MaidenNorway.com has posted an interview with ENSLAVED vocalist/bassist Grutle Kjellson and keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, conducted by Pål Johansen. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

Q: First and foremost, it?s exciting to talk a bit about the new album, Ruun. It got a good review in Classic Rock, and has been very well received in England, with a high position in the indie lists. How do you experience this?

Grutle Kjellson: "Well that thing with Classic Rock was a bit overwhelming, at least I felt so."

Herbrand Larsen: "Especially Ivar had a dream about getting a review in Classic Rock, and in particular in the Prog section. It was a good review

also, so he was totally mind blown when it happened."

Grutle Kjellson: "Yeah [smiles] yeah it?'s cool, we kind of reach outside our normal audience that way, and even in the Prog section! We?'re getting airtime on Prog Rock radio shows and stuff like that, not just Metal. And we are like a hybrid of those genres, or a kind of fusion, anyway."

Maiden Norway: It is undoubtedly a record that takes Enslaved down a new path.

Grutle Kjellson: "Yeah, well, it kind of continues were we left off last time. So you can say it is somewhat of an evolution going on, we haven'?t been conscious about our choice of tracks, it just flows naturally. We never had any discussions about what it sounds like or what it should sound like, it just turned out that way, and it makes it fucking interesting I think. It makes the whole thing more interesting, and that?'s why we?ve been doing this for as long as we have really, because it?s not like... I mean, we?re pretty good at surprising ourselves [laughs]. We never know what we are going to come up with, what we are capable of. It?'s quite entertaining, to be honest."

Herbrand Larsen: "All of the elements have been there all along really, from the very beginning."

Grutle Kjellson: "Yeah."

Herbrand Larsen: "They?'ve just become more or less audible, from whichever record that has come out.'

Grutle Kjellson: "Yeah, and the sound obviously. The sound really does have a lot to say. Ruun is viewed upon as a less aggressive record than ISA for example, probably because the sound is getting more organic, better in a lot of ways. ISA has that raw Black Metal necro sound. I mean, I really like the sound on ISA, but it isn’t that good, really. A lot of stuff just vanishes in it… but still it’s fucking rough. I still think that the tracks on Ruun are at least as aggressive though."

Check out the complete interview at this location.