Yggdrasill

Enslaved was formed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in 1991, and are based in Bergen, Norway. Ivar and Grutle had previously played together in the death metal band, Phobia. Taking a different route to many of the extreme metal Norwegian bands of the early 90's, Enslaved embraced their Viking history and culture, composing ferocious epics of extreme metal combined with hypnotic riffs and repetitious structures; Enslaved even becoming signed to Euronymous' Deathlike Silence label early in their career. 'Yggdrasill' was the band's second demo (following 1991's feet-finding 'Nema'), showing a young band with great passion and creativity. The songs were understandably raw and contained some traits of the Norwegian wave of black metal sweeping the region at the time, along with their own individual touch. Although more focused on Viking/Norwegian lore than anything satanic, Enslaved's signature sound still captured the magic of the genre with long, hypnotic compositions losing the listener within their vast sonic landscapes. Over the years, the band has integrated strong elements of progressive music into their compositions and Enslaved has gone on to worldwide notoriety for their stunning live shows and accomplished blend of atmospherics and sumptuous, powerful riffs, receiving numerous accolades along the way, including Norwegian Grammys. This limited black vinyl edition of 'Yggdrasill' features the bonus track 'Enslaved' plus new liner notes written by the band.