ENSLAVED WARDRUNA Collaboration SKUGGSJÁ to play LONDON BY NORSE 2016
Enslaved are very proud to announce they will be playing three special shows entitled ‘Enslaved 25’ as part of London By Norse 2016.
These special shows by the Bergen five-piece are to commemorate a quarter-century’s worth of cultural and spiritual invocations and ever-expanding musical horizons. The first show of ‘Enslaved 25’ will be at The Dome on March 17, with support acts to be announced, and their journey will continue the following night at The Underworld. This rare event will culminate with a night at Shepherds Bush Empire on 19 March, which includes a performance by Skuggsjá and featureWardruna’s second ever appearance in the UK plus a rare art exhibition by former Gorgoroth and God Seed vocalistGaahl.
On March 18, The Forge in Camden will see Enslaved’s Ivar Bjørnson presenting his immersive electro-ambient projectBardspec, while Einar Selvik will be presenting his workshop, a spellbinding solo performance and wide-ranging talk that takes in the philosophy of Wardruna, the background to the ancient instruments he uses, and on the historical background to Skuggsjá.
Enslaved guitarist Ivar Bjørnson had this to say about the events:
“That London By Norse is taking place is just epic! It is truly a wish list of an event, encompassing all the elements I could hope for during the course of a London weekend: playing with my own band(s) and performing with my friend and brother-in-arms Einar Selvik and his Wardruna warriors. This will be one for the history books, I simply cannot wait!”
Wardruna’s Einar Selvik said:
“The last time we performed in London was a fantastic experience, and so when finally returning to the British Isles we really wanted to do more than just play a single concert. So in the spirit of old Norse tradition on western travel and trade we hope to make more of a cultural imprint with the London By Norse event and can only hope that this time the tales of our visit will not only be recorded by Christian monks with a political agenda. I really look forward to celebrating the spring equinox in London and present a broad cultural event together with some of my favourite people!”
Ivar and Einar spoke to Metal Hammer (video).
Single show tickets to the ‘Enslaved 25’ shows are now available plus full weekend tickets forLondon By Norse 2016.
You can purchase HERE.
London By Norse 2016 run of events:
Thursday: Enslaved + support – The Underworld
Friday Afternoon: Iver Bjørnson + Einar Selvik – The Forge
Friday Evening: Enslaved + support – The Dome
Saturday: Enslaved, Skuggsjá, Wardruna, Kristian ‘Gaahl’ Espedal exhibition – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
London By Norse (partnered by Metal Hammer and in association with Old Empire and Tidal Concerts) is the brainchild of By Norse, a celebration of Norwegian music and culture founded by and Ivar Bjørnson (Peerson Productions, Enslaved),Simon Füllemann (All Access Agency) and Einar Selvik (Fimbuljod Productions, Wardruna). Taking place on March 17-20 across various venues in the capital – the centrepiece at Shepherds Bush Empire on March 19 will be the third ever performance of Skuggsjá – the thrilling and tempestuous collaboration between Enslaved and Wardruna.
Commissioned to commemorate and castigate the 200th anniversary of Norway’s constitution (which took place last year)Skuggsjá is a furious journey into the dark reaches of Norwegian history. A counterweight to the enshrining of Christianity as the national religion and a harsh light on the atrocities committed in its name, its white-knuckle journey through innumerable musical moods is also a reminder of the rich pagan culture that was lost as a result. Featuring all members of both bands, it will also be accompanied by the striking visuals of Costin Chioreanu, whose collaborations with the likes of At The Gates,Mayhem, Darkthrone, Arcturus, Roadburn Festival and many more has made him one of the most renowned artists in the metal world today.
Check out http://www.bynorse.com for more details and to buy tickets for this unmissable event.
More events are planned for March 20, so watch out for further announcements.
London By Norse is more than just a cultural event: it’s a reconnection to an abiding spiritual wellspring often obscured by the density of modern life and a celebration of values that have always lain at the deepest heart of heavy metal.
Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most dependable components in extreme metal’s indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts in metal, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature extreme/black/Viking/progressive metal sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson releasing their first demo ‘Yggdrasill’ in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album ‘Hordanes Land’ coming out in 1993 with debut full length ‘Vikingligr Veldi’ arriving in the spring of 1994.
Their latest release ‘In Times’ was released in March 2015 to global critical acclaim.
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