ENSLAVED INTERVIEW
The band has given 13 full length album since its inception in 1991. The founders and the only members from the start are Ivar and Grutle, they have taken the black metal scene to a different level. Their brand of music has changed over the years from Black metal to Progressive and Viking. We had the pleasure to speak to the man Grutle himself. Let’s hear from this living Legend and hear what hear what he has to say.
Hello Grutle, Greetings from metalheads forever magazine, how are you today?
Hey Keith, I’m doing well.
Your 14th album “E” is scheduled for October 13th release, how do you feel about the outcome?
It’s all good and ready for release, we are really happy about the works we have done on this album we are very satisfied, we really hope the fans will as well.
Enslaved’s musical style has changed over the years, what do you think are the reasons for the change in genre to genre?
Music is ever-changing, it would be boring to stick to one particular thing and a real musician will explore and get into newer forms and adapt to everything. So we always wanted Enslaved to be different, people wouldn’t like if we sound the same all over again and again.
You don’t like to be called a black metal band and you call yourself an extreme metal band, Is there a hatred towards Black Metal?
Although we sound like a Black Metal entity, we really are not. We are not into Satanic Lyrics, our lyrics are mostly on Norse Mythology and stuff like that, so we really don’t fit into the genre of black. There certainly is no hatred towards black metal. Simply put not the kind of music we write.
What are your thoughts on the early black metal scene in Norway and towards the happenings during that point of times, especially the burning’s and deaths?
Please don’t take me wrong, but I have stopped getting myself into this and I keep myself away, so please excuse me.
No problem, it’s such a historic event and whenever Black Metal is mentioned as a journalist I am compelled to ask, so excuse me as well.
How do you feel about the your success as a band over the years ?
We have been in the scene for some time now and it’s really a good feeling how the metal music has spread over Europe and the world, and the fans are always overwhelming and It’s always a special moment performing in front of the fans, that is the success that we feel, that is success to us as a band.
Has the regular change in the line-up affected the band and how did you overcome these obstacles?
It’s always hard when line-up keeps changing, but Enslaved has always gone through this and we have not given up the spirit and it keeps going. It also has given an opportunity to get to know more and into diverse styles, although at certain times there is a delay but the show must go on, so we keep doing what we love to do.
Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the band, so how do you feel about it now, things have changed a lot over the years, what’s your thoughts on this?
It really looks like yesterday, time really has passed so fast. It’s really funny to look behind to see our first album “Vikingligr Veldi” and we were so young and wild. Over the years we have changed musically and age wise and much mature in lots of things. It was such a good phase that we have done over the years for everything that we loved. We did some shows over Europe in support of the 25th anniversary. We are so glad that we made it this far.
Grutle, thanks so much for giving us your time, it’s really an honour to have this Interview with you?
Thanks for the Interview man, you have a good day!
Keith Clements/MHF Magazine
