Enslaved Mið is out now on Nuclear Blast Records, and the Norwegian band marked the Oct. 30 release with an official visualizer for “I Am Ice” featuring Johan Sara Jr. “Today, Mið is out,” the band wrote on YouTube. “To celebrate we’re releasing a visualiser for the track ‘I Am Ice’.”
Mið is the 17th album from the Bergen band, according to the announcement published by Blabbermouth. The title is an Old Norse word for “center” or “middle.”
Enslaved Mið: The Album
The label says that with Mið, Enslaved turn their gaze “toward the fundamental concept of the axis: the middle, the origin, and the infinite reach of the present moment.” It follows 2020’s Utgard and 2023’s Heimdal, which the announcement calls “thematically linked, mythology-steeped rites of passage.”
“I Am Ice” is track 2 and one of two guest spots on the album. Kevin Kicking Woman appears on “Spirit Helper.” Earlier singles were “Solar Will,” with a video by the Bergen company Kolibri Media, “Spirit Helper” and “Tales Of Trees.”
Enslaved Mið Tracklist
- Non-Being
- I Am Ice (featuring Johan Sara Jr)
- Solar Will
- Mountain
- Spirit Helper (featuring Kevin Kicking Woman)
- Parting
- Tales of Trees
- I Miðju
What Enslaved Say About the Songs
On “Solar Will,” guitarist Ivar Bjørnson said: “The Sun is a nurturing and terrifying parent that can grant as well as obliterate life totally. Such a classic and awe-inspiring object of our worship and myths requires classic and awesome riffs, Bonham-esque drum grooves and blistering melodic flares celebrating its horrific glory.”
Vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson said of “Tales Of Trees”: “Trees can grow, shine, and flourish, but they can also wither and burn. They need to be tended to and looked after in one way or another, and thus serve as a fitting parallel to the human mind, let alone humanity as a whole.”
Bjørnson added that “the winding time signatures of folk music and the adventurous spirit of classic prog are natural ingredients in my songwriting, and they feel particularly at home here.”
The lineup is Bjørnson on guitars, Kjellson on vocals and bass, Arve “Ice Dale” Isdal on guitar, Håkon Vinje on keyboards and Iver Sandøy on drums. Bjørnson and Kjellson formed the band in 1991.
Enslaved Tour Dates: Europe and Maryland Deathfest
Enslaved will co-headline Europe with Iceland’s Sólstafir in February 2027, with Norway’s Gaahls Wyrd supporting. The 21 dates run from Feb. 4 in Berlin to Feb. 27 in Brno, Czech Republic, per the tour announcement, including London’s Electric Ballroom on Feb. 17.
The band’s only listed U.S. date for 2027 is Maryland Deathfest, May 27-30, 2027, in Baltimore. The festival lineup lists Enslaved on Saturday, May 29, at Market Place/Power Plant with a Vikingligr Veldi special set featuring the 1994 debut album in its entirety.
No North American tour has been announced, and there is no San Diego date. SDMETAL’s rundown of 2027 tours skipping San Diego covers other runs that have left the city off so far.
Enslaved Mið FAQ
Mið Opens the Next Chapter for Enslaved
Enslaved Mið is out now in eight tracks, from “Non-Being” to “I Miðju.” The band’s next scheduled stops are the February run with Sólstafir and Gaahls Wyrd in Europe, then Maryland Deathfest in May.
SDMETAL