Enslaved is a Norwegian extreme metal band formed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in Haugesund in 1991. They are currently based in Bergen. The band's lineup has changed many times over the years, and Bjørnson and Kjellson have been the sole constant members. The current lineup also includes lead guitarist Arve Isdal, keyboardist/singer Håkon Vinje, and drummer Iver Sandøy.
The band's music draws heavily on the Viking cultural and religious heritage of their home country of Norway for inspiration, and most of the band's lyrics relate to Norse mythology. Though they began as a traditional black metal band their sound has undergone significant changes over time resulting in a more progressive sound.
In 2014, members of Enslaved were commissioned by the Norwegian government to create a musical piece in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution. This was later released as a studio album called Skuggsjá in 2016. To date, the band has released sixteen full-length studio albums; the most recent of which, Heimdal, was released in March 2023.
Members:
Grutle Kjellson - lead vocals, bass, occasional synthesizer (1991-present)
Ivar Bjørnson - rhythm guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals (1991-present), lead guitar (1991-1997)
Arve "Ice Dale" Isdal - lead guitar (2002-present)
Håkon Vinje - keyboards, clean vocals (2017-present)
Iver Sandøy - drums, clean vocals, keyboards (2018-present)
Former:
Trym Torson - drums, percussion (1991-1995)
Harald Helgeson - drums (1995-1997)
Dirge Rep (Per Arild Håvarstein Husebø) - drums, percussion (1997-2003)
Christian "Roy" Kronheim - lead guitar (1997-2001)
Herbrand Larsen - keyboards, clean vocals, live guitar (2004-2016)
Cato Bekkevold - drums, percussion (2003-2018)
From: Haugesund, Norway
Genre(s):
Progressive black metal,
Viking metal,
black metal
Active From: 1991-present