Enslaved

-1. Your latest album “Vertebrae” sounds like a good follow up of “Ruun”. How do you feel about it and did your fans embrace it?

Ivar: Thanks! We think it is more or less the perfect follow up to “Ruun”; yet it is an independent album with an identity on its own. We are very proud of the album, and we are very proud of the reception it has gotten. It was the album of the year in English Terrorizer Magazine and two days ago we got the Norwegian Grammy for it in the category Best Metal Album. The most important thing however is that the fans like the album; both the “old schoolers” and the newer fans that has joined the ranks over the last few years. We went on a European tour in November and December (our longest tour so far actually) and the reception was amazing! Thanks to everybody for welcoming the album in such a manner.

-2. It seems that since 2004’s “Isa”, Enslaved have reached success and great acceptance within the metal community. In what way has that affect you? What’s your next step?

Ivar: That is a pretty accurate observation! I think this movement started even a little before with “Below the Lights” – but the “break-through” happened with “Isa”. The songs, the combination of the vocal styles and the production really resonated with people in the metal scene; not only in the Extreme Metal part, but more universal. It affected us in the sense that we got a lot of extra self-confidence and inspiration: we still make music for our self first and foremost, but it is a great feeling to know that your art means something to other people too. Our next step is to play more live show and perfect the concerts to a higher level, while working on new material in the studio. Our next step is to reach a lot more people; there are so many people that could get something from Enslaved’s music, inside and outside of the Metal circles! We have done quite a few headliner tours in Europe and the US now over the last years; now we will focus on doing some tours with bigger bands and show more people what we are about.

-3. How do you see the Norwegian Black Metal scene of today?

Ivar: I think it is maybe about to wake up again. After the extremely glorious 90s it died a bit for me. It was not about music, atmosphere and philosophy any more – a lot sounded like cheap crap played by drugged out petty-criminals, which was basically what it was I guess he he. Now the focus seems to be back on the musical qualities and the concepts a little deeper than trying to shock your mother. I guess things move in circles, and we seem to be going towards the better part of the circle again.

-4. Do you believe that black metal is an elitist type of music (while it seems that it addresses to a specific audience)? Can someone that is not into metal come to your show and actually like it?

Ivar: First, Enslaved is not Black Metal, but something very close. And secondly, no I don’t think you need to be “anything” to go to our shows. If you want to go to one of our shows, you are absolutely welcome no matter who you are – as long as you leave politics and monotheism by the door. If you have never heard metal before you are still very welcome, it is just good music. The whole “elite” thing I think is more about social dysfunction when applied in a musical context. True elitists don’t run around with corpse paint and spikes, they operate behind closed doors in a lot more discrete manner.

-5. Is Norwegian landscape and mythology a great inspiration to you?

Ivar: Absolutely, they are both cornerstones in our identity – we learn a lot about ourselves and why our society is like it is through history; for the better and the worse. The nature is there all the time and decides the mood we are in. I live at the bottom of one of Bergen’s big mountains and it is very inspiring to see the mountains draped in fog in the rainy weather… I think people would be surprised by the close correlation between nature, psychology and mythology.