Selling over 1,100 copies of their latest album Vertebrae since it’s October 28th release, Norway’s ENSLAVED have landed on the American Billboard Hard Music chart at #11 and the Heatseekers chart at #49.

Enslaved guitarist and founding member Ivar Bjørnson shares his thoughts on this accomplishment and the upcoming 2009 North American tour:

“We were on the first day of our European tour in Copenhagen when we got the update from the U.S. on the Vertebrae release. We’ve been told the first sales figures are very good! We are very grateful for the reception Vertebrae has received in America; and now to see the first-week sales being doubled compared to those of Ruun is nothing short of amazing. We wish to thank the fans for backing the release, the media for the in-depth reviews and features, and everybody at Nuclear Blast for getting 100% behind Enslaved on this release.”
“The new songs sound like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and we can’t wait to take this album on the road – luckily the wait is over! The confirmation of the North American dates in May 2009 is the best news we could get. The two tours over there in 2007 were fantastic; the response was overwhelming and we got to meet and know so many dedicated fans and followers of Enslaved all over North America. Going back now, with the massive welcome Vertebrae has received, is something we can’t wait to do. Having Swallow the Sun and Keep Of Kalessin as support is absolutely great. We can’t wait!”

Confirmed North American tour dates are below. Advanced tickets are on sale now exclusively through EnterTheVault.com until November 26th. On November 27th, tickets will go on sale through normal ticketing outlets.

Recorded in the first quarter of 2008, mixed by “Evil” Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age) at TNT’s personal studio in Norway, and mastered by the legendary George Marino (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin) at Sterling Sound, Vertebrae was produced by Ivar Bjørnson, Herbrand Larsen, and Grutle Kjellson themselves. Considered by all band members to be their strongest material in the seventeen years of their existence (this is their third studio album with the exact same line-up), Vertebrae’s elegant music, epic lyrics, gallant vocals, and hypnotic guitar tone – combined with ambient atmospherics and seasoned, soul-travelling guitar solos - marks a crowning achievement for Enslaved as musicians and as a contribution to their musical genre as a whole.

View the Enslaved gydget and widget, below...

Tour dates:

May

1 - Mokena, IL - Pearl Room
2 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
3 - Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert Arms
4 - Regina, SK - The exchange
5 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
6 - Calgary, AB - Warehouse
7 - Vancouver, BC - Plaza Club
8 - Victoria, BC - Sugar
9 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
10 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
11 - San Francisco, CA - Slims
12 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
13 - San Marcos, CA - Jumping Turtle
15 - San Ant, TX - Scout Bar
16 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
18 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
19 - Orlando, FL - Backbooth
20 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
21 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11
22 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
23 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
24 - New York, NY - Blender Theatre at Gramercy
25 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes Électriques
26 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
27 - Rochester, NY - Penny Arcade
28 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
29 - Louisville, KY - Uncle Pleasants
30 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave