For the third time in five years, ENSLAVED have won the Spellemann Award (the Norwegian equivalent to the American Grammy) for Best Metal Album 2008 with their latest offering, Vertebrae. The other nominated bands were KEEP OF KALESSIN and BENEA REACH.

ENSLAVED commented: “We’re very honored to get our third Grammy! The party was good, we had a good time. We think the Grammy committee was very generous in giving all the artists two whole pitchers of ice water and selling 0.3 liters of flat beer for 7.5 Euros in the bar. Luckily, we robbed a bank on our way there and could afford getting absolutely smashed. We’re having a rough Monday here. Thanks!” ENSLAVED won Spellemann Awards for Best Metal Album in 2006 for Ruun and in 2004 for Isa.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Vertebrae sold over 1,100 copies in the United States the first week of its release. The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard Hard Music chart and at #49 on the Heatseekers (Top New Artist) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.