Three decades into their career, ENSLAVED are still refusing to stand still. The Norwegian extreme-metal innovators return Friday, October 30, with Mið, their 17th studio album, through Nuclear Blast Records.
According to the band’s publicity team, this record leans toward a more direct and instinctive approach while keeping the expansive ideas that helped ENSLAVED move beyond their black-metal beginnings. Its themes draw on ancient gathering places, community and the connections between cultures and generations.
Three advance tracks offer a way in: “Spirit Helper” featuring Kevin Kicking Woman, “Solar Will,” and “Tales of Trees.” With release day approaching, the question is how much new ground the band can cover by tightening the focus rather than making everything bigger.
Official Press Release
Information supplied by the artist’s publicity representative; formatted for publication.
Hello,
I’m emailing to remind you that Norwegian progressive metal legends ENSLAVED will release their new album Mið will be released this Friday, October 30th with Nuclear Blast Records. If you haven’t yet, please take a moment to check out the record as soon as you can. I’d be grateful for any feedback and consideration for any editorial coverage ASAP.
FYI: Norwegian metal visionaries ENSLAVED enter a striking new chapter with their 17th album, Mið, stripping back some of their more sprawling progressive tendencies in favor of a focused, instinctive, and powerful approach. Drawing inspiration from ancient monuments, shared human experience and the connections that transcend cultures and generations, Mið finds the band continuing to evolve more than three decades into their career without losing sight of the exploratory spirit at their core.
I appreciate your time. Thanks for listening.
-Austin
Current Singles: Spirit Helper (Feat. Kevin Kicking Woman) / Solar Will / Tales of Trees
Links: Website | | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music
About:
For more than three decades, Norway’s ENSLAVED have remained one of extreme metal’s most adventurous and enduring forces. Emerging from the formative Norwegian black metal movement, the Bergen band steadily expanded far beyond those beginnings, weaving progressive rock, psychedelia, atmosphere, Norse history and mythology into an unmistakable musical identity.
Now 17 albums into their career, ENSLAVED continue that evolution with Mið, a record built from a more spontaneous and collaborative creative process. Inspired by ancient gathering places, cultural connections and humanity’s enduring need for community, the album balances formidable riffs and extreme-metal intensity with expansive melodies and moments of striking beauty. Rather than revisit their past, ENSLAVED once again use it as a foundation for exploring somewhere new.
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Austin GriswoldSecret Service PublicityWebsite | Instagram | Facebook
Enslaved
Mið
Nuclear Blast Records
30 October 2026
Private advance listening link available to accredited reviewers through the publicist.
If you have any questions, contact austin@secretservicepr.com.