ENSLAVED
NEVER FALTERING, NORWAYS ICONIC ENSLAVED CONTINUE TO EXIST AS ONE OF THE MOST DEPENDABLE COMPONENTS IN EXTREME METALS INDESTRUCTIBLE BACKBONE.
Axioma Ethica Odini reviews:
Winner of the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen) for Best Metal Album 2010!
7/7 - Metal Hammer GER
100/100 - metalfan.nl
6/6 - Side2
6/6 - Aftenposten
6/6 - Scream Magazine
5/5 - sputnikmusic.com-: Enslaved's masterwork
5/5 - seaoftranquility.org
5/5 - http://mindovermetal.org/
9,5/10 - metalstorm.net
9/10 - metal.de
5/6 - Nordlys
5/6 - VG
5/6 - NRKP3
Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts in metal, they once again offer us talent of the highest calibre with eight new songs, rightly doing justice to their signature extreme/black/Viking/progressive metal sound.
While Vertebrae is a bold declaration of ENSLAVEDs tenacity and displays all the vital characteristics of their musical genre (referred to by music scribe Brandon Stosuy as a psychedelic, almost Floydian form of post-black metal), thus easily meeting the incredibly high level of expectation thrust upon these respected, subterranean veterans. Decibel Magazine avidly praises Vertebrae as another Album of the Year contender from Norways best band. Revolver Magazine asserts: "True to their Viking roots, black-metal warriors ENSLAVED rape and pillage like Orcs gone wild, but they do it with such intelligence and grace that you'll barely realize how you've been savaged until long after the smoke clears." Formed in Haugesund, Norway in 1991 by Bjørnson (then 13 years old) and Kjellson (then 17) and named after Immortals demo track "Enslaved In Rot" ENSLAVED recorded their first demo „Yggdrasill“ (shop)in the summer of 1992.
One year later, they released the legendary split-EP „Hordanes Land“ (Info | Shop) with their fellow countrymen in Emperor (later released as its own mini-album). Completing their first full-length album, "Vikingligr Veldi“ (Info | Shop), for Norways Deathlike Silence Productions (Euronymous of Mayhems label) in 1994, their debut was successfully followed-up that same year with the highly-acclaimed „Frost“ (Info | Shop)album on Frances Osmose Productions. Three years later, Eld marked a horizon-widening era for the band. The fury and blacker edges on 1998s Blodhemn (translated: Blood Vengeance) surprised some fans.
The 11-track „Mardraum: Beyond The Within“, released in 2000, was an aural nightmare of an album that sent shock waves through the extreme metal scene with its experimental, innovative approach. The ever-prolific ENSLAVED followed-up with Monumension in 2001 (marking the launch of a long-time collaboration with artist/painter Truls Espedal) and was shocked to receive such a widespread positive response to their "no rule" approach to extreme metal.
As 2014 draws to an end, there are storms brewing: festivals are being booked en masse, Enslaved’s own Ivar Bjørnson is curating Roadburn 2015 (where Ivar and the band will be involved in no less than four performances).