IVAR BJØRNSON

Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it’s Ivar Bjørnson. Enslaved’s guitarist and synth player discovered Pink Floyd at an early age and found an unlikely prog mentor in one of the founders of Bergen’s controversial black metal scene. His first group was a brass band, but he quickly moved from more traditional to extreme sounds, eventually finding his place as one of the pioneers of modern progressive metal. In 2015, he and Wardruna’s Einar Selvik reignited the Nordic flame with their By Norse label, and more recently Enslaved celebrated their 30th anniversary with the even proggier Heimdal. Here, the multiinstrumentalist takes a break from touring to recount his curious and unexpected musical journey so far.

Words: Jerry Ewing

Enslaved in 1994, L-R: Trym Torson, Grutle Kjellson, Ivar Bjørnson.

PRESS/HANS EINAR JOHANNESSEN

When it comes to prog, Enslaved rhythm guitarist and synthesiser player Ivar Bjørnson wears his heart on his sleeve. Or more specifically, his love of Pink Floyd. Prog is seated backstage at the USF Verftet venue, an old sardine factory, situated on the dockside in their hometown of Bergen before the band perform a special launch show for their recent Heimdal album and their own brand of beer, when Bjørnson proudly points out his large The Dark Side Of The Moon tattoo among many other tattoos on his forearm.

Enslaved’s latest, Heimdal.

PRESS/ROY BJØRG

Bjørnson formed Enslaved with his friend Grutle Kjellson in 1991 during the heady days of the Norwegian black metal scene and the pair still lead the band to this day. While their roots are in extreme music, from the early 2000s onwards Enslaved have introduced more and more progressive elements to their sound – so much so that over the last decade they’ve risen to the forefront of the modern prog metal scene with the albums In Times (2015), E (2017) and Utgard (2020). And Bjørnson’s work with Einar Selvik of Wardruna for their By Norse label continues to push further musical boundaries.

Music was about discovering something new, and it was a selling point. And now everything is about what it reminds you of.

Of course, prog being prog, it’s not always been a smooth ride, with some fans who take a dimmer view of heavy music refusing to accept the band as part of the fold. However, when some gatekeeperish complaints about Utgard ranking too high in the Prog writers’ Albums Of The Year appeared on social media, there were plenty of pro-Enslaved prog fans who jumped in to support the band.

It’s been a fascinating journey for the group and especially for Bjørnson, who was further turned on to progressive music by the unlikeliest of sources – the late Euronymous of pioneering black metal band Mayhem. But for all the twists and turns, the big, bearded, heavily tattooed and hugely friendly musician has taken everything in his stride, as he tells Prog.