Enslaved recently pushed back the release of their new album Utgard to the fall due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Enslaved promised a new song on May 22 and in the meantime performance a full set at the Verftet Online Music Festival on April 1.
Now Enslaved is back to detail Utgard for fans and give some insight into the album's concept.
As announced earlier, our upcoming album Utgard will be released in fall 2020 via Nuclear Blast, and we would like to take a moment to walk you through the album’s essence and tracklist.
Utgard bears countless meanings to us; an image, metaphor, an esoteric “location”, a word on its own etc – on different levels and layers. From Norse mythology we know it as a landscape were the giants roam; where the gods of Asgard have no control; dangerous, chaotic, uncontrollable and where madness, creativeness, humor and chaos dwells.
The album is a journey into and through Utgard. It is a place of unification of that which is above and that which lies below. It is not about avoiding fear of the pitch-black darkness (it will keep on growing until the next confrontation), but to go into the darkness itself. This is the rebirth of the individual. In a world that has become so obsessed with the false lights of greed, jealousy and egotism this is a necessary journey.
Utgard is not a fairytale, it is a vital part of both your mind and your surroundings, and it has been since the dawn of mankind. Acknowledging that this realm exists and is a vital part of the self, has inspired us deeply since the early days of our lives. Enjoy our journey to the outer limits.
1. Fires In The Dark
2. Jettegryta
3. Sequence
4. Homebound
5. Utgardr
6. Urjotun
7. Flight Of Thought And Memory
8. Storms Of Utgard
9. Distant Seasons
If you happened to miss Enslaved's performance at Verftet, check it out below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5STH5KjDBg
