IVAR BJØRNSON NEVER set out to be a rock star. All he ever wanted to do was write songs – and as the 32-year-tenured lead composer for progressive black metallers Enslaved, he’s living the dream. From his adolescence in Norway’s black metal scene to touring the States in a beat-up van, these are the things he’s learned in three decades of genre-pioneering music.
BLACK METAL WAS REVENGE AGAINST HIPPIES
“My parents were hippies; all the black metal kids had hippie parents – [our music] was our revenge against the hippies, I guess.”
BUT I DID BOND WITH MY DAD OVER MUSIC
“My parents were divorced. My dad lived in Haugesund and every Saturday he and his new wife invited friends over. I remember, he pulled out his guitar to play and I was fascinated by these people all being in love with music. Aged eight, I asked my dad, ‘Can I do this
