Borknagar Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
And now for something completely different. Perhaps sensing that their career as an important, consistent but nevertheless underappreciated black metal band (secondary to Emperor, Darkthrone, and a few others) was in need of a major shake-up, Borknagar came up with the radical notion of making their seventh album, Origin, a predominantly mellow collection of acoustic songs, steeped in both folk and classical music. And, heck, why not? Some of the most extreme black metal artists (Norway's Finntroll and Windir, Sweden's Dimmu Borgir and Bathory, Finland's Amorphis, etc.) have integrated both orchestral and Scandinavian folk traditions into their music over the years, so it really shouldn't surprise anyone that the gentle sounds displayed on Origin appear to come so naturally to Borknagar, as well. So it is that, along with the band's core members -- who bravely bare their instrumental talents to scrutiny and acquit themselves impressively without the shielding cloak of electric amplification -- several guest musicians are brought in to contribute orchestral strings and native-sounding woodwinds to all nine songs. These are topped with seriously philosophical and certainly pagan-inspired lyrics discussing life, the universe and everything, and result in frequent highlights throughout elaborate but supple offerings like "Earth Imagery," "Grains," "The Sprit of Nature," and a totally reinvented version of old song "Oceans Rise." On stark interludes like "Signs" and "Cynosure," sweet, delicate flutes provide a distinctive sense of lonely melancholy; while on the frugally named "White," the tables are turned and its dense and dramatic sweeps of orchestration are being used to successfully translate black metal's structural complexity and emotional unease to these lighter environs. Even so, one is tempted to wager that most listeners who stumble upon this album without knowledge of Borknagar's prior history might well be fooled into thinking that it represents their everyday musical pastures, not a total departure. And that, more so than speculating on its merits as compared to other mostly acoustic albums, is probably the biggest validation of its overall quality. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Twenty years since its inception, "black metal" has become as useless a term as its original parent "heavy metal" when it comes to properly describing its many offshoots and subgenres. After all, how can a single label possibly encompass both the primitive rawness of a Darkthrone and the classical music-derived grandeur of a Dimmu Borgir -- not to mention the innumerable strains of Viking, post-thrash, and death-bordering varieties out there? Norway's Borknagar are one of the longest-tenured members of the incomparably bustling Scandinavian black metal scene, and they too have clearly outgrown simplistic genre definitions over the course of ten years and six albums. 2004's Epic is that sixth album, and, true to its title, it finds the band led by guitarist Oystein G. Brun crafting yet another ambitious collage of metal styles into what they like to call "majestic black metal." Not quite as symphonic in scope as the likes of Emperor or the aforementioned Dimmu, nor as obsessed with the Viking and folk elements like Enslaved or Windir, the compositions of Borknagar are based on more traditional rock songwriting structures; and they attain their greatest distinction through ample and eclectic keyboard colorings, and a literal laundry list of different vocal techniques enriching their creative palette. The recent addition of accomplished vocalist Vintersorg is crucial to this last mission, and he once again proves himself equally comfortable with black metal's requisite strangled shrieking as with outright melodic singing. In fact, Epic proves that he's easily one of his generation's best singers working within the extreme metal idiom. Throw in the expert musicianship and inventive arrangements fashioned by the rest of the group and resulting album highlights such as "Future Reminiscence," "Sealed Chambers of Electricity," and "Resonance" positively sparkle with memorable riffs, tasty keyboards, and, most importantly, furiously head-banging passages. The psychedelic guitar chimes of "Traveller" and the dramatic quasi-power ballads "Circled" and "The Wonder" (only the cookie monster grunts don't comply, but they work anyway) show Borknagar's willingness to defy metal's boundaries, while the remarkable instrumental, "Weight of the Wind," simply breaks with all preconceptions by combining beautiful piano, mesmerizing keyboards, and spidery guitar leads in equal measures. All in all, Epic is a particularly satisfying, distinctive, and at times even surprising release from these "black metal" veterans. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Five discs down the road, Borknagar seems less like a Norwegian supergroup side project and more like a cohesive band unit, and not just due to the group's relative longevity and prodigious output, but also because Empiricism is such a strong outing. Unlike the somewhat experimental and disjointed Quintessence disc that preceded it, Empiricism is a lot easier to appreciate from the first listen onward. Possibly the influx of new blood spearheaded Øystein G. Brun, the only original member left, to take this more straightforward direction; wholly one third of Borknagar's lineup is new to the band. Vocalist Vintersorg, of the band of the same name, replaced I.C.S. Vortex so he could concentrate on Dimmu Borgir. Tyr, a session member of Satyricon, and Emperor, who replaced Simen Hestnaes, also make their debut appearances with the group on this disc. Regardless of who is responsible, Empiricism is a monster. The production is much better this time out and memorable moments abound, such as the controlled chaos of "Liberated" and the Mercyful Fate-like intro riff to "Gods of My World." Complexities do pop up, such as the overall influx of piano and lush, acoustic-laced moments (most evident on epic disc-closer "The View of Everlast"). Unlike on past efforts, however, these investigations fit in well with the overall grandeur of well-executed, mid-tempo, classically themed black metal. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Borknagar, being one of Europe's most fruitful and creative acts, has always faced one serious hurdle in the confines of metal criticism: definition. Viking metal supergroup? Mid-paced black metal geniuses? How about revolving-door avant-garde extreme metal? Well, now they have gone and done it again, except that this time they have laid all definition to ruin. So people, give it a rest, Borknagar is, well, exactly what the name implies. Quintessence will most likely get lost in the shuffle of "albums not wanted to be understood," due to its strange buried production and sluggish off-kilter pacing. Admittedly nothing seems to happen on this album and nothing strikingly sticks out, as opposed to past releases. Upon repeated listens, though, the listener suddenly understands Borknagar's ingenious and beautiful joke. Go ahead, listen to "Ruins of the Future" one more time; now is the brilliance last heard on "A Tale of Pagan Tongue" evident? How about the unrelenting psychedelic synth textures oozing under each composition -- bringing to mind Diabolical Masquerade's Nightwork. In fact, everything seems to be subdued and buried on this release, a cruel trick, considering Tagtgren's usual Abyss Studio reputation, making it uneasy and demanding on the listener. I.C.S. Vortex shows why he is the most versatile vocalist in Norway, attaining new heights on "The Presence Is Ominous," "Colossus," and "Revolt." Arguably, the dimensions explored in the closing trilogy of Quintessence may be Borknagar's Holy Grail. Here, aggression, melody, electronics, epic vocals, and several other strange elements mesh to form an unbreakable bond of musical brilliance. There is still too much left unsaid, but that is for the listeners to discover for themselves. ~ Jason Hundey, All Music Guide
'The Archaic Course'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 8
Label Century Media
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Borknagar's 1998 release, The Archaic Course, maintained the bold trajectory the band established on The Olden Domain, taking them even further from their black metal roots. After a series of four cacophonous but highly detailed numbers start the disc off with an extreme metal howl, the music subsides, and Borknagar's chaos theory gives way to a more thoughtful brand of metal. The sheer density of tracks like "Oceans Rise" and "The Witching Hour" is notable, as are the unending key changes that lend a unique symphonic element to the mix. A career-long struggle with production hinders the more aggressive early section of Archaic Course as heavily layered guitars and keyboards swarm into a throbbing white noise. This wash of sound might have been the desired effect, but such inarticulate production is an unlikely goal. During later, more progressive cuts, however, some precious room is allowed listeners, creating the opportunity to absorb the many vocal/guitar harmonies and other dynamic tricks. While a more detailed production would have helped The Archaic Course, the record is still an imaginative one that fans of Norway's Borknagar should enjoy. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
'The Olden Domain'
Release Date 1/1/1997
Tracks 8
Label Century Media
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Borknagar's first U.S. album, The Olden Domain, is an impressive, highly musical black metal outing; the typical Norwegian blasts of sound are largely eschewed in favor of detailed arrangements employing electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, and vocals that range from the typical growl to an almost James Hetfield-like quality. Echoes of Metallica and Mercyful Fate permeate the record, but Borknagar is undeniably carving out its own territory. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Borknagar's first offering is a harsh yet melodic and majestic black metal album, featuring the "all-star" cast of vocalist Garm (Ulver/Arcturus), drummer Grim (Gorgoroth), bassist Infernus (Gorgoroth), and keyboardist Ivar Bjornson (Enslaved), in addition to leader/guitarist Øystein G. Brun. Production-wise, this is Borknagar's most raw sounding album, most notably in terms of the guitars, which here have more of an abrasive, buzzing sound (similar to Enslaved) than on subsequent records. Meanwhile, the songs (there are five of them, along with five instrumentals/interludes) possess the group's trademark epic vibe, with sweeping guitar melodies, subtle keyboard embellishments, and cleanly sung/chanted vocal sections contrasting the music's more purely aggressive and destructive elements. "Vintervredets Sjelesagn" and "Grimskalle Trell" are especially good examples of this group's ability to sound grandiose and also really rock at the same time, and this rare balance is one of the album's main strong points. Some listeners may prefer the slightly more polished approach of Borknagar's later CDs, but this is certainly among their best efforts and it definitely has more of a rough edge to it than anything else they've done. ~ William York, All Music Guide
