Checking in from Duper Studios in Bergen, Ivar Bjørnson, guitarist, composer, and founding member of Norwegian progressive extreme metallers ENSLAVED offers the third installment in the seven-part "Diary of Mad Men" series shedding insight into the band's upcoming as-yet-untitled thirteenth studio album, set for an early 2015 release.
"This will be a killer album. I am already willing to stake a lot on that. As the last time with RIITIIR, the first line of defense / attack is made through me, Grutle [Kjellson, vocalist & bassist] and Cato [Bekkevold, drummer]recording our guitar, bass, and drums live in the big Duper room, complete with the ceiling covered in old wooden doors for max room effect. I have to admit I'm starting to feel the effect of working around the clock (there are also things to be done at the home studio, office, and around the house in-between the sessions), but it doesn't matter how tired the body gets as long as the mind is on fire!"
About this upcoming new release, band members have previously stated: "The high level of energy in the songs reflects both an inspired and an ever-harder working band that keeps pushing their own and their associated genres' limits."
Main recordings for the new album are taking place at Duper and Solslottet Studios in Bergen, Norway with additional recordings done at Conclave & Earshot Studios (presided over by ENSLAVED members Larsen and Ice Dale), and Ivar Bjørnson's Peersonal Sound Studios.
Additional experimentation and sonic exploration will be conducted deep in the woods of Valevåg south of Bergen where the band took a mobile studio to record the infamous "Thorn" 7" single in 2012.
Album number thirteen is being produced by band members Ivar Bjørnson, Grutle Kjellson & Herbrand Larsen together with Iver Sandøy. Mixing will be done by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden.
Artwork will be illustrated by long-time collaborating artist and "sixth ENSLAVED member" Truls Espedal, who has painted all seven album covers since 2001's Monumension.
2012's studio release, RIITIIR, garnered ENSLAVED a seventh nomination for a Spellemann Award (the Norwegian equivalent of the American Grammy) in the category of "Best Metal Album." They have won a Spellemann Award four consecutive times for the following four studio albums: Axioma Ethica Odini (2010), Vertebrae (2008), Ruun (2006), and Isa(2004).
RIITIIR debuted at #8 on the American Billboard Heatseekers (New Artists) chart in October 2012 and appeared on numerous "Best Albums of 2012" lists around the world. It can be purchased in CD & vinyl format from the album's Landing Page, from the Nuclear Blast USA Webshop, and digitally from iTunes & AmazonMP3.
Visit ENSLAVED online:
Like - www.facebook.com/ENSLAVED
Follow - twitter.com/ENSLAVEDBAND
Watch - www.youtube.com/ENSLAVEDOFFICIAL
