Norwegian progressive metal pioneers Enslaved have released a new single titled “Tales Of Trees” as they continue to build momentum toward their upcoming seventeenth studio album, Mið.
Scheduled for release on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records, Mið sees the legendary black metal vanguard exploring the fundamental concepts of origin, the present moment, and the infinite axis. “Tales Of Trees” serves as the album’s third preview, following previously released singles “Solar Will” and “Spirit Helper” (which featured Kevin Kicking Woman).
Vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson explained the deep symbolic connection the band aimed to explore within the song’s progressive structures.
“‘Tales Of Trees’ is indeed tales about trees, but perhaps not first and foremost in a botanical sense. Trees can grow, shine, and flourish, but they can also wither and burn. They need to be tended to and looked after in one way or another, and thus serve as a fitting parallel to the human mind, let alone humanity as a whole. Trees as symbols of something more than mere botanical creatures have appeared throughout history, both in mythological tales and in folklore. So, I think this tale is a fitting accompaniment the the heavy and yet dynamic tunes of this composition,” he said.
Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson noted that the song blends the band’s folk and classic progressive rock influences to create a sense of natural mystery.
“‘Tales Of Trees’ can be both a tribute to our wooden relatives on this planet — who have had rather a lot of patience with us — and a metaphor for so much more,” he added. “The winding time signatures of folk music and the adventurous spirit of classic prog are natural ingredients in my songwriting, and they feel particularly at home here. There is something about our kinship with trees that is both deeply familiar and wonderfully strange: everyday encounters with something we barely understand. That sense of recognition and mystery is at the heart of this song, opening another path into the world of ‘Mið.'”
To support the release of Mið, Enslaved has announced a major 2027 European co-headlining tour alongside Icelandic atmospheric metal act Sólstafir. Fellow Norwegian outfit Gaahls Wyrd will provide support for the entire trek.
“Europe! In February we are heading out on a co-headlining tour with our good friends in Sólstafir. There is a kinship here that goes beyond a shared enthusiasm for questionable weather: the belief that music should be allowed to find its own path, even when it refuses to explain where it is going. Bringing ‘Mið’ into that company, and into a room with all of you, feels very right. Making a record is one part of the adventure; discovering what happens to it when we meet you out there is another. That exchange still means everything to us. See you in the flesh!” the band said.
Tickets for the European run will go on sale on September 25. Check out the complete list of dates below.
Upcoming Enslaved & Sólstafir 2027 Co-Headline Tour (with Gaahls Wyrd):
- Feb 04 – Festsaal, Berlin, DE
- Feb 05 – Felsenkeller, Leipzig, DE
- Feb 06 – Fabrik, Hamburg, DE
- Feb 07 – Amager Bio, Copenhagen, DK
- Feb 08 – Batschkapp, Frankfurt, DE
- Feb 09 – La Laiterie, Strasbourg, FR
- Feb 11 – Antipode, Rennes, FR
- Feb 12 – La Cooperative de Mai, Clermont-Ferrand, FR
- Feb 13 – Le Metronum, Toulouse, FR
- Feb 14 – Razzmatazz 2, Barcelona, ES
- Feb 16 – Elysee Montmartre, Paris, FR
- Feb 17 – Electric Ballroom, London, UK
- Feb 18 – OM, Liege, BE
- Feb 19 – Doornroosje, Nijmegen, NL
- Feb 20 – Tivoli Pandora, Utrecht, NL
- Feb 21 – Live Music Hall, Cologne, DE
- Feb 23 – Kofmehl, Solothurn, CH
- Feb 24 – Magnolia, Milan, IT
- Feb 25 – SIMM City, Vienna, AT
- Feb 26 – Progresja, Warsaw, PL
- Feb 27 – Fleda, Brno, CZ
