ENSLAVED Embarks On US/Canada Shows In May

April 29, 2025

Cosmic metal pioneers ENSLAVED will make their anticipated return to North America in May for a trio of extraordinary shows featuring hand picked support acts and distinct set lists.

Commenting on the dates, founding guitarist Ivar Bjørnson says:

"Greetings from the western mountains of Norway, as one does. We're getting close to May, and that means Enslaved is coming back to North America. Not a moment too soon, if you ask us. We're going to start off in Montreal on May 12th with special guest Spectral Wound. The day after, May 13th, we're hitting New York with the Infinity Ring as our special guest. Then on May 16, the day before the Norwegian National Day of all things, we'll be at the legendary Milwaukee Metal Fest for the first time. We have special guests. We have special set lists. Yes, we have it all now. We want to see you there."

ENSLAVED North American Dates:
May 12 - Montreal, QC - Beanfield Theatre (w/Spectral Wound)
May 13 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre (w/The Infinity Ring)
May 16 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Metal Fest

VIP Tickets: https://tix.soundrink.com/tours/enslaved
Tickets: https://enslaved.no/tour/

ENSLAVED is currently on tour in support of their latest avant-garde creation Heimdal. Stream the Deluxe Edition of the record here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal-deluxe.ema

Enslaved's latest studio album Heimdal (released March 2023) is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. It's a record that points towards new beginnings, and a dawn that’s on the other side of the apex of the land. A psychedelic journey through arcane Norse folklore, connecting with one's ancient ancestors and our future selves.

'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' was an Enslaved show like none other, their biggest, boldest project to date - a colossal, kaleidoscopic stage show featuring a stellar setlist covering their career, both past and present. Including some tracks never previously performed live.

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED | announce Jo Quail special appearance at London show + release 'Congelia' feat. Jo Quail

March 2, 2024

One year ago, cosmic pioneers Enslaved released their latest avant-garde creation Heimdal. To celebrate the studio album's first year of existence, the band announced the Heimdal (Deluxe) digital album, which is out today! As well as a UK and European tour with British post-hardcore quartet Svalbard and US metallers Wayfarer this month.

Also today, Enslaved are thrilled to announce that internationally acclaimed composer and virtuoso cellist Jo Quail will make a special appearance at the first show of the tour, on March 6th at London's Islington Assembly Hall.

To celebrate this news, Enslaved have released an electrifying alternative version of their track 'Congelia', featuring Jo Quail, alongside a beautiful lyric video created by Kolibri Media.

Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson commented,
"London has a very special place in the history of our band, since the very first live shows we ever did outside of our home town(s) - the city has supported us through it all. We have a huge part of our extended family and tribe here; it is always like coming home. Just with better Indian food and worse traffic. This time London seems set on outdoing its welcome of us; Jo Quail will join us on stage to perform 'Congelia' with us! We are so proud and eager to show you how absolutely crushing that sounds. See you very soon. Baah!"

Jo Quail commented,
"I am thrilled to be joining forces with Enslaved once again on stage! It was such a wonderful experience in Bergen last year and I am honoured to be able to do this again in London - I hope you'll enjoy this moment as much as I will."

STREAM HEIMDAL (DELUXE): https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal-deluxe.ema
WATCH THE 'CONGELIA - FEAT. JO QUAIL' LYRIC VIDEO BELOW;

Heimdal (Deluxe) includes the studio album in full, as well as alternative versions of two album tracks 'Forest Dweller' and 'Congelia', both with sublime performances from renowned cellist Jo Quail, bonus track 'Gangandi', plus the entirety of 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' - Enslaved's stunning 2022 streaming event featuring fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant.

Enslaved's latest studio album Heimdal (released March 2023) is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. It's a record that points towards new beginnings, and a dawn that’s on the other side of the apex of the land. A psychedelic journey through arcane Norse folklore, connecting with one's ancient ancestors and our future selves.

'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' was an Enslaved show like none other, their biggest, boldest project to date - a colossal, kaleidoscopic stage show featuring a stellar setlist covering their career, both past and present. Including some tracks never previously performed live.

Enslaved will be touring the UK and Europe this month. The 16-date run will take the band across 10 different countries, with support coming from Svalbard and Wayfarer.

Tickets are on-sale now from https://enslaved.no/

ENSLAVED | release single + visualizer 'Forest Dweller' feat. Jo Quail'

February 9, 2024

The tree set ablaze at the end of my days
Awaiting my deserved death yell
Long forgotten, no one whispers my name
In the mountains and forests, I'll dwell

Norway's trailblazing cosmic voyagers, Enslaved, released their latest avant-garde creation Heimdal, one year ago. To celebrate the studio album's first year of existence, the band recently announced the Heimdal (Deluxe) digital album, due out on March 1st 2024.

Heimdal (Deluxe) will include the studio album in full, as well as alternative versions of two album tracks 'Forest Dweller' and 'Congelia', both with sublime performances from renowned cellist Jo Quail, bonus track 'Gangandi', plus the entirety of 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' - Enslaved's stunning 2022 streaming event featuring fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant.

Today, Enslaved have released the alternative version of their track 'Forest Dweller', featuring internationally acclaimed composer and virtuoso cellist Jo Quail, alongside a beautiful visualizer video created by Costin Chioreanu.

Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson commented,

"It is an absolute honour to have Jo Quail on these special versions of 'Forest Dweller' and 'Congelia'. We are all big fans of her unique work and style; I have personally had the pleasure of working with her for some time through By Norse Music (the label co-founded with Einar Selvik and our manager Simon Füllemann). When we had the chance to invite guest artists for the release show in Bergen of 'Heimdal' back in March 2023, Jo Quail was a given. She blew our (and the audience’s) collective minds with her powerful interpretation and performance on 'Forest Dweller' and 'Congelia' - to the degree that it simply could not be the end of the story. She has a take on her art that is one of a kind - impossible to categorise, haunting, emotive and atmospheric; we feel that this version of us joining forces underlines the artistic and musical kinship we feel being present between our two camps. So here we are; for the world to hear! Be sure to check out Jo’s releases while you are at it!!!"

Jo Quail added,

"I’ve long been a fan of Enslaved, and I have huge admiration for the way their masterful compositions broaden and deepen with each release. When the band invited me to collaborate I had to re-read the email several times! I was honoured and humbled by this invitation from a band so greatly revered by so many of us all over the world, and I was tremendously excited by the chance to explore our sonic worlds together. Enslaved are the same people on and off stage, which is not always a given, and it’s something that, in my opinion, translates in their music and performance - the connection with their audience in concert draws us in deeply and it’s nothing short of inspiring. It was an absolute honour to be invited by Enslaved to perform Forest Dweller and Congelia with them in March 2023. I approached these two quite diverse tracks with immense respect, as both were already fully developed and everything sat perfectly and exactly where it needed to be, so any contribution from me needed to underpin or enhance the existing story arc rather than divert from it. Enslaved are musically very generous; they were wholly supportive of my suggestions for cello parts, and the result was a collaboration that I shall treasure for all time. I’m thrilled that this now has life beyond that one very special concert, and I hope you enjoy the result!"

PRE-SAVE HEIMDAL (DELUXE): https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal-deluxe.ema
LISTEN TO TRACK 'FOREST DWELLER - FEAT. JO QUAIL': https://enslaved.bfan.link/forest-dweller-alt.ema
WATCH THE 'FOREST DWELLER - FEAT. JO QUAIL' VISUALIZER BELOW.

Enslaved's latest studio album Heimdal (released March 2023) is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. It's a record that points towards new beginnings, and a dawn that’s on the other side of the apex of the land. A psychedelic journey through arcane Norse folklore, connecting with one's ancient ancestors and our future selves.

'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' was an Enslaved show like none other, their biggest, boldest project to date - a colossal, kaleidoscopic stage show featuring a stellar setlist covering their career, both past and present. Including some tracks never previously performed live.

Enslaved will be touring the UK and Europe in March 2024. The 16-date run will take the band across 10 different countries, with support coming from British post-hardcore quartet Svalbard and US metallers Wayfarer.

Tickets are on-sale now from https://enslaved.no/

ENSLAVED | announce 'Heimdal (Deluxe)' digital album + release single/visualizer 'Gangandi'

January 11, 2024

One year ago, Norway's trailblazing cosmic voyagers, Enslaved, released their latest avant-garde creation titled Heimdal. To commemorate the studio album's first year of existence, the band are proud to announce the Heimdal (Deluxe) digital album, set to be released on March 1st 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Heimdal (Deluxe) will include the studio album in full, as well as bonus track 'Gangandi', alternative versions of two album tracks 'Congelia' and 'Forest Dweller', both featuring sublime performances from renowned cellist Jo Quail, plus the entirety of 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' - Enslaved's stunning 2022 streaming event featuring fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant.

Today, the band have released their deeply mesmerising track 'Gangandi' as a preview to the deluxe digital album, which is accompanied by a visualizer.

Vocalist/bassist Grutle Kjellson commented,

"Gangandi was the last song we made before the recording sessions for Heimdal took place. I remember Ivar driving down to my place from Bergen on a Friday night to play a demo for a new song for me, and I went like, "Daaaaamn, this is something else!" I absolutely loved it, but at the same time, I sensed that it was a little bit to the left of the rest of the material. When I started to figure out what to sing over it, I ended up writing a poem in cross rhyme in archaic western Norwegian, which even separated the whole effort even further away from the rest of the material.

So, ultimately, we ended up not including it on the album, other than as a bonus track on the most “exclusive” and limited vinyl versions.

That said, that doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy the song! Quite the contrary! We love this odd little hybrid of folk rock, early Mayhem, and King Crimson! It just ended up being the weird cousin of the rest of the songs. Kind of like Enslaved itself as a matter of fact."

PRE-SAVE HEIMDAL (DELUXE): https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal-deluxe.ema
LISTEN TO TRACK 'GANGANDI': https://enslaved.bfan.link/gangandi.ema
WATCH THE 'GANGANDI' VISUALIZER below.

Enslaved's latest studio album Heimdal (released March 2023) is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. It's a record that points towards new beginnings, and a dawn that’s on the other side of the apex of the land. A psychedelic journey through arcane Norse folklore, connecting with one's ancient ancestors and our future selves.

'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' was an Enslaved show like none other, their biggest, boldest project to date - a colossal, kaleidoscopic stage show featuring a stellar setlist covering their career, both past and present. Including some tracks never previously performed live.

Enslaved will be touring the UK and Europe in March 2024. The 16-date run will take the band across 10 different countries, with support coming from British post-hardcore quartet Svalbard and US metallers Wayfarer.

Tickets are on-sale now from https://enslaved.no/

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED | release 'Sequence - Live' single/video taken from 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience'

December 21, 2023

Today is the Winter Solstice, a significant day in the Pagan calendar marking the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere it is the single day of the year with the longest period of night, with the days after becoming increasingly lighter.

In celebration of this special day, left-field metal luminaries Enslaved are proud to reveal their single and video for 'Sequence - Live'. The track, which originally comes from their 2020 record Utgard, sees a live recording detailing a new interpretation of the song, with nuanced accompaniment by fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant. This extraordinary performance took place during the 2021 Winter Solstice, via the stunning streaming event 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience'.

Watch the 'Sequence - Live' video below.
Listen to the 'Sequence - Live' single here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/sequence.ema

'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' was an Enslaved show like none other, their biggest, boldest project to date - a colossal, kaleidoscopic stage show featuring a stellar setlist covering their career, both past and present. Including some tracks never previously performed live.

Enslaved recently played their final live show of the year at Damnation Festival, following on from a hectic festival season with performances at the likes of Midgardsblot,ArcTanGent, Brutal Assault, Beyond The Gates and Desertfest Antwerp, on-top of a co-headline tour across the USA and Canada earlier this year with Insomnium.

Enslaved's latest avant-garde creation, Heimdal, was released earlier this year. Their breathtaking 16th studio album is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. It's a record that points towards new beginnings, and a dawn that’s on the other side of the apex of the land. A psychedelic journey through arcane Norse folklore, connecting with one's ancient ancestors and our future selves.

You can order/stream Heimdal here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal.ema

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved in 2023 are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED: New Album, "Heimdal," Is Out Now!

March 3, 2023

We are of the waters carrying the countless names
above, below, absorbed and besung
We are of the Eternal Sea, crossing to wander in shadows

Today, Enslaved are proud to release their latest avant-garde creation, Heimdal. Their breathtaking 16th studio album is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. It's a record that points towards new beginnings, and a dawn that’s on the other side of the apex of the land. Prepare for a psychedelic journey through arcane Norse folklore, to connect with one's ancient ancestors and our future selves.

Enslaved's Grutle Kjellson commented,
“After more than three decades, I still get excited when I hear Ivar’s demos; we may be older now, and as life has evolved are unable to spend as much time on music as we would like, but the song writing process for Enslaved hasn’t changed much. Ivar works on the seeds and shapes of songs, sends them to the rest of us, and we’ll form our own narratives - these phantom sketches eventually come to life and they speak to us, and hopefully they speak to our fans as well.

In my opinion, our band is even more creative, more experimental, more diverse and somehow more musical than when we started. I suppose one of the main reasons we continue as a band is that we have never reached a place where we bore ourselves. Our passion for telling stories, writing riffs, put words to them and exploring the human condition through music and myth, has only increased over the years and Heimdal is a reflection of who we are as artists, musicians and human beings in the year 2023.”

Enslaved have also revealed a masterly lyric video, created by Ingo Spörl, for album focus track 'The Eternal Sea'.

You can order/stream Heimdal here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal.ema
Watch 'The Eternal Sea' lyric video below.

Caravans to the Outer Worlds (Live from The Otherworldly Big Band Experience)
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/sh7l0I3l2Fg

Heimdal was produced by Enslaved's own Ivar Bjørnson, Iver Sandøy and Grutle Kjellson. Mixing was handled by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, and the final treatment was mastered by Tony Lindgren. The concept and lyrics for Heimdal was, as always, developed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in tandem.

The album was recorded primarily at Solslottet Studios in Bergen, which is owned by Iver Sandøy. Solslottet is a satellite of the well-known Duper Studios, where the drums were recorded and engineered by Iver himself, with assistance from Vegard Lemme. The main guitars, bass, pianos, organs, and vocals were also recorded at Solslottet. Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal recorded his guitar leads at his own Earshot & Conclave Studios. The final touches and a few experimental ideas were added at the Overlook Hotel using Solslottet’s mobile studio rig. All music for Heimdal was written and demoed at Ivar Bjørnson’s own Crow’s Nest studio.

The record features psychedelic track 'Caravans To The Outer Worlds' from last year's EP of the same name. Album bonus versions contain an extra track, 'Gangandi', alongside a Blu-Ray copy of 2021's stunning Otherworldly Big Band Experience streamed event - the band's boldest project to date, featuring fellow Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant. The kaleidoscopic stage show features a stellar setlist, covering Enslaved's career, both past and present.

ENSLAVED + INSOMNIUM
NORTH AMERICAN CO-HEADLINE TOUR 2023
w/ Black Anvil
05 April New York, NY - Irving Plaza
06 April Boston, MA - Big Night Live
07 April Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
08 April Toronto, ON - The Opera House
10 April Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew's Hall
11 April Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
12 April Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
14 April Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre
15 April Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
17 April Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
18 April Vancouver, BC - The Rickshaw
19 April Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
21 April Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall
22 April Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre
23 April Phoenix, AZ - Nile Theater
25 April Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
26 April Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
28 April Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
29 April Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
30 April Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

VIP tickets for NA shows available here: enslaved.soundrink.com

ENSLAVED - 2023 FESTIVAL SHOWS
13 May UK, London - Incineration Festival
05 Aug NO, Bergen - Beyond The Gates
10 Aug CZ, Jaroměř - B rutal Assault
12 Aug DE, Thüringen - Party.San
16-19 Aug UK, Bristol - ArcTanGent
06-07 Sep PO, Aleksandrów - Summer Dying Loud
10-11 Nov MX, Monterrey - Mexico Metal Fest

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved in 2023 are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED Release New Single "Forest Dweller"

January 26, 2023

Enslaved have released a new single and video from Heimdal, their 16th studio album due out on March 3rd 2023. 'Forest Dweller' launches with progressive splendor, guiding the listener into a churning, psychedelic journey through archaic Norse folklore. One might ask what lessons we can divine from our celestial ancestors? We might never understand their true intentions, but their echo will live on regardless.

Enslaved's Grutle Kjellson commented,

“To me 'Forest Dweller' was the most immediate song on the album, at least in its earliest form as an instrumental demo. I spent quite some time to get into some of the other songs of the album, but this one seemed somehow logical, well logical by Enslaved standards that is. I had an idea for a lyric, and Ivar’s amazing and diverse riffs on this one made it easy to pan out the scripture. I made a rough plan on what to sing over it, and we actually ended up using some parts of those recordings on the album!

The song sort of showcases our representative samples of inspiration: Led Zep, Genesis, Destruction, Iron Maiden and David Bowie, to mention a schizophrenic tapestry of influences. It mirrors in the lyrics as well, which deals about both darkness and light in connection to the nature of Heimdal.”

You can pre-order Heimdal here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal.ema
Listen to 'Forest Dweller' here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/forest-dweller.ema
Watch the 'Forest Dweller' video below.

Heimdal, is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. The record is named after Heimdal, arguably the most mysterious entity in Nordic mythology.

The record features psychedelic track 'Caravans To The Outer Worlds' from last year's EP of the same name. Album bonus versions contain an extra track, 'Gangandi', alongside a Blu-Ray copy of 2021's stunning Otherworldly Big Band Experience streamed event - the band's boldest project to date, featuring fellow Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant. The kaleidoscopic stage show features a stellar setlist, covering Enslaved's career, both past and present.

Caravans to the Outer Worlds (Live from The Otherworldly Big Band Experience)
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/sh7l0I3l2Fg

Heimdal was produced by Enslaved's own Ivar Bjørnson, Iver Sandøy and Grutle Kjellson. Mixing was handled by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, and the final treatment was mastered by Tony Lindgren. The concept and lyrics for Heimdal was, as always, developed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in tandem.

The album was recorded primarily at Solslottet Studios in Bergen, which is owned by Iver Sandøy. Solslottet is a satellite of the well-known Duper Studios, where the drums were recorded and engineered by Iver himself, with assistance from Vegard Lemme. The main guitars, bass, pianos, organs, and vocals were also recorded at Solslottet. Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal recorded his guitar leads at his own Earshot & Conclave Studios. The final touches and a few experimental ideas were added at the Overlook Hotel using Solslottet’s mobile studio rig. All music for Heimdal was written and demoed at Ivar Bjørnson’s own Crow’s Nest studio.

ENSLAVED + INSOMNIUM
NORTH AMERICAN CO-HEADLINE TOUR 2023
w/ Black Anvil
05 April New York, NY - Irving Plaza
06 April Boston, MA - Big Night Live
07 April Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
08 April Toronto, ON - The Opera House
10 April Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew's Hall
11 April Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
12 April Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
14 April Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre
15 April Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
17 April Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
18 April Vancouver, BC - The Rickshaw
19 April Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
21 April Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall
22 April Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre
23 April Phoenix, AZ - Nile Theater
25 April Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
26 April Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
28 April Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
29 April Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
30 April Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

VIP tickets for NA shows available here: enslaved.soundrink.com

ENSLAVED - 2023 FESTIVAL SHOWS
04 Feb DK, Fredericia - Winter Metal Magic
13 May UK, London - Incineration Festival
05 Aug NO, Bergen - Beyond The Gates
10 Aug CZ, Jaroměř - B rutal Assault
12 Aug DE, Thüringen - Party.San
10-11 Nov MX, Monterrey - Mexico Metal Fest

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved in 2022 are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED Release "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" Live Video/Single

December 21, 2022

Taken From "The Otherworldly Big Band Experience"

New Album "Heimdal" Out March 3rd 2023

Left-field metal luminaries Enslaved have revealed a single and video for 'Caravans to the Outer Worlds (Live from The Otherworldly Big Band Experience)'. The track, which comes from their forthcoming new studio album Heimdal (out March 3rd), as well as last year's EP of the same name, sees an innovative, alternative live recording and stellar presentation of the song, with nuanced accompaniment from fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant.

This extraordinary performance took place one year ago, on last year's Winter Solstice, via the streaming event The Otherworldly Big Band Experience.

Heimdal album bonus versions will contain an extra track, 'Gangandi', alongside a Blu-Ray copy of The Otherworldly Big Band Experience. This streamed event was the band's boldest project to date. The kaleidoscopic stage show features a spectacular setlist, covering Enslaved's career, both past and present, and several tracks never previously performed live.

Grutle Kjellson commented,
“Caravans To The Outer Worlds' was the first material written for our upcoming album, and that first song usually points in a certain direction. However, this song points in several directions, and that really made the whole process immensely interesting, and ultimately pushed us making our best album ever!
This live-version, taken from 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience', our last big project keeping us alive during the pandemic, is the first of hopefully many opportunities to behold a performance of this energetic song. We hope you’ll enjoy it. God Jól!”

Caravans to the Outer Worlds (Live from The Otherworldly Big Band Experience)
Watch the video below.
Listen to the single here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/caravans-tothe-outer-worlds.ema

Enslaved's 16th studio album, Heimdal, will be released on March 3rd 2023, via Nuclear Blast Records.

You can pre-order Heimdal here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal.ema
Listen to previous single 'Congelia' here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/congelia.ema
Watch the 'Congelia' video here: https://youtu.be/hfJ0NsUyhKw

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved in 2022 are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED Announce Co-Headline North American Tour With INSOMNIUM

December 15, 2022

Enslaved are pleased to announce a month-long, North American co-headline tour with Insomnium. The run will take place in April 2023, shortly after the release of Enslaved's new studio album, Heimdal, out March 3rd. Support on the road will come from Black Anvil.

Ivar Bjørnson commented,
"Neither you nor we will BELIEVE how much we are looking forward to coming back to the US of A and Canada in April 2023! We have a new album (and more if you want to be technical), 'Heimdal', to show you - spoiler alert: it will lay venues waste. Yes, we are that confident. We also have some rather cosmically awesome (!) bands joining the trek in co-headliners Insomnium and support Black Anvil - how could this become anything but the most spectacular event of 2023?"

Tickets will go on-sale Friday December 16th @ 10am (local time) via the below links.

But Enslaved have even more planned for 2023, including festival show dates, and a unique album release event in their home city of Bergen, Norway. Named Heimhug, the evening will feature an extended Enslaved live set with guests, and very special guest Jo Quail.

03 March 2023
Bergen, Norway @ USF Verftet
HEIMHUG - an Enslaved Heimdal album release event
Tickets available HERE
Please head to enslaved.no/Heimhug and see the poster below for more information.

Grutle Kjellson commented,
“Sometimes the answers and the truths lie under your very nose, or where the journey starts, where you first set sail towards horizons unknown. This was very much the case when we started working on “Heimdal”; we stepped back and looked a bit inwards and also at our immediate surroundings, at the area we hail from and where we still dwell today; Hordaland. On these shores people have been living and dying, worshiping and crying, laughing and lying ever since the Stone Age. History has been written here, history will still be written here and we will continue to dwell here until the end of our days.

Built around this historical narrative, “Heimdal” was created, and on the 3rd of March 2023 we would like to invite you to celebrate the album release with us and pay homage to our history.

Under the “Heimhug”-banner, we’re gonna perform a two-set release concert at USF Bergen with very special guests, we’ll have an art exhibition with the specific photographs and drawings we used for the artwork on the album and also an exclusive showing of last year’s “The Otherworldly BigBand experience”.

See you in Bergen in March!
Alu Alu Laukar!"

Enslaved's 16th studio album, Heimdal, will be released on March 3rd 2023, via Nuclear Blast Records.

You can pre-order Heimdal here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal.ema
Listen to 'Congelia' here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/congelia.ema
Watch the 'Congelia' video here: https://youtu.be/hfJ0NsUyhKw

Heimdal, is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. The record is named after Heimdal, arguably the most mysterious entity in Nordic mythology.

The record features psychedelic track 'Caravans To The Outer Worlds' from last year's EP of the same name. Album bonus versions contain an extra track, 'Gangandi', alongside a Blu-Ray copy of 2021's stunning Otherworldly Big Band Experience streamed event - the band's boldest project to date, featuring fellow Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant. The kaleidoscopic stage show features a stellar setlist, covering Enslaved's career, both past and present.

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved in 2022 are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

BLACK ANVIL Announces North American Tour Supporting ENSLAVED

December 14, 2022

BLACK ANVIL is supporting their recently released full-length, 'Regenesis,' which is out NOW! Stream/order/download the record HERE.

BLACK ANVIL (w/ ENSLAVED + INSOMNIUM):
04/05: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza [TICKETS]
04/06: Boston, MA @ Big Night Live [TICKETS]
04/07: Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre [TICKETS]
04/08: Toronto, ON @ The Opera House [TICKETS]
04/10: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall [TICKETS]
04/11: Chicago, IL @ House of Blues [TICKETS]
04/12: Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater [TICKETS]
04/14: Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre [TICKETS]
04/15: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
04/17: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile [TICKETS]
04/18: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre [TICKETS]
04/19: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre [TICKETS]
04/21: Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre [TICKETS]
04/22: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre [TICKETS]
04/23: Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theater [TICKETS]
04/25: Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live [TICKETS]
04/26: Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall [TICKETS]
04/28: Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse [TICKETS]
04/29: Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre [TICKETS]
04/30: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage [TICKETS]

STREAM/DOWNLOAD BLACK ANVIL

SHOP BLACK ANVIL

No rest for the wicked! New York City black metal collective BLACK ANVIL will be embarking on a North American tour in the spring of 2023 in support of ENSLAVED and INSOMNIUM! The trek will kick off on April 5 in the band's hometown of New York City and will conclude on April 30 in Baltimore, MD.

ENSLAVED Announce New Studio Album "Heimdal"

November 20, 2022

Those few golden, undying hearts are those of secret sons.
And the secrets of the Sun are those of daughters asking to...

Bergen visionaries Enslaved are proud to announce their 16th studio album, Heimdal, set to be released on March 3rd 2023, via Nuclear Blast Records. Today's news is accompanied by the release of a blistering new single, titled 'Congelia', alongside an emotive, environmental video.

Enslaved's Ivar Bjørnson & Grutle Kjellson commented,

"It’s quite weird, yet pretty awesome that we are now talking about the release of our 16th album; yes our 16th full-length album release. That’s not too shabby for a couple of scallywags from rural western Norway, is it? If you count our stint in the short lived Phobia-act, we have been playing together for no less than 32 years!

In all these years, Norse mythology has been our umbilical cord to the realms of mysticism and philosophy, and our gateway to the realms of deep psychology and the esoteric worlds beyond. One of the most fascinating characters of our mythology is HEIMDAL, and he has been lurking around in our minds like an enigma for three decades now. His first appearance was in a song called 'Heimdallr' on our demo tape 'Yggdrasill' back in 1992, and he’s had both minor and more significant roles in our lyrical universe over the years.

This time we have decided to dedicate an entire body of work to this most enigmatic of characters and richest of archetypes - we give you 'HEIMDAL'. We have reached deeper and scouted further ahead than ever before - the past, present and future sound of the band comes together in songs born from sheer inspiration - it is the common force of a close-nit group of friends and musicians."

You can pre-order Heimdal here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal.ema
Listen to 'Congelia' here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/congelia.ema
Watch the 'Congelia' video below

Heimdal formats

CD
Limited edition digipack CD (inc. Bonus Track) + Blu-Ray*
2LP vinyl gatefold - black
2LP vinyl gatefold - white + black marble (Nuclear Blast Excl.)
2LP vinyl gatefold - white + green marble (Nuclear Blast + Selected Retailers)
2LP vinyl gatefold - blue + white marble (UK Retail + EMP)
2LP vinyl gatefold - white (USA Revolver Excl.)
2LP vinyl gatefold (inc. Bonus Track) + Blu-Ray - crystal clear w/ black marble (Nuclear Blast Excl.)*
2LP vinyl gatefold (inc. Bonus Track) + Blu-Ray - clear w/ black + gold marble (Band Excl.)*

Heimdal was produced by Enslaved's own Ivar Bjørnson, Iver Sandøy and Grutle Kjellson. Mixing was handled by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, and the final treatment was mastered by Tony Lindgren. The concept and lyrics for Heimdal was, as always, developed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in tandem.

The album was recorded primarily at Solslottet Studios in Bergen, which is owned by Iver Sandøy. Solslottet is a satellite of the well-known Duper Studios, where the drums were recorded and engineered by Iver himself, with assistance from Vegard Lemme. The main guitars, bass, pianos, organs, and vocals were also recorded at Solslottet. Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal recorded his guitar leads at his own Earshot & Conclave Studios. The final touches and a few experimental ideas were added at the Overlook Hotel using Solslottet’s mobile studio rig. All music for Heimdal was written and demoed at Ivar Bjørnson’s own Crow’s Nest studio.

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved in 2022 are a band in stellar form - a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through - a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED RELEASE "BOUNDED BY ALLEGIANCE - LIVE" VIDEO/SINGLE

March 23, 2022

Left-field metal luminaries ENSLAVED are proud to reveal their single and video for "Bounded by Allegiance - Live." The track, which originally comes from their ground-breaking album "Isa" (2004), sees a live recording of a new avant-garde interpretation, with nuanced accompaniment by fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant. This extraordinary performance took place on last year's Winter Solstice, via the stunning streaming event "The Otherworldly Big Band Experience."

Watch the "Bounded by Allegiance - Live" video below.
Listen to the "Bounded by Allegiance - Live" single here:
https://enslaved.bfan.link/bounded-by-allegiance.ema

Frontman Grutle Kjellson stated,
"So here’s a little memory from last year’s musical endeavor. Our 'Big Band' collaboration with Shaman Elephant was such a trip! It felt like, and indeed it was, an avalanche of locked up energy just bursting out. The streamed concert plus a small tour in Norway was pretty much the only shows we did in 2021, so the energy level was pretty much turned to 11, on all of us. All nine of us!

'Bounded By Allegiance' was one of the first songs we thought would fit being dressed for a nine man outfit, with its natural percussive nature. We hope we were right, enjoy!”

"The Otherworldly Big Band Experience" was an ENSLAVED show like none other, their biggest, boldest project to date - a colossal, kaleidoscopic stage show featuring a stellar setlist covering their career, both past and present. Including some tracks never previously performed live.

Enslaved's latest EP "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" was released unto the universe last year. It is a tale of departure, about leaving behind a barren and desolate world, traveling boldly into the future. It signaled the end of an era for the psychedelic Norwegians, hinting at new pastures.
Order "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" here: HERE
Watch the video for "Ruun II - The Epitaph" HERE
Watch the video for "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" HERE
Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED ANNOUNCE "THE OTHERWORLDLY BIG BAND EXPERIENCE" STREAMED EVENT ON DEC 21ST

November 30, 2021

May those of Sense and Earth gather for the new dawn...

Enslaved's new EP Caravans To The Outer Worlds was released unto the universe last month. It is a tale of departure, about leaving behind a barren and desolate world, traveling boldly into the future. It signaled the end of an era for the psychedelic Norwegians, hinting at new pastures.

In celebration of the EP's release, tied in with the upcoming Winter Solstice (a Pagan holy day marking the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun), Enslaved are proud to announce an extraordinary streaming event. 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' will take place on Tuesday December 21st. Fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant will be joining Enslaved onstage.

Watch the stream trailer below for more information:

The Otherworldly Big Band Experience
Tuesday December 21st @ 12:00PM PT / 3:00PM ET
Tickets are now on sale now via https://enslavedstore.com/collections/big-band-stream
The stream will be available to watch until the end of December 24th
Stream FAQ + support info is HERE

Enslaved's Ivar Bjørnson gave some insight,
"Soon, the sun will turn - once again marking the transition from one year to another and the onset of brighter days ahead. We are many who wish to see this coming Winter Solstice mark a lasting turning away from dark days behind us. We have kept it up all along; virtual tours, rehearsing, writing, and releasing an album and an EP. You heard us when we said, “this will not stop us!” - the Enslaved Community has grown stronger through the crisis. Now we will close this cycle with a grandiose virtual concert, and hope for you to join us from all over the world.

“The Otherworldly Big Band Experience” is about wanting to show even more of what ENSLAVED is: ENSLAVED is also an idea. It is a live band that is teeth-grittingly metal, has rock’n’roll in its DNA, while maintaining and expanding on its position as a groundbreaking progressive metal act. All while exploring the boundaries of Norse Mythology and Rune-lore, Psychology and History.

We have recruited both an extension to the line-up with the young and talented Bergen prog rock band, Shaman Elephant. We have worked together with some of the most talented moviemakers and visual wizards around - also young and from Bergen: Kolibri Media. Add the Enslaved live crew to the mix and you have got magic, no less.

We have aspired to create a concert film that reflects this expanded representation of ENSLAVED and cannot wait to show you all. It is bigger than any project we have done before, and it is unlike anything else you have seen in this kind of music. You will see and hear songs that have never been performed before. Songs you might have heard will sound and look like you haven’t seen and heard before. There is new material, and material as old as the band. One constant binds it all together: it is ENSLAVED."

Order Enslaved's new ep Caravans To The Outer Worlds here: HERE

Watch the video for Ruun II - The Epitaph HERE
Watch the video for Caravans To The Outer Worlds HERE

Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve 'Ice Dale' Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

ENSLAVED RELEASE VIDEO FOR TRACK "RUUN II - THE EPITAPH"

October 24, 2021

Enslaved's new EP "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" has today been released unto the universe, alongside a beautiful video for the track "Ruun II - The Epitaph." Viewers should note that the video is part two - a second part to the video which accompanied the EP title track.

A new cycle is underway, and Enslaved find themselves on a bridge between the archaic and the unmapped. "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" EP is a tale of departure, of leaving behind a barren and desolate world, travelling boldly into the future. There are outer worlds to go to and new havens to rebuild in, to invoke a new dawn and to defend the new world for those of Sense and Earth.

Order "Caravans To The Outer Worlds" physically + digitally HERE
Watch the new video for "Ruun II - The Epitaph"

Grutle Kjellson stated,
"Releasing an EP is a huge privilege, it really is. It is somehow reliving to go on a stroll away from the the album format, and take some leaps into obscurity in between two full lengths. There’s so many great and experimental EP’s in music history; Magical Mystery Tour, Garage Days Revisited, Deathcrush, The Golden Years… just to mention a very few. We hope Caravans To The Outer Worlds, our third EP in 30 years, can fascinate and inspire.”

Ivar Bjørnson stated,
"This EP is an expression of the vital state Enslaved is in – the idea to create a transitory release between Utgard and what is to come next logically led to the idea of an EP. Iver’s idea of adding short intermezzos between the two main songs gave this release even more energy and depth. This EP is one that points backwards towards our early works as well as forward to a yet unknown place we seem to be heading for."

There is a desert which is very old, very dry, and very dangerous. Few have ever dared to cross it, and fewer have returned. Some say that it is a desert between places, others say that it is a desert between worlds. Those who have crossed it and returned swear that the desert is another world in itself - an astral bridge, which swallows all but the most well-prepared travelers.

Enslaved are such seasoned voyagers. In their last venture, they descended into Utgard, deep in the dark beneath their native Norway. Now, they are setting off again, not down this time, but out. They intend to cross the desert, into it and perhaps beyond it.

Caravans To The Outer Worlds EP contains neck breaking riffage that points backwards to the raw beginnings of Enslaved - the title track marking an explosive lift-off with melodic breakaways and proggy slingshots onto new orbits, while the ominous Ruun II: The Epitaph takes a sombre dive into the murky and mysterious ocean of stars beyond the known. These two main pieces are framed by two intermezzos: Intermezzo I: Lönnlig. Gudlig. and Intermezzo II: The Navigator; wrapping up the main stories with respectively what came before and what is to come…

Beyond the Gates X 5 Days of Darkness in the Heart of Bergen August 3 - August 7, 2021

August 26, 2020

BLACK METAL IS COMING HOME – EMPEROR, MAYHEM and ENSLAVED team up for exclusive Grieghallen event

In 1994, extreme music changed forever when three pioneering Norwegian metal bands released their debut full-length albums - Mayhem’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Emperor’s In the Nightside Eclipse, and Enslaved’s Vikingligr Veldi. All three monumental albums were recorded in the legendary Grieghallen Studios in Bergen.

On August 7, 2021, black metal is coming home. For the first time in history, these three acts will team up for a very special concert in the spectacular confines of Grieghallen, where these highly influential classics were born.

«Grieghallen MCMXCIV» will see Emperor embrace three decades of imperial darkness, which was spearheaded by their Grieghallen legacy. Mayhem will perform their magnum opus, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in its entirety. Enslaved will revisit their debut, Vikingligr Veldi.

Tickets are available HERE while the full festival lineup, which is headlined by MERCYFUL FATE, can be found below.

Never before has the public been given an opportunity to experience first-hand where the foundations of Norwegian Black Metal were laid, performed by the originators of it all.

Emperor’s Ihsahn and Samoth comment, “What we were lacking in experience back then were duly compensated by youthful courage and the urge to create something that was uncompromising and grandiose. Pytten saw all these counterpoints, and with his experience and unique way of listening, he managed to fulfill what we set out to achieve the best possible way. Even if we were teenagers at the time, he always took our musical vision seriously and facilitated extremely creative days and nights in the studio."

Adds Attila Csihar of Mayhem, “This is going to be an amazing event to do - almost 30 years after we recorded De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in the very same hall in Grieghallen. The drums on the recording has this same acoustics and echoes of the big concert hall where they were recorded, thanks to Pytten, our producer’s genius ideas. I have many great memories of pure creativity while we were recording the vocals as well. E.g. that Euronymous ordered a huge gong, also a Moog synthizer to add to the soundscape, and Pytten was always happy to fulfill our craziest ideas. Like I recorded the vocals in a pitch-black room with only candles around to create the right atmosphere. The window of the control room was covered with curtains so no one could see what I was doing... actually I was doing magical movements and forming mudras, even headbanging and jumping around sometime in pure extasy. I will never forget those memories. And now I just can’t wait to be back there again and to play the same music alive. It’s going to be pure black magic - like our destiny!”

Enslaved’s Ivar Bjørnson says, “We are very proud to be part of Beyond the Gates 2021's celebration of ‘Grieghallen 1994’ - a very powerful location on the time/space-axis of the Enslaved-universe. Working with Pytten in Grieghallen for our debut album Vikingligr Veldi was a fulfillment of a very strong-willed plan for the young Enslaved. There was an air of innovation, of dedication, of creating our own path in the then rather small network of pioneer bands that were recording in and releasing material made in Grieghallen. We will bring to the table a full rendition of one of our very favorite albums from our catalogue (we are allowed to say that with 15 albums under the belt, by the way) - 1994, Grieghallen and Enslaved all come together Beneath The Hammer: Vikingligr Veldi."

In addition to the nostalgic excitement of the three artists, Beyond the Gatesand event organizer Torgrim Øyre lends this comment:

“We kind of have to pinch ourselves. To be able to experience these three groundbreaking artists together on one stage is just mind-blowing. Not only does Grieghallen bear a massive historical significance to the worldwide phenomenon that Norwegian Black Metal has become, but it is also one of the most revered concert venues in Scandinavia.

“You could easily say that with their debut albums Emperor, Mayhem and Enslaved paved way for three different directions within the genre. Emperor with their symphonic leanings, Mayhem leading the flag for orthodox black metal, while the early Enslaved offerings inspired bands with delving into Norse subject matters.

“With Mercyful Fate headlining the same venue Friday night, arguably the innovators of the black metal aesthetics, followed by Emperor, Mayhem and Enslaved, who took extreme music to new heights, this is just a combo almost too good to be true. We can’t wait for August 2021.”

Other confirmed acts for Beyond the Gates X:

MERCYFUL FATE

Opeth

Heilung

Sodom

Candlemass

Mgla

Solstafir

1349

Gaahls WYRD

Tribulation

Me and that Man

Angel Witch

Archgoat

Vemod

Whoredom Rife

Misthyrming

Djevel

Idle Hands

Chapel of Disease

Malokarpatan

Darvaza

Possession

Drottinn

Bythos

Umbra Conscientia

USF Verftet,Grieghallen, Kvarteret, Bergen - Norway

www.ticketmaster.no / www.beyondthegates.no

Beyond the Gates

https://www.facebook.com/beyondthegatesbergen

https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_gates_festival/