Borknagar – Fall
Reviewed By: Jason Deaville
Review Score: 9.5
We tend to see and think in the micro. We sweat the small stuff… the immediate stuff. Usually, it’s the stuff that doesn’t matter. Most of us only think of changing incremental things in order to improve something right away. We are conditioned to notice that which is most easily perceptible, and untrained – perhaps even afraid – to heed the bigger picture. In some part, these limitations are inherent due to cognitive and optic constraints as mere mortals. Yet, there are those among us who strive to break those limitations, venturing into the macro… into realms unknown… dimensions unseen. Typically, these ventures are embarked upon by those in the sciences and practitioners of the metaphysical. On rare occassion, us metalheads are presented with a work of art which explores these very topics, intertwining the colossal and imperceptible, both musically and thematically. Norway’s Borknagar are one such band.
Getting their start way back in ’94, Borknagar quickly gained notoriety as a foreward-thinking band in the realm of black metal. Lead by guitarist/mastermind/composer extraordinairre, Øystein G. Brun, Borknagar have traversed the sphere of the esoteric through twelve full-length albums. With their latest album, Fall, Brun explores the bigger picture, the finer details, interacting with the unknown to deliver a musical message that is clear and consistent. His love of Norwegian nature and sense of responsibility for preserving it, Brun’s music is constantly in motion. Searching. Inventing.
SUMMITS
Fall‘s lead-off track (and first single), ‘Summits’ is a stark, sobering reminder that this life is fleeting, and to not think, even live, outside-the-box, is a waste of this precious life. Legendary vocalist, Simen Hestnæs (aka ICS Vortex), gives one of his finest vocal performances in recent memory on the track, delivering in both the beautiful, clean sung voice he is so well known for, and absolutely destroying eardrums with the harsh, vicious black metal screams that were previously taken up by former frontman, Vintersorg (who left the band due to health reasons and to focus on his teaching career back in 2019, prior to Borknagar’s last release, True North). The song ebbs and flows like a crystal clear stream snaking its way through valleys and moutainous passes, ultimately climaxing towards the end as it nears the ‘Summit’. In the final two epic minutes, Vortex espouses a beautifully sung passage that perfectly captures the essence of the song and the album as a whole…
With each step I take, on this stark, boundless quest,
I embrace the hardships, I greet every test.
For in the pursuit of these sights still unseen,
I carry my history, bold and serene.
The progressive elements of the song are not progressive for the sake of progressiveness. There is an incredible amount of thought put into balancing the avante-garde with the extreme, in an effort to not come across as overly obtuse or boastful. ‘Summits’ is a banner moment in the history of Borknagar, and a song that will most certainly remain relevant for generations to come.
NORDIC ANTHEM
Norway’s official national anthem, ‘Ja, vi elsker dette landet’ (‘Yes, we love this country’) could potentially be at risk if the right people in The Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) catch wind of Fall‘s second song, ‘Nordic Anthem’ (there has got to be some governmental metalheads… Norway is full of metalheads!). ‘Nordic Anthem’ is the second single and video off the album, and tells the tale of Nordic pride. The song makes no bones about it, with lyrics that read…
This is our home,
Our life is free.
From coast to mountain,
We will never bend our knee.
We bow our heads to nothing but our past,
Our breath is cold, we know our history will last.
In a time when globalism threatens to erase the deep, vast histories of millenia-old cultures, ‘Nordic Anthem’ fights to keep the spirit of the past alive. Musically, the song is composed of a variety of musical codes that are common in the bombastical realm of National Anthems, which often take the form of a hymn or march. ‘Nordic Anthem’ fits this mold to a tee, with focus on melody, harmony, form, dynamics, subtle orchestration, and a strong, infectious rhythm. Vocalist, Lars Nedland (aka Lazare), takes the reigns on the song; his incredibly complex, powerful, and emotive inflection serve to raise the song to epic proportions. Good luck getting this song out of your head, even after a cursory listen.
AFAR
The guys take things back a bit with ‘Afar’… not too far… back to the turn of the century and their stunningly neoteric album, Empiricism. For those familiar with this album, it was the turning point into more progressive territory, shedding some of the overt folk elements from the previous albums, The Archaic Course and Quintessence. Essentially, Empiricism was a rebirthing of Borknagar, becoming the band we all know and love today. ‘Afar’ is lean and explicit in its presentation, with an instantly addictive chorus and melody. Gone are the awkard transitions between the fast and mid-tempo stuff, which can be found on some of the albums from the early-to-mid 2000s. The song shifts from aggressive to serene, both musically and vocally, without ever losing its sense of direction.
MOON
The third single from the album, ‘Moon’ was wholly penned by bassist/vocalist ICS Vortex. This is immediately evident in the opening seconds of the song, which shares a similiar ethos to the man’s solo album from 2011; a much more straight-forward affair that has a rock sensibility to it, while still maintaining the signature Borknagar sound. The keyboards are far more prevalent in this song, showcasing Lars Nedland’s skill behind the instrument. A dreamy, etheral intermission presents itself mid-section of the track that allows the duo of Brun and Jostein Thomassen to put forward their very best David Gilmore-esque atmospheric guitar tradeoffs.
STARS ABLAZE
For anyone who has wandered around a Nordic forest at night, you’ll have a good understanding of the next song, ‘Stars Ablaze’. The Norwegian night sky is a dazzling spectacle of starlight and timelessness, and ‘Stars Ablaze’ captures this radiance and universality perfectly. The swell of a beautiful opening guitar interlude is quickly usurped by the thunderous clean vocals of ICS Vortex, who then gives way for the equally impressive clean vox of Larzare. The two continue to trade-off vocal melodies throughout the remainder of the song. On occassion, their bewitching voices meet for a spine-tingling vocal harmony that is not soon forgotten. Drummer, Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow, is put to the test at approximately two minutes into the song when things shift from serene to tempestuous; the man laying down a whirlwind of double-kicks and blasts like its a leisurely walk in the forest. The song ends just as beautifully as it began, with a fade out equally as breathtaking as the starry Nordic night.
UNRAVELING
The song certainly lives up to its namesake, unraveling itself in surprising ways throughout four plus minutes. At first listen, the song possess quite a different vibe, with emphasis on what sounds like a Hammond organ tinkling away in the background. It’s mostly a mid-paced affair, with a strong chorus belted out by Vortex that reminds me a bit of a big, bombastic chorus in a 70s rock anthem. At times, I get some real Dream Theater vibes, particulary with the vocal and guitar melodies. I’m even hearing an underpinning of older prog heavyweights, such as King Crimson, Yes, and even Genesis. Definitely a rollercoaster of a song that makes for a fun, eardrum-tittilating listen.
THE WILD LINGERS
The song opens with a big, airy guitar passage à la Pink Floyd with plenty of sustain and whammy action. This is very effective in setting up the coming verse that demonstrates a surprising lower-register clean vocal from Vortex, who typically knocks our socks off with his stunning falsetto (don’t worry, said falsetto comes later in the song). The chorus then hits with a dazzling amount of orchestration, courtesy of Lazare’s skill behind the keyboard (or is that an actual orchestra?). Overall, the song is reminiscent of Ihsahn’s more contemporary work, choosing subtelty over ferocity, with surprising results.
NORTHWARD
The album ends with a near-ten minute foray into the familiar. Where much of the album is unafraid to explore realms less-traveled by the band, ‘Northward’ provides the listener with many of the elements that make contemporary Borknagar so absolutely breathtaking. Most interestingly, ‘Northward’ shares a similar ethos to fellow countrymen Dimmu Borgir and the song ‘Entrance’ from their classic album, Enthrone Darkness Triumphant. In particular, it’s the chord progression and accompanying orchestration that starts at fifty seconds into ‘Northward’ (and reappears often throughout the song). It’s different enough to not be plagiaristic, and certainly points to the band digging into the origins of Norwegian symponic black metal and applying that aesthetic to the Borknagar sound. It serves to give the song a decidedly 90s feel, which works in its favour.
CONCLUSION
With Fall, Borknagar have crafted their most ambitious and mature-sounding album to date. It is immediately clear that there were no compromises as it relates to the eight songs on display (with a total running time of just over fifty-four minutes). Make no mistake about it, though; through and through, this is still a Borknagar album. Yes, they explore, but not at the expense of their trademark sound. Every unfamiliar element introduced becomes immediately familiar when applied into the framework of the Borknagar brand. This allows the band to experiment while ensuring they don’t ostracize fans, whether those fans be new or old. Alongside countrymen, Enslaved, Fall has permanently cemented Borknagar as a tour de force in the realm of progressive black metal for many years to come.
Fall sees the light of day on February 23rd via Century Media Records.