In this year fierce, foreboding omens came over the land of the Northumbrians, and the wretched people shook; there were excessive whirlwinds, lightning, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. These signs were followed by great famine, and a little after those, that same year on 6th ides of January, the ravaging of wretched heathen people destroyed God's church at Lindisfarne.
Ever since 1997 with Eld I think we have been going down that road more and more, towards a broader musical horizon, and not trying to repeat ourselves.
- Grutle Kjellson / Enslaved interview, Cryptic Rock, 2015
ENSLAVED released their third album, Eld, on this day in 1997. Recorded at Grieghallen during the winter of 1996/97. They would not return to the infamous studio for the next couple of albums, but in 2001 returned to record Monumension.
...we have worked with Pytten in Grieghallen for three records and it is not very exciting anymore.
...nothing wrong about Pytten, but we needed some change, some new challenges, new people to work with and the Abyss studio, the area around the studio was very nice and everything worked out perfect.
- Grutle Kjellson / Enslaved interview, Chronicles of Chaos, 1999