Almost one year ago, Enslaved released their latest full length Heimdal. To commemorate the album's first year of existence, the band announce the release of Heimdal (Deluxe) (digital version), due on March 1st 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records. Heimdal (Deluxe) will include the studio album in full, as well as bonus track "Gangandi", alternative versions of two album tracks "Congelia" and "Forest Dweller", both featuring sublime performances from renowned cellist Jo Quail, plus the entirety of 'The Otherworldly Big Band Experience' - Enslaved's 2022 streaming event featuring fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant. Now, you can stream the aforementioned bonus track "Gangandi" via YouTube.




Vocalist/bassist Grutle Kjellson commented, "Gangandi" was the last song we made before the recording sessions for Heimdal took place. I remember Ivar driving down to my place from Bergen on a Friday night to play a demo for a new song for me, and I went like, "Daaaaamn, this is something else!" I absolutely loved it, but at the same time, I sensed that it was a little bit to the left of the rest of the material. When I started to figure out what to sing over it, I ended up writing a poem in cross rhyme in archaic western Norwegian, which even separated the whole effort even further away from the rest of the material.

"So, ultimately, we ended up not including it on the album, other than as a bonus track on the most “exclusive” and limited vinyl versions.

"That said, that doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy the song! Quite the contrary! We love this odd little hybrid of folk rock, early Mayhem, and King Crimson! It just ended up being the weird cousin of the rest of the songs. Kind of like Enslaved itself as a matter of fact."

Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Enslaved