Enslaved working on 13th album

Norwegian prog metal veterans Enslaved have begun work on their 13th studio album.

The as-yet-untitled record is expected to be released in early 2015 via Nuclear Blast and will be the follow-up to 2012’s RIITIIR.

Guitarist Ivar Bjornson says: “My favourite time of the year is whenever we enter the studio with Enslaved to record a new album. Now the season of creative madness, endless days, and bleeding fingertips is upon us again.”

Bjornson, along with frontman/bassist Grutle Kjellson and drummer Cato Bekkevold, are laying down the foundations of the album. Guitarist Ice Dale and keyboardist Herbrand Larsen will add their input following the initial sessions before coming together to finish the album.

Bjornson continues: “I feel I’ve delivered basic material that is rock solid. I’ve poured my very life and heart into these compositions while the rest of the band have refined it, shaped it, and delivered it like their very lives depended on it.

“It has been challenging to keep up the pace with the way the songs wanted to go – life flows and takes turns regardless of your artistic ambitions. However, the music led the way through the fog and I just followed.”

Mixing will be handled by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, Sweden, while artwork will be once again be designed by Truls Espedal, who has painted all the band’s covers since 2001’s Monumension.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.