ENSLAVED Members Comment On 'Vertebrae' Artwork, WACKEN Listening Session

The Norwegian masters of progressive/experimental metal ENSLAVED have revealed the first glimpse of the artwork for their forthcoming masterpiece "Vertebrae" which will be released September 29 via Indie Recordings.

Painter Truls Espedal comments on the artwork: "Back in 2001, one of those nights with loads of beer and metal, I was introduced to Grutle. After a short conversation and a handshake, I was officially working together with ENSLAVED, and was given the privilege to do the front and back cover for the album 'Monumension'. Not long after, Grutle and I sat down and talked about ideas and it was decided which elements that had to be included. During the next five years, with three more releases, this became sort of tradition. Hooking up with Grutle and Ivar for one night, talking about ideas and them deciding which elements that had to be included. Working with ENSLAVED just felt natural; the band giving me tons of artistic freedom, with no one breathing down my neck in the process — all of us having the same idea about how the artwork should fit and reflect the music, and to create a recognizable visual style from one album to the next.

"Now, with the release of 'Vertebrae', ENSLAVED have created their best album to date, in my humble opinion. It is a timeless, dark and progressive album which flows perfectly, with enough contrast to never lose the listeners attention. So with such a brilliant record from ENSLAVED, I had to step it up a notch regarding the artwork. This time around I was also given the chance to do more than just the front and back cover. And with the decision to release a digipack, jewel-case and vinyl, I was able to do different ideas and also make a much more coherent work all in all. The elements I had to work with for this release were one particular Norse symbol, vertebras and veins/arteries. And in the digipack and vinyl I was also to include a skull. Interesting considering that in all my paintings I mainly work with the human body, and also because these elements might be considered a cliché. Now I had to strip everything to the bone, literally, as well as trying to take a cliché in new and interesting directions.

"I started taking everything apart, piecing the elements back together in new ways, creating something symbolic and almost surreal. Everything painted to give the feel of something soulful and to a certain extent timeless, and using sharp contrasts in dark/light and colour. All this to get a cover with atmosphere and 'punch'; a cover that would fit and reflect ENSLAVED's music. Dark, epic and brutal, yet beautiful!"

Grutle from ENSLAVED comments on the artwork: "The 'Vertebrae' cover artwork ultimately visualizes the lyrical concept of this album. You have the Vertebrae in the centre of the picture symbolizing the humanity's potential strength, and at the same time it is stripped and thus also fragile. The veins that makes the rune-shape makes the connection between the mind and the flesh.

"The actual composition of the artwork is a continuation of our cooperation with the wonderful and talented artist Truls Espedal. We once again managed to get a thousand ideas visualized in one brilliant piece. This time we have also added some colour to the usual bleakness, making it both more beautiful and dangerous!"

"Vertebrae" was recorded during the first months of 2008 — then mixed by Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) and mastered by the legendary George Marino in Sterling Sound. Produced by Ivar Bjørnson, Herbrand Larsen and Grutle Kjellson, "Vertebrae" is "one of the strongest albums to emerge from the extreme metal scene," according to a press release. "The sound, songs and atmosphere mark a great leap for the band and genre as a whole."

The album will be supported by extensive touring starting with the the "Vertebrae European Tour" in November/December 2008 also featuring STONEGARD and KRAKOW.

ENSLAVED held a listening session for "Vertebrae" at this year's Wacken Open Air festival, which took place July 31 - August 2 in Wacken, Germany.

Commented Ivar: "What a weekend; premiering the new album 'Vertebrae' during the world's largest metal event, Wacken! This was the first time we took the album out into the world since it was finished back in May. With a mix of pride and curiosity we got to meet the metal press face-to-face and experience their initial reactions to the album. Let us just say that our expectations where outdone by the response — during the interviews, the press conference and during the hard hours of partying.

"We opened the ball Thursday night in Metal Hammer's party on the W.E.T. stage. Two songs were blasted on the P.A.; with members of the Hammer desk banging like their lives depended on it in front of a crowd going ballistic. A pure and beautiful metal moment! The next day were filled with interviews and a press conference in the Wacken VIP area, where four songs were played to the press and members of the metal community, followed by a Q&A session — thanks to everybody present for making that a very entertaining and memorable session!

"In short — if the Wacken presentation of 'Vertebrae' is any indication of where the album is going, and we are convinced it is; the future is indeed very bright. Being able to present our work in that environment of metal, integrity, dedication and enthusiasm has given us the injection of energy we need to go out and lay waste the world with this new album. A great, fat 'thank you' everybody involved directly, indirectly, accidently and perhaps even involuntarily in this event. Who fears growing old with memories like these?"