Enslaved

Copenhell - 2018

Text: Tobias Nilsson Photo: Lunah Lauridsen

A seriously wild day of Copenhell was coming to an end, but even though we were past the midnight mark, we still had one band left we wanted to see.

“Good evening Copenhell. We are Enslaved from Norway.”
- Grutle Kjellson (vocals/bass)


If there was any sign of fatigue, Enslaved would surely beat that out of us quickly, opening with Roots Of The Mountain as they were. The band surely didn't show signs of fatigue, and frontman Grutle Kjellson was all over us from the very beginning.
Enslaved is so much more than an ass-kicking black metal band though, and there was place for a bit of everything. Since it was the last show of the night on this particular stage (Hades that is), the band was in no hurry to get off. Still, with the length of their songs, they still only managed to squeeze seven tracks into their setlist. That’s alright though, as the songs themselves offer up such a plethora of variation, making it impossible to get bored.
When the band took the tempo down, and moved into their more melodic sections, the atmosphere spread out from the stage, and reached well into the hill opposite, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the sea on the other side lay ready to receive it. Between the band and nature’s unlimited vastness though, there was first and foremost a great Copenhell crowd, ready to rock with one of Norway’s finest.

“Copenhell, are you ready? We’ve still got a few songs left, so you better be ready!”
- Kjellson (vocals/bass)


And rock they did. When the time came, the mosh was there, ready to kick up some dust for the band, while at other times, people just swayed gently to the soothing tones in the cleaner parts.
Between songs, Kjellson took time off to speak with us, but I can’t understate the amount of energy he brought to the table during the songs. The whole band did, actually. They played well, and used each other to bounce the energy around, making the show reach far beyond the edge of the stage. I had a feeling I’d like Enslaved, but this was ridiculous!

“Mine damer og herrer, tak for en dejlig aften.”
- Kjellson (vocals/bass)


Putting Enslaved on at this time, and on this stage, was a smart move by Copenhell. Enslaved got the final ounce of energy the festival could muster for the day, and did it in an uplifting way, leaving us all with smiles on our faces. Their mix of harsh black metal and melodic progressive stuff was the perfect way to end the day, and my respect for the band grew immensely. They also added a new song to my favourite list with that stellar performance of One Thousand Years Of Rain.

Setlist:

Roots Of The Mountain
Ruun
Storm Son
One Thousand Years Of Rain
Sacred Horse
Allfǫðr Oðinn
Isa

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