Archive for Enslaved

Enslaved reveal details about thirteenth studio release

Posted in News with tags , , , , on 15th December 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Norwegian progressive black metal horde Enslaved have finally revealed details about their thirteenth studio album, In Times, which will be released in the UK on 9th March 2015 via Nuclear Blast. Hand-painted artwork is by long-time collaborating artist and “sixth Enslaved member” Truls Espedal.

Enslaved guitarist & composer Ivar Bjørnson shares the following about the band’s latest creation:

I was so deep into the songs and ideas for such a long time (or have my head so far up my own ass, if you prefer more direct language) that it is hard to have any ‘opinions’ about them that is anything else than the high-flying mumbo-jumbo of the introvert song-smith.  The songs are extensions of my inner and outer life, the thoughts I am aware of having, as well as those that lie too deep to register in everyday consciousness.  The songs are the resounds of grandiose altered states and mundane tiny micro-events.  In addition, they are, of course, also the result of inspiration from other music and art.  I do think this new album is the most consistent body of work we have so far: It incorporates our ‘blacker’ past with our influences from prog rock, our present sense of absolute freedom, and the joy of being in this band, if that makes any sense… Ha, ha, ha.  It is higher in energy, more aggressive, yet more beautiful and subtle.  It simply sounds inspired.

The track list for In Times is as follows:

01 – Thurisaz Dreaming
02 – Building With Fire
03 – One Thousand Years Of Rain
04 – Nauthir Bleeding
05 – In Times
06 – Daylight

The new album’s total running time is fifty-three minutes.

Main recordings for In Times took place at Duper Studios to Solslottet Studio in Bergen, Norway with additional recordings sessions at Conclave & Earshot Studios (presided over by Enslaved members Larsen and Ice Dale), and Ivar Bjørnson’s Personal Sound Studios.  Additional experimentation and sonic exploration was conducted deep in the woods of Valevåg south of Bergen where a mobile studio recorded additional sounds.

In Times was produced by band members Ivar Bjørnson, Grutle Kjellson and Herbrand Larsen together with Iver Sandøy.  Mixing was completed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden.

Enslaved will play Bloodstock Open Air next Summer held in Catton Park, 6th-9th August.

Enslaved online:

http://enslaved.no
http://facebook.com/enslaved

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Enslaved release studio update

Posted in News with tags , , on 15th October 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Norwegian progressive black metal warband Enslaved are currently in the studio recording their thirteenth full-length studio album. The band have offered fans the following update:

As always, it is hard to formulate an exact direction Enslaved is or is not heading in with the new album.  This duality is part of the essence of the band: The ability to maintain consistency and a strong identity and, at the same time, surprise both the oldest fans and even ourselves with new musical directions.  The new material is darker and rawer, more aggressive and direct, yet continues the exploration deeper into progressive, softer, and more melodic territories with at times complex song structures, combined with unusually immediate (for Enslaved, at least) elements.  The high level of energy in the songs reflects both an inspired and an ever-harder working band that keeps pushing their own and their associated genres’ limits.

Main recordings for the as-yet-untitled new album are taking place at Duper and Solslottet Studios in Bergen, Norway with additional recordings done at Conclave & Earshot Studios (presided over by Enslaved members Larsen and Ice Dale), and Ivar Bjørnson’s Personal Sound Studios.

Additional experimentation and sonic exploration will be conducted deep in the woods of Valevåg south of Bergen where the band took a mobile studio to record the infamous Thorn 7” single in 2012. The new album is being produced by band members Ivar Bjørnson, Grutle Kjellson and Herbrand Larsen together with Iver Sandøy.  Mixing will be done by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden.

Cover artwork will once again be illustrated by long-time collaborating artist and “sixth Enslaved member” Truls Espedal, who has painted the band’s every album cover since 2001’s Monumension.

Enslaved online:

http://facebook.com/Enslaved

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Amon Amarth to premier epic production video for Father of the Wolf at Las Vegas show in January 2014

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 24th December 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Swedish melodic death metal Vikings Amon Amarth have announced plans to premier the epic production video for their song Father of the Wolf, taken from their latest album Deceiver of the Gods, at their Las Vegas show on 17th January 2014. The show is also the band’s first North American tour date of 2014 with Skeletonwitch and Enslaved. Fans attending the show are advised to follow Amon Amarth’s Facebook and Twitter pages for info on the time that the video will be premiered.

Fans that are unable to attend the show need not worry as the music video, which is described as being more like a mini-movie, will be available for viewing at this location on 18th January 2014.

Amon Amarth’s full North American tour dates are as follow:

Friday, January 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
Saturday, January 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red
Monday, January 20 – San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
Tuesday, January 21 – Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
Wednesday, January 22 – Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
Friday, January 24 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
Saturday, January 25 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
Sunday, January 26 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Monday, January 27 – Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues (*no Skeletonwitch)
Wednesday, January 29 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Thursday, January 30 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVA
Friday, January 31 – Silver Springs, MD @ The Fillmore
Saturday, February 1 – Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
Monday, February 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
Tuesday, February 4 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Wednesday, February 5 – Huntington, NY @ Paramount
Thursday, February 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s
Friday, February 7 – Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
Saturday, February 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights
Sunday, February 9 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre
Tuesday, February 11 – Denver, CO @ Summit Theatre
Wednesday, February 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Murray Theater
Friday, February 14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency
Saturday, February 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Sunday, February 16 – San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues (* No Enslaved)

Amon Amarth online:

http://www.facebook.com/OfficialAmonAmarth
http://twitter.com/AmonAmarthBand

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Foscor complete new album and prepare for new era in band’s history

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , on 25th November 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

When dark metal outfit Foscor celebrated the tenth anniversary in 2012, they not only celebrated a decade of music but drew a line under an era in their history leading them to prepare for when they embark on the next ambitious one. With work on Foscor’s fourth full-length album now completed, and a complete visual overhaul of their online presence and logo, the groundwork for the new phase in the band’s career is well and truly established.

Formed in 1997 in Barcelona, in the Catalan region of Spain, Foscor took the traditional ‘90s Black Metal and mixed it with other classical and modern extreme styles to create a sound that has seen them through the release of 3 full-length albums, a live DVD commemorating their 10th Anniversary, 2 split releases and contributions on official Katatonia and Enslaved tribute albums, all of which have garnered them respect and a solid, and ever-growing, following.  Now, with their forthcoming album, which will be titled Those Horrors Wither, Foscor have honed their considerable musical skills and decided to take the first gigantic step away from the confines of Black Metal, towards an expansive multidimensional sound that encompasses shades of Doom and Dark Rock, Ambient interludes and a healthy flirtation with Prog.  It is a step that most clearly defines the band’s personal approach to their work, both musically and aesthetically, to date.

Commenting on the new sound and the new image of Foscor, founder and guitarist Falke and frontman Fiar had this to say:

It’s really not that strange that we would be moving in a different direction from the one we started out on because it’s a natural progression that comes from experience.  We’re not saying that our long-time fans will wake up one morning and not recognise FOSCOR any more, not at all, because we have a particular style that is recognisable as FOSCOR – but we’ve taken that style and made it into something better.  You could say that the new FOSCOR is evolution, not revolution, and, that being said, it actually needs new colours to define how we interpret Darkness, and Ideophony, who has previously worked with us on design, is the perfect partner to work with us now in physically visualising our new direction.

Foscor are currently looking for a label to release Those Horrors Wither, which includes some notable guest artists, who, somewhat unusually, rather than contributing the usual vocals or solos, have written and performed connecting passages between the tracks.  More information about Foscor can be found on the band’s website, which has been newly designed, at this location.

Foscor online:

http://www.foscor.com
http://www.facebook.com/foscor.official
http://soundcloud.com/foscor
http://twitter.com/FOSCOR_Official
http://www.youtube.com/user/FOSCORbcn
http://foscor.bigcartel.com
http://www.myspace.com/foscor
http://www.reverbnation.com/foscor

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Slegest announce live line-up plus new video in the works

Posted in News with tags , , , , on 29th August 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

With a new album on the horizon, Slegest founder and frontman Ese has put together a new live line-up to take what started as a solo project to the stage. The former Vreid guitarist said:

As soon as the album was announced I was being asked if the band would ever play live and as it happens, the time felt right to take the next step in Slegest’s development. Once I had everyone on board, the thought of playing live again felt really good.  It’s one of the greatest satisfactions there is when you play music, and honestly we can’t wait to get up there on stage.

Aside from Ese on vocals and rhythm guitar, the line-up will feature Sør (Bäääv), Hövard (Bombeklüchter) on bass and Fjøsne on drums. Slegest are also working on a music video for Ho Som Haustar Aleine the opening track on the band’s upcoming album Løyndom.  The video is being produced by Håvard Nesbø and Ørjan Talle, and, according to Ese, the budget is 1 case of Hansa beer and 1 litre of Mackmyra Brukswhisky! The video will premiere in September.

Løyndom (which means Secret) will be the band’s debut full-length album, and is set for release on Dark Essence records in the autumn.  Mastered by Enslaved’s Herbrand Larsen and recorded partly in Ese’s own Systrond Studio and partly at the Conclave and Earshot Studio with producer Bjørnar E. Nilsen, the artwork for Løyndom  includes drawings by Jan Magne Vigdal and design by Tom Korsvold.  Track listing on the 8-track album, which is a perfect showcase for Ese’s special blend of classic heavy rock and old-school black metal, is as follows:

1. Ho Som Haustar Aleine
2. Rooted In Knowledge
3. I Slike Stunder
4. Løgna Sin Fiende
5. The Path Of No Return
6. Faceless Queen
7. Dirt Life Death
8. Past Burden Strength

Slegest online:

http://slegest.no

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Enslaved launch competition for fans to create a lyric video for RIITIIR

Posted in News with tags , , , , on 29th January 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Norwegian progressive extreme metal band Enslaved have launched a brilliant and killer competition for fans to create a lyric video for the title track off their new album, RIITIIR. Fans can get their hands on signed Enslaved merchandise by creating their own lyric video, as well as a video message from the band thanking them for their efforts. The video will be uploaded to both the Nuclear Blast (Europe) and Enslaved YouTube channels too!

Competition details and rules are as follows:

1. Download the track here.
2. Create your video for RIITIIR using all original material. Do not use any copyrighted footage or other people’s material.
3. Upload your video to YouTube and be sure to include NUCLEAR BLAST FAN VIDEO CONTEST in the title.
4. Send your Youtube link to: fanvideo@nuclearblast.de, with the email subject ENSLAVED FAN VIDEO SUBMISSION. Please also include your full name, address and country of residence.

First place:

  • Your video will be announced as the Official Lyric Video for the track ‘RIITIIR’ and will be uploaded to the band and label YouTube channels.

You will also receive:

  • ENSLAVED’s new album ‘RIITIIR’ (Vinyl- and Digi-Version), signed by the band
  • 1 x ‘RIITIIR’ tshirt
  • A special thank you from the band

Second place:

  • The runner up will receive 1 copy of the CD/Digipak version of ‘RIITIIR’ and 1 x ‘RIITIIR’ tshirt.

The contest ends on 28 March 2013. The winning clip will be chosen by the band and the winners will be contacted by Nuclear Blast.

Enslaved‘s UK dates rack up as follows:

14 March – NQ LIVE, Manchester UK
15 March – HAMMERFEST, Wales UK
16 March – Button Factory, Dublin IR
17 March – Limelight 2, Belfast UK
19 March – The Corporation, Sheffield UK
20 March – The Fleece, Bristol UK
21 March – The Underworld, London UK

Tour dates and tickets can be found on the band’s Facebook page, here.

Buy ‘RIITIIR’ on CD at this location.

Buy ‘RIITIIR’ on iTunes at this location.

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Enslaved – RIITIIR

Posted in Review with tags , , , , , on 25th October 2012 by Pieni

Enslaved
RIITIIR
Released: 28th September 2012
Progressive Black Metal
Released via Nuclear Blast

Photobucket

It’s been more than a decade since Enslaved engaged in a progressive journey, but I dare saying that “RIITIIR” is the closest to that final destination. Yes, you can still call it “progressive black metal”, but the black metal part is a ghost – present, but not very solid.

This is not a conceptual album in its most common sense – the lyrics don’t tell you a story – but the songs are linked musically, as if these eight songs could be a single one-hour-and-seven-minute-long track.

And if you did the math with the numbers I’ve just given you, you’ve realised that most of the songs are even longer than before. But since their composition is very well structured, you don’t get that boredom feeling that sometimes long songs can cause.

Not even the last “Forsaken”, which exceeds the 11-minute mark. An ominous piano piece, punctuated by several lightning sounds, suddenly changes into a chain of progressive riffs under Grutle Kjellson’s grunts. Then the grunts become a spoken chant, prophecy- or curse-like, with the drums speeding up the rhythm. That also stops abruptly, being replaced by an electronic loop with some synthetizers on top of it, and eventually it fades out into a doom ambience. The piano returns in the end, this time playing a melancholic tune.

I wasn’t exactly counting, but I had the feeling that the clean vocals of keyboard player Herbrand Larsen have more airplay in this album. At least in “Thoughts Like Hammers” and “Veilburner” they have, enhancing the harmony of the songs’ melodies.

The guitar work is very methodical, whether it’s shredding away as in “Storm Of Memories” or wailing as in “Death In The Eyes Of Dawn”.

More than progressive, there’s hint of atmospheric music and a whole sense of emotion entwined with “RIITIIR”’s global sound, and it results in a beautiful, dramatic and yet pungent album.

4.5/5

by Renata “Pieni” Lino

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