Norwegian progressive black metal pioneers ENSLAVED have announced their 18th studio album, Mið, set for release on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records. Alongside the announcement, the band have unveiled the album’s new single, “Solar Will,” accompanied by an official music video created by longtime collaborators Kolibri Media.
Across a career spanning 35 years, ENSLAVED have continually pushed beyond the boundaries of their black metal origins, incorporating progressive experimentation, Norse history, mythology and spirituality into an ever-evolving sound. With Mið, the band turn their attention toward the concept of the axis—the middle, the origin and the infinite reach of the present moment.
Mið takes its name from the Old Norse word for “centre” or “middle” and follows the mythology-steeped explorations of 2020’s Utgard and 2023’s Heimdal. The new record examines the connections between past and present, individual truths and universal ideas, while emphasizing the instinctive creative relationship between the members of ENSLAVED.
“Solar Will” provides the first major glimpse into that vision, combining powerful riffs, driving rhythms and melodic flourishes with themes surrounding the sun, mythology and the conflicting forces that shape human existence.
Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson explains:
“There have been sun cults as long as Magic Man has been around (at least). 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. This is what that sounds like to me: ‘Solar Will’!”
Vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson describes the song as an exploration of archetypal conflicts found throughout nature, mythology, the cosmos and the human mind. Drawing upon an enduring rivalry within Norse mythology, the track deliberately leaves its central figures unnamed, inviting listeners to interpret the lyrics themselves.
Rather than offering a definitive resolution, Kjellson says the song ultimately embraces the contradictory forces of chaos, dreams and perceived reality, emphasizing their acceptance and assimilation rather than attempting to eliminate them.
Mið Tracklisting
- Non-Being
- I Am Ice (featuring Johan Sara Jr)
- Solar Will
- Mountain
- Spirit Helper (featuring Kevin Kicking Woman)
- Parting
- Tales of Trees
- I Miðju
Mið will be available digitally and in several physical editions, including standard jewelcase CD, a digipak CD featuring a bonus track and sticker, and gatefold vinyl variants in black, transparent blue, arctic blue pearl, and blue/white/dark green/black marbled configurations.
ENSLAVED will also mark the album’s arrival with a release show at Kulturhuset in Bergen on October 29, followed by a signing session and meet-and-greet at Big Dipper in Oslo on October 30. On October 31, the band will perform at Oslo Spektrum alongside DIMMU BORGIR and SATYRICON.
The band will return to the United States in 2027 for an appearance at Maryland Deathfest, scheduled to take place May 27-30 in Baltimore.
Formed in Norway in 1991 by Bjørnson and Kjellson, ENSLAVED released their first demo, Yggdrasill, in 1992, followed by the influential Hordanes Land mini-album in 1993 and debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi in 1994. More than three decades later, the band continue to expand upon the progressive and black metal foundations that have defined their career.
Mið arrives October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records.