Speaking of album art
reveals, check out this
crazy artwork for Enslaved’s twelfth studio album, Riitiir. The album will be released October 2nd in the States and September 28th in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records.
Here is how guitarist Ivar Bjørnson explains the artwork and the upcoming album title meaning:
“The album is, as mentioned, entitled ‘Riitiir’ – a self-made ‘Norse-ified’ version of the words ‘Rites’ / ‘Rituals.’ RIITIIR = ‘The Rites of Man,’ to put it in a formulaic and easy way.
There is no story with a timeline; again we’ve built structures that lay above the independent lyrics that we feel more comfortable with letting the reader explore, interpret, or simply discard themselves.
The collaboration between him, myself, and Grutle [Kjellson, vocalist & bassist] was closer, more understanding and powerful this time than ever before in our more than decade-long cooperation. The album concept and our feelings connected to it hit home instantly with Truls, in the same way that his initial ideas resonated intensely with us from the second he shared them with us.” (Agencies)