2012-04-26 - Nuclear Blast is proud to announce the addition of progressive/psychedelic black metal band ENSLAVED to their worldwide roster. After two successful campaigns in North America with Nuclear Blast USA (via exclusive license from Norway’s Indie Recordings) for their past two albums, 2008’s Vertebrae and 2010’s Axioma Ethica Odini, ENSLAVED have signed a worldwide deal.

From their home base in Norway, the band comments:

“We’re very, very (yes, very) pleased and proud to sign this deal with Nuclear Blast worldwide. We’ve already worked with Nuclear Blast US through our two latest albums and our personal friendships with NB guys and gals on both sides of the Atlantic are even older. There’s no drama – we take great pride in the fact that there seldom is with us; it is simply a matter of one contract ending and us going for what seems to be our best option at this point in time and space. This time, the best choice for ENSLAVED is changing things up somewhat. We’re excited to see what the mixture of passion and professionalism at Nuclear Blast can do with the ENSLAVED name in the years to come. There is no doubt that the level of ambition, the experience and seriousness about what we do form perfect common ground for ENSLAVED and Nuclear Blast. We’re in the process of making a new album that will initiate our new partnership. Watch out for the approaching wave of news about that. For now, let’s just say that the album will be an absolute (Nuclear) blast!”

Gerardo Martínez, Label Manager for Nuclear Blast USA, adds:

“ENSLAVED is one of the most amazing bands to ever come from Norway. We’ve had the pleasure of working with them on their last two albums in North America, and from this day forth, worldwide. Looking forward their new masterpiece to be unleashed to the masses later in the year!”

ENSLAVED’s new album will be released this fall.

Norwegian progressive extreme metallers ENSLAVED have set "RIITIIR" as the title of their twelfth studio album, due in Europe on September 28 and in North America on October 2 via Nuclear Blast Records.

From the woods in Sweden, ENSLAVED guitarist/songwriter/founding member Ivar Bjørnson shares the following: "The album is, as mentioned, entitled 'RIITIIR' — a self-made 'Norse-ified' version of the words 'Rites' / 'Rituals.' RIITIIR = 'The Rites of Man,' to put it in a formulaic and easy way.

"There is no story with a timeline; again we've built structures that lay above the independent lyrics that we feel more comfortable with letting the reader explore, interpret, or simply discard themselves. It is entirely up to them. Meanwhile, we are extremely excited to see what visual artist Truls Espedal has come up with this time. The collaboration between him, myself, and Grutle [Kjellson, vocalist and bassist] was closer, more understanding and powerful this time than ever before in our more than decade-long cooperation. The album concept and our feelings connected to it hit home instantly with Truls, in the same way that his initial ideas resonated intensely with us from the second he shared them with us.

"We will, of course, discuss some key concepts and potential interpretations in deeper song-by-song analysis — but let's cross that rainbow when we get there.”