Enslaved has always been one of those bands like Emperor and Satyricon, who, on one hand, you want to call "trend hoppers", but on the other, you have to respect the fact that unlike 90% of modern clowns who talk about "old school" black metal, they were there when the whole drama around the Norwegian "Inner Circle" went down.
In fact, it just so happens that Enslaved was signed to Euronymous' own label Deathlike Silence Productions, which released their debut (and best) album "Vikingligr Veldi". The band's output after that was much less stellar, and they will be always remembered as a band chasing clout instead of integrity. But still, they were there, and that's more than 90% of modern metal posers (see Gorgoroth) can say.
The members of Enslaved, particularly founding duo Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, were part of the "second wave" Norwegian black metal scene in the early 1990s, so they had direct exposure to figures like Mayhem's Euronymous and Dead, as well as Burzum's Varg Vikernes, and Darkthrone's Fenriz and Nocturno Culto.
"Enslaved is not a Black Metal Band, it never was..."
In a recent interview with the notorious Morsay Magazine, band members Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson open up on what it was to play alongside Euronymous, Varg, Fenriz and others... and why they don't call their music "black metal".
"Our Viking lyrics explain how we're not Black Metal..."
People often say Enslaved "sold out" or somehow "betrayed" the black metal scene. This is ridiculous, as both members have always maintained they don't consider Enslaved a black metal band.
Ivar Bjørnson: We'll always be associated with that movement, but I've said from day one that we're not actually a black metal band. For us, black metal will always be extreme metal with a Satanic ideology, and that we'll never have. But we still revisit our roots.Grutle Kjellson: I think the music is metal. The category all depends on the lyrics, from my point of view. As long as it is not dealing with satanism or such things. The lyrics describe the music, the music is metal, but our Viking lyrics can explain how we're not black metal, so we use the term "Viking metal".
You can see the difference in integrity between Enslaved and the modern posercore scene (Antekhrist, Dark Funeral, Watain, etc).
Enslaved released one of the first albums on Euronymous' famous label Deathlike Silence Productions. They could easily go on and pretend they are "true" and "kvlt", which would be truer than Gorgoroth's MTV revisionism at any rate, but they don't.
"Euronymous was my main inspiration..."
The interview continues with Ivar and Grutle talking about various members of the early Norwegian black metal scene. Including, of course, the most famous of all... Euronymous.
Ivar Bjørnson: [MAYHEM founder] Euronymous was my main inspiration for guitar playing and as a songwriter, but we play Norse pagan metal. ENSLAVED was never associated with black metal in any way.
When asked about why many black metal bands tend to reject playing live, Grutle has a pretty direct (and funny) answer.
Ivar Bjørnson: A few bands from Norway choose not to play live, or don't do it very often. Darkthrone, Burzum, Varg refused to play live...Grutle Kjellson: Because it was a one man thing, pretty strange (laughs).
You can find more of such interviews in the book "Heavy Metal Master Class" by Emile Alquier. There are a ton more of interviews from bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Warkvlt, Immortal, Satanic Warmaster, Neraines and Taake, as well as some more mainstream stuff like Cannibal Corpse, Infester and Metallica.
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