FROM Ivar Bjørnson (ENSLAVED):
“I’ve poured my work, dedication and inspiration into this,” states rhythm guitarist/songwriter/lyricist Ivar Bjørnson.
“At one point, guitars were being written and recorded in my home studio while I was waiting for the phone call from the hospital that would admit my wife and I to the Labor Ward to receive our firstborn.
I have a feeling that RIITIIR has more of everything: the beautiful is more beautiful while the harsher is harsher. That it ended up being the longest album we’ve made so far was something we discovered by accident when we made the first rough mixes after the recordings. We forgot to think about length during the making and rehearsing of the album before recording it!
We sat down and thought about it: did it mean we hadn’t been critical enough with regards to the time? Upon listening through the recordings with the proverbial scissors in mind, we couldn’t find anything we absolutely didn’t want to keep. I’ll take that as a good sign. So good news if you don’t absolutely love what we’re doing: at least the songs are very long!”
The track listing for RIITIIR’s European and North American digi-pak is as follows:
01. Thoughts Like Hammers
02. Death In The Eyes Of Dawn
03. Veilburner
04. Roots Of The Mountain
05. Riitiir
06. Materal
07. Storm Of Memories
08. Forsaken
The track listing for RIITIIR’s 2 LP double-gatefold is as follows:
Side A:
01. Thoughts Like Hammers
02. Death In The Eyes Of Dawn
Side B:
01. Veilburner
02. Roots Of The Mountain
Side C:
01. Riitiir
02. Materal
Side D:
01. Storm Of Memories
02. Forsaken
RIITIIR is due out in Europe on September 28th and in North America on October 9th.
ENSLAVED will be performing in this year’s Barge To Hell cruise from Miami to the Caribbean, beginning on December 3rd.