Enslaved is : (In the photo from left to right) Herald Helgeson   drums Grutle Kjellson   bass, vocals Ivar Bjornson   guitar, electronics     Bjørnson and Torson knew eachother from back to when they went to school. They both started to play their instrument on an early stage. They played in several "projects" without any success. After 4-5 years rehearsing their instruments, they started to become quite skilled musicians. Then the circumstances resulted in them not seeing eachother for quite a while. Torson continued playing the drums, while Bjørnson searched for other musicians he could play with. In late 1990, he finally met Kjellson, who also was seeking for someone to play with. They decided to start a band, since they both shared the same ear for fast and brutal music. They called the band Phobia. After Phobia had released two demos and played several gigs (with e.g. Cadaver), Bjørnson and Kjellson decided to look for something else. The other band members weren't dedicated to the music and everything that followed it, and the music was not what they wanted to play. Another reason was that Bjørnson started to make music on his own, but this was more of another style and there wasn't room for his music in the band. And as if this wasn't enough, the drummer moved to USA! Bjørnson once again established contact with Torson and he was asked to join a new band with Kjellson and Bjørnson. He accepted and this was the start of a new rising band from Norway... The pieces started to fall in the right places one by one, and soon everything but the Name was ready for the band. Then Demonaz of IMMORTAL (highly regarded friends of the band) came with a suggestion, and now it was clear: ENSLAVED was formed. - This happened in early '92. After practicing for half a year, ENSLAVED recorded a promotion tape, called "Nema". They sent it to some labels, but no one cared for signing the band. The members soon realized that the promo contained far too low quality, both in the performance and in the music. They continued to practice, but now in a more structured and intense way. Things stared to work out much better, and they were ready to       enter the studio again. The demo "Yggdrasill" was a kind of new start for the band. When they showed the tape to Euronymous (R.I.P), at DSP, he immediately offered them a deal. They gladly accepted, and continued the intense rehearsing. Before their debut album was to be recorded, they agreed on doing a mini- album on the english indie-label Candlelight Records. This mini-album came with a medium sound, but it sold quite well and received quite a few good critics. After this release, ENSLAVED hasn't been in touch with Candlelight, because of thorns in the relationship. Now they focused on doing a debut-album with far more brutal and majestic sound as well as better songs. They newfound a category for the band: Viking Metal. This was a definition which was a result of a religious direction ENSLAVED decided was for them; the beliefs in Oden and the Old Norse Gods. This was a religion the old Vikings practiced, therefore the name Viking Metal. In april 1993, ENSLAVED finally recorded "Vikingligr Veldi", the debut- album. It came with just the mighty sound they had been searching for. The album wasn't mixed before december the same year, and were released in march 1994. 1993 was the year everything went wrong in Norway. Unfortunately, ENSLAVED became a victim of this to some extent. The same day Euronymous sent the final contracts to Bjørnson, he was tragically murdered by Varg Vikernes, aka Count Grishnackh. ENSLAVED had earlier had contact with Vikernes, but this stopped when he started to spread false rumors about ENSLAVED. It is later told that Vikernes did this because he developed jealous feelings when Euronymous lost some of his interest in Burzum and started to prioritize ENSLAVED and MAYHEM more. Also Vikernes started acting what you could call "weird", spreading all kinds of shit about Euronymous and other Norwegian bands. Unfortunately, the decaying of his common sense resulted in a murder, which he now is in prison for. Two members of ENSLAVED were also called to court to testify to the planning of an arson Vikernes was on trial for also. Almost every musician and person with connection to Euronymous or Vikernes in Norway was called to court as witnesses in that trial. Now ENSLAVED had a problem. Who would release the album? One of Euronymous' business partners, Ketil from Voices of Wonder, came forward and said that he would like to release the album through DSP/Voices of Wonder. This was fine by the band, as no one else was in the picture. The trouble started when ENSLAVED told VoW that they were going to another label for the second album. At first, VoW didn't involve themselves in ENSLAVED's actions, but when they learned about ENSLAVED's wanting to go with another label, they wanted the remaining two albums from the deal with Euronymous. OSMOSE had contacted ENSLAVED and offered a deal, which ENSLAVED immediately accepted. Now there was one problem: Voices of Wonder. They claimed that the deal with DSP now was valid for them(!). ENSLAVED and OSMOSE checked things out, and could now tell that this was wrong. It was Bjørnson who had the main contact with DSP and Voices of Wonder, and was willing to take some self-criticism for not straightening things out on an earlier stage. The key factors in this matter was to be misunderstandings and things moving too fast. But then again Ketil had shown little interest in cooperation.Then ENSLAVED was signed on OSMOSE, and things were working out. ENSLAVED recorded their first OSMOSE album "Frost" in 1994. It contained an even greater and mightier sound than "Vikingligr Veldi". ENSLAVED received great critics in underground 'zines and more known metal magazines as well as norwegian newspapers for their work. A norwegian tv-company recorded a video for the track "Heimdallr" and did a story on ENSLAVED. This was to be ready and broadcasted in june, but due to complications it was never aired. ENSLAVED has also become quite a steady live band. Many has praised ENSLAVED for the wildness yet tightness in their shows. Now new album, "Eld", get out for Osmose.   Yggdrasill Hordanes Land Vikingligr Veldi Frost Eld     Yggdrasill

Heimdallr  Allfadr Odhinn  Hal Valr  Niunda Heim  Resound of Gjallarhorn  Enslaved (only on CD)

        Hordanes Land

Slaget i skogen bortenfor  Epilog  Slaget  Allfadr Odhinn  Balfadr  Andi Fara  Prologr

          Vikingligr Veldi

Lifandi Liv Undir Hamri  Vetrarnótt  Midgards Eldar  Heimdallr  Norvegr

          Frost

Frost  Loke  Fenris  Svarte Vidder  Yggdrasil  Jotunblod  Gylfaginning  Wotan  Isöders Dronnin

          Eld

793 (Slaget Om Lindisfarne) Hordalendingen Alfablot Kvasirs Blod For Lenge Siden Glemt Eld

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