

Current Members

Grutle Kjellson

bass/vocals (ex-Trinacria)

Ivar Bjørnson

guitars (ex-Borknagar, ex-Gorgoroth, ex-Trinacria)

Arve Isdal

guitars (Audrey Horne, Demonaz, ex-I, ex-Malignant Eternal, ex-Ov Hell, ex-Trinacria)

Håkon Vinje

keyboards/backing vocals

Iver Sandøy

drums/backing vocals (ex-Trinacria)

Former Members/Guests

Roy Kronheim

guitars

Herbrand Larsen

keyboards (ex-Audrey Horne)

Trym Torson (Kai Johnny Mosaker)

drums (guest for Abigail Williams, Emperor, ex-Zyklon)

Harald Helgeson

drums (Thundra)

Dirge Rep (Per Husebø)

drums (ex-Gehenna)

Cato Bekkevold

drums (ex-Reaktor, ex-Red Harvest, Sarke)



Discography



Hordanes Land (split w/ Emperor)  EP
1993 Candlelight
  1. I am the black wizards (Emperor)
  2. Wrath of the tyrant (Emperor)
  3. Night of the graveless souls (Emperor)
  4. Cosmic keys to my creation & times (Emperor)
  5. Slaget I kogen bortenfor
  6. -Epilog
  7. Slaget
  8. Allfaor Ooinn
  9. Balfar
  10. Andi fara
  11. Prologr
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Trym Torson



Vikingligr Veldi  
1994 Deathlike Silence
  1. Lifandi Lib Undir Hamri
  2. Vetrarnótt
  3. Miðgarðs Eldar
  4. Heimdallr
  5. Norvegr
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Trym Torson



Frost  
1994 Osmose
  1. Frost
  2. Loke
  3. Fenris
  4. Svarte vidder
  5. Yggdrasil
  6. Jotunblod
  7. Gylfaginning
  8. Wotan
  9. Isöders dronning
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Trym Torson




Eld  
1997 Osmose
  1. 793 (Slaget om lindisfarne)
  2. Hordalendingen
  3. Alfablot
  4. Kvasirs blod
  5. For lenge siden
  6. Glemt
  7. Eld
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Harald Helgeson



Blodhemn  
1998 Osmose
  1. Intro "Audhumla; Birth of the worlds"
  2. I lenker til Ragnarok (In chains until Ragnarok)
  3. Urtical gods
  4. Ansuz astral
  5. Nidengaslakt
  6. Eit auga til Mimir (An eye for Mimir)
  7. Blodhemn (Vengeance in blood)
  8. Brisinghamen
  9. Suttungs Mjød (Suttungs mead)
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Roy Kronheim
  • Dirge Rep



Mardraum - Beyond The Within  
2000 Osmose
  1. Større enn tid - Tyngre enn natt
  2. Daudningekvida
  3. Entrance - Escape
  4. Ormgard
  5. Æges draum
  6. Mardraum
  7. Det endelege riket
  8. Ormgard II - Kvalt i kysk høgsong
  9. Krigaren eg ikkje kjende
  10. Stjerneheimen
  11. Frøyas smykke
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Roy Kronheim
  • Dirge Rep



Monumension  
2001 Osmose
  1. Convoys To Nothingness
  2. The Vocices
  3. Vision: Sphere Of The Elements - A Monument Part II
  4. Hollow Inside
  5. The Cromlech Gate
  6. Enemy I
  7. Smirk
  8. The Sleep: Floating Diversity - A Monument Part III
  9. Outro: Self - Zero
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Roy Kronheim
  • Dirge Rep



Below The Lights  
2003 Osmose
  1. The Crossing
  2. Havenless
  3. A Darker Place
  4. Queen Of Night
  5. A Dead Stare
  6. As Fire Swept Clean The Earth
  7. Ridicule Swarm
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Dirge Rep
2003 Readers' Album #32





Live Retaliation  VIDEO
2003



Isa  
2004 Tabu
  1. Intro: Green Reflection
  2. Lunar Force
  3. Isa
  4. Ascension
  5. Bounded By Allegiance
  6. Violet Dawning
  7. Return To Yggdrasill
  8. Secrets Of The Flesh
  9. Neogenesis
  10. Outro: Communion
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold
2004 Readers' Album #34





Return To Yggdrasill  VIDEO
2005 Tabu



Ruun  
2006 Tabu
  1. Entroper
  2. Path To Vanir
  3. Fusion Of Sense And Earth
  4. Ruun
  5. Tides Of Chaos
  6. Essence
  7. Api-vat
  8. Heir To The Cosmic Seed
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold
2006 Readers' Album #16




Vertebrae  
2008 Indie
  1. Clouds
  2. To the Coast
  3. Ground
  4. Vertebrae
  5. New Dawn
  6. Relections
  7. Center
  8. The Watcher
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold
2008 Readers' Album #15





Axioma Ethica Odini  
2010 Indie
  1. Ethica Odini
  2. Raidho
  3. Waruun
  4. The Beacon
  5. Axioma
  6. Giants
  7. Singular
  8. Night Sight
  9. Lightening
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold
2010 Readers' Album #12





The Sleeping Gods  EP
2011 Scion A/V
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold



Riitiir  
2012 Nuclear Blast
  1. Thoughts Like Hammers
  2. Death In The Eyes Of Dawn
  3. Veilburner
  4. Roots Of The Mountain
  5. Riitiir
  6. Materal
  7. Storm Of Memories
  8. Forsaken
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold
2012 Readers' Album #8




In Times  
2015 Nuclear Blast
  1. Thurisaz Dreaming
  2. Building With Fire
  3. One Thousand Years Of Rain
  4. Nauthir Bleeding
  5. In Times
  6. Daylight
  7. Thurisaz Dreaming
  8. Building with Fire
  9. One Thousand Years of Rain
  10. Nauthir Bleeding
  11. In Times
  12. Daylight
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold
2015 Readers' Album #20




Roadburn Live  LIVE
2017
  1. Building with Fire
  2. Death in the Eyes of Dawn
  3. In Times
  4. Daylight
  5. Convoys to Nothingness
  6. As Fire Swept Clean the Earth
  7. Isa
  8. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Herbrand Larsen
  • Cato Bekkevold



E  
2017 Nuclear Blast
  1. Storm Son
  2. The River's Mouth
  3. Sacred Horse
  4. Axis of the Worlds
  5. Feathers of Eolh
  6. Hiindsiight
  7. Djupet
  8. What Else Is There? (Röyksopp cover)
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Håkon Vinje
  • Cato Bekkevold
2017 Readers' Album #7




Utgard  
2020 Nuclear Blast
  1. Fires in the Dark
  2. Jettegryta
  3. Sequence
  4. Homebound
  5. Útgarðr
  6. Urjotun
  7. Flight of Thought and Memory
  8. Storms of Utgard
  9. Distant Seasons
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Håkon Vinje
  • Iver Sandøy




Below The Lights  LIVE
2021



Chronicles Of The Northbound  LIVE
2021



The Rise Of Ymir  LIVE
2021



Utgard - The Journey Within  LIVE
2021



Caravans To The Outer Worlds  EP
2021 Nuclear Blast
  1. Caravans to the Outer Worlds
  2. Intermezzo I - Lönnlig Gudlig
  3. Ruun II - The Epitaph
  4. Intermezzo II - The Navigator
  • Grutle Kjellson
  • Ivar Bjørnson
  • Arve Isdal
  • Håkon Vinje
  • Iver Sandøy



Heimdal  
2023 Nuclear Blast
  1. Behind the Mirror
  2. Congelia
  3. Forest Dweller
  4. Kingdom
  5. The Eternal Sea
  6. Caravans to the Outer Worlds
  7. Heimdal





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