Norwegian progressive trailblazers ENSLAVED have revealed "Spirit Helper", a unique and deeply powerful collaboration with Kevin Kicking Woman, a tribal member of the Blackfeet/Cree Nation in Montana.

The project stems from the band's relationships with Fire In The Mountains and the wider community surrounding By Norse Music, the label and artistic platform founded by members of ENSLAVED and WARDRUNA together with their manager Simon Füllemann.

During a return trip to the festival last month, Ivar Bjørnson explains that 'Spirit Helper' arose from friendships built during Fire In The Mountains in Colorado in 2019.

Through Nick Rink of the Blackfeet Nation, he was introduced to Kevin Kicking Woman, elder of the Blackfeet Nation, whose presence became central to the development of the song.

The collaboration needed to be approached with honesty, transparency, and respect, Ivar emphasizes.

Kevin shared a traditional morning prayer song with ENSLAVED in New York earlier this year, which they worked to adapt into their own music.

Over months, the band found a musical language where these worlds could coexist naturally — allowing ENSLAVED to remain fully itself while honoring the cadence, emotional core, and spiritual energy of Kevin's prayer.

The process ultimately became 'Spirit Helper'.

Ivar calls it a song about connection — between past and present, traditions and people, and the spiritual and human worlds.

For ENSLAVED, it stands as one of the most meaningful musical journeys they have undertaken.

The artwork for "Spirit Helper" was created by Nicholas Rink, featuring various symbols representing the ocean, humanity, existence, life, and shared spirituality.",