Enslaved Release Bonus Track “Gangandi” Ahead of ‘Deluxe’ Version of Heimdal
Progressive black/viking metal act Enslaved dropped a bonus track off of last year’s release Heimdal in support of a new, deluxe edition of the album. Set to drop close to the exact one year mark from the album’s release, this new digital ‘deluxe’ version of Heimdal will include some extra goodies for fans.
According to the band, this version will naturally include the full album, along with the aforementioned bonus track, titled “Gangandi” and two other additional tracks, “Congelia” and “Forest Dweller.” In the case of those last two tracks, the band tapped cellist Jo Quail to provide an added element to the songs.
But wait — that’s not all. This new version of the album will also include audio from the streaming event they did with fellow countrymen Shaman Elephant back in 2022 called “The Otherworldly Big Band Experience.”
With today’s release of “Gangandi,” vocalist/bassist Grutle Kjellson revealed that it was the last track they wrote prior to entering the studio for Heimdal.
“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.”
You can check out “Gangandi” below. If you’re so inclined, you can also pre-save the deluxe edition of Heimdal today.
Enslaved also have a few shows in the UK and Europe lined up for 2024. If you’ll be in the region this March, be sure to check ’em out at any of the dates listed below.
ENSLAVED – UK + EUROPEAN TOUR 2024
w/ Svalbard + Wayfarer
06/03 – UK London, Islington Assembly Hall
07/03 – UK Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
08/03 – UK Manchester, Club Academy
09/03 – UK Glasgow, Slay
10/03 – IE Dublin, Opium
12/03 – NL Helmond, Cacaofabriek
13/03 – FR Paris, La Machine
14/03 – CH Geneva, PTR/l’Usine
15/03 – FR Montpellier, Victoire 2
16/03 – IT Milan, Legend
18/03 – CZ Prague, Futurum
19/03 – AT Vienna, Szene
21/03 – DE Cologne, Club Volta
22/03 – DE Leipzig, Taubchenthal
23/03 – DE Berlin, Hole44
24/03 – PL Warsaw, Proxima
