Enslaved pour l'album "Vertebrae"

1. Hi and thank you for according me some of your time to answer this interview. I already had the chance to listen to your album to come called “Vertebrae” on which you bring a lot of new things. How do you feel at the moment? Are you anxious about the reactions of the listeners?

[Herbrand] Of course we are very excited. An album is a very personal thing and it means a lot to us how people react to it. We have massive faith in our fans. They are the most open minded and intelligent fans a band can have. Thank you!


2. What happened to Enslaved during the 2 years between "Ruun" and this new album? A lot of concerts? A lot of writing?

[Herbrand] we have been on two European tours, two us tours, played a lot of festivals in Norway and around the world so I guess you can say we've been busy! Hehe.. During and between touring we have been working really hard on Vertebra to make it as good as possible. We always try to make our own favourite album and this time it's Vertebrae.


3. “Ruun” was quite different from “Isa” but I found this new album very very different from your previous works and I guess it's how you wanted it to be: less aggressive but even more progressive and deeply dark… that's my impression. But I would like to have your point of view about this “Vertebrae”: what can we expect from it?

[Herbrand] Vertebrae is a nice blend between “old” Enslaved and “new” Enslaved. A blend between raw and melancholic, aggresive and melodic. The record sounds kind of timeless and you will discover new parts and details every time you listen to it.


4. With this evolution of your music, there are more clean vocals and little less growls. But paradoxically, the growls sound very raw, more than usual as if the voice were not treated. Why? Is it to reinforce its aggressive impact?

[Herbrand] Grutle's voice does not need any FX or tricks to sound good. We always work hard during the recording to get the sound of his voice as close as possible to what we want it to sound like, and I think that is the real trick here. I don't think we did anything special in the mixing. It's just Grutle, growling. Raw and honest!


5. Concerning the evolution of your style, do you all have the same visions about the music and atmosphere of Enslaved? How spent the process of composition nowadays?

[Grutle] We definitely have the same visions about music, but of course more developed. We´ve been doing Enslaved for almost 18 years know and we still think this is really facinating. We really enjoy the pressure and challenges we put on ourselves wheater it is writing music, writing arrangement , recording or performing live.
Ivar makes the riffs, me and Ivar the lyrics, and then me,Herbrand and Ivar puts it all together!


6. Can you tell us more about the lyrics and the title of the album? Are you always inspired by Norse Mythology and Nature?

[Grutle] The title "Vertebrae" symbolizes the building stones in humanity, both physical and mentally, psychologically and biologically. Everything is closely tied together. You can say that the physics are the individual consiousness while the psycics are the outer conciousness. Micro/Macro-cosmos. Explained within mythological terms as the struggle (and also unity) beetwen the Aesir and the giants. The lyrics on Vertebrae deals a whole lot about the human potential that so very often drowns in greed,stupidity and hypocritical thoughts and actions. I´m constantly inspired by the nature, both the human nature and our surroundings. In my “universe” the elder gods are fragments in the human mind, the uncouncious/chaos and in nature.


7. A little word about the artwork, the most beautiful one since “Monumension” for me. Who designed it and did you give him/her any idea or direction to work? What is its signification to your mind?

[Grutle] The actual composition of the artwork is a continuation of our cooperation with the wonderful and talented artist Truls Espedal (since “Monumension” actually) We once again managed to get a thousand ideas visualized in one brilliant piece. This time we have also added some colour to the usual bleakness, making it both more beautiful and dangerous! I think I answeared the rest in my latest answear!


8. Is there a tour planed to promote this new album? Will there be a video concept for the shows?

[Herbrand] The upcoming tour is the longest tour we ever had! So, there is a big challenge for us, definately. 45 shows in only 51 days around in Europe!! We will come to France in november. Paris 18.nov, Rennes 19.nov, Lyon 20.nov and Toulouse 21.november. It's gonna be rough. We are planning to do the states early summer 2009.


9. What are you listening to these days? Any good album to share?

[Herbrand] Mastodon, Cult of Luna, King Crimson and Queens of the stonage. Thats a good mix!!


10. I know that's a difficult question: except “Vertebrae”, which album of your discography do you prefer and why?

[Grutle] I enjoy them all to some extent, but if I shall give you my favorite, it will have to be “Hordanes Land” back I 1993. Simply because that was the first Enslaved release (exept the demo tapes). “Hordanes land” was originally released on vinyl too, the split cd with Emperor came a little later.


11. Your style is in perpetual motion, any listener of Enslaved knows that. Of course, I guess there's no plan of your evolution (or it must be very complex…) but what can we expect for the future of your music? Or in other words, what kinds of music do you want to play nowadays?

[Herbrand] Now we want to play Vertebrae. What will happen in the future no one knows, especially ourselves. We actually don't think to much when we make music. Music is about energy and emotions and we'll try to keep it that way.


12. Some of you have recently participated to the “Trinacria” project with some members of Fe-mail and released a first album called “Travel Now Journey Infinitely”. What do you keep in mind of this experience? Will there be a second album?

[Grutle] That was a really cool experience. It was something different, yet very powerful and atmospheric. It was initially only meant to be a project that lastet for a couple of gigs, but we thought so much of it that we wanted to record the material. There will be more albums, but not in a while. Our members wil be extremely occupied with their main bands (Enslaved, Fe-mail,Ballgorp) for a long while now.


13. Thank you again for the interview and I hope to see you in France. The last words are for you!

[Herbrand] Hope to see you on the tour! Let's have a blast!