Nordic Lords of the Highway
Enslaved interviewed and stripped By: Smutstrutter
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Bergen, Norway: gateways to the fjords; city of the seven mountains; home to the heaviest metal to ring down the hall of Valhalla. Residing on top of charred church foundations is a regime of Norwegian men, who continue to blast Christianity’s eardrums, and not for a shameless, self promotion or for the sake of Satan, but out of distaste for Democracy and in honor of Viking culture. Other surrounding Scandinavian countries have been on corpse-painted warpath for years, if not centuries, as to who possess the darkest and most barbaric metal around. If it wasn’t for Venom from England, Black Metal may very well not be here, but Norge bands, like Enslaved, Immortal, Gorgoroth and Emperor are metal kings above mortal man for various reasons. Controversial Bergen bands, such as, Burzum and Mayhem caught the media’s attention with the 1993 church burnings and murder of Mayhem’s guitar player, Euronymous. Varg Vikernes was convicted of his murder and three counts of arson then sentenced to 21 years in prison where he seeks parole sometime this year. After the ashes settled, Enslaved went on to captivate audiences worldwide with a little help from the media frenzy, documentaries, and books published on the manner. (see Lords Of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of Satanic Metal Underground) Whether it’s black, dark, ancient or evil, Enslaved approached a pathway to metal in a more progressive manner, using organs and ambient undertones over top of Grutle’s vulture-like crows. Earlier Enslaved songs were even written in Old Norse language and many songs still address their heritage, not a pretentious religion they are actively and outspokenly against. Named after Immortal’s demo song, “Enslaved to Rot”, Enslaved came to existence in the summer of 1991 when long-term comrades, Grutle Kjellson and Ivar Bjornson formed the band. To this day on, they remain the main flame behind the name, while other members either quit, or joined Emperor.

Even though they have played for crowds of eight thousand people in India, last December they played in dingy dive in front of a hundred or so people in Louisville, KY. It was the last show off their most recent North American tour in support of the latest album, “Ruun”. They have came along way from seventeen years ago, and much like wine, they grow more potent with age. According to Grutle, it was his 7^th time in the states. For a bunch of so-called “heathens” they seemed super friendly and amazingly approachable after the show, until Ivar physically kicked me on their tour bus because they a had a “no fan policy” I wasn’t about to take on five full grown Vikings and a militant merch girl, so I spilt shortly after, but I did arm wrestle Grutle back at the bar for a dollar bill, and eventually played strip foosball with some rather liquored-up Norsemen.

I have never seen a group of guys so excited to hear Guns N Roses on the radio in all my over-played days of classic, corporate radio. It awakened me to reality of the average airway played on a Sunday afternoon in Norway. When it came down to the flesh, these men weren’t overly serious soldiers standing with stout posture like many of their band portraits, but average metal maniacs in search of some killer partying.

Somewhere in the midst of the booze dwindling at a hastily rate, I was also introduced to Arve Isda,  aka Ice Dale. Born in Stord, and with a predominant birthmark on his right cheek, he’s enough to make any metal maiden in heels squeal like a 17 yr old girl. Ice Dale joined Enslaved a little around five years ago after leaving M-Eternal (ex. Malignant Eternal). Through my eyes, he’s more than just some sweat-glazed, eye candy, but a devoted musician in several aspects and chiseled angles. He collaborates with Grutle and Ivar in other side projects like, Trinacria, with other members of the duo Fe-Metal. Although, his other previous band I remains idle, Abbath, Demonaz and Ice Dale intend to release Demonaz’z solo album “Perfect Vision” in ‘08 along with a second album with his third band, Audrey Horne. Surprisingly, he doesn’t practice seven days a week, and hasn’t worked out in a gym in years. We’ll only presume those rock hard abs have maintained frozen throughout all these years from pumping out heavy measures of metal, not iron.

- SS

Dude named Ice Dale.

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-Smutstrutter, Slave to the Grind.