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March 11, 2010 |
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01. Future Reminiscence
02. Traveller
03. Origin
04. Sealed Chambers Of Electricity
05. The Weight Of Wind
06. Resonance
07. Relate (Dialogue)
08. Cyclus
09. Circled
10. The Inner Ocean Hypothesis
11. Quintessence
12. The Wonder
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BORKNAGAR have always been the sort of band that are impossible to pigeonhole. The brainchild of one Oystein G. Brun (guitarist/songwriter), the revolving-door lineup from Norway have always been an amorphous and ever-evolving entity. I remember when they first appeared way back around '95/'96 with their self-titled debut on Malicious Records. It was a decent first release, taking the Black Metal subgenre broadly referred to as 'Viking Metal' into trippier, proggier, and more atmospheric aural terrains than had been previously explored by any of their peers, save for perhaps the equally intriguing and innovative ARCTURUS, ULVER, and more recently SPIRAL ARCHITECT.
Well anyway, Century Media soon noticed the band's obvious talent and in '97 and '98 released 'The Olden Domain', and 'The Archaic Course' respectively. Both were extremely well-received and cemented BORKNAGAR's place amongst the Scandinavian Metal-elite. 2000's 'Quintessence', which would be the last for then-vocalist Simen 'Vortex' Hestnaes abandoned the literal approach to pagan themes for a broader, cerebral vibe and opened the way for present vocalist Vintersorg on 2001's 'Empiricism'. Here the band delved even deeper into modern Prog territory, playing with odd time signatures and adding elements of almost ULVERish trip-hop, smatterings of opera, and neo-classical to the standard base of Black/Folk Metal that had been the norm. Latest release 'Epic' is a definite thematic continuation from the melting pot of ideas described above.
Featuring - as always - Oystein G. Brun on guitars, 'Epic' also marks the second appearance of vocalist Vintersorg, keyboardist and background vocalist Lars A. Nedland and drummer/recording bassist Asgeir Mickelson.
First off, in terms of subject matter, it becomes obvious from the get-go that Vintersorg has had an incredible influence on the direction of the band, as lyrical themes definitely echo the voice of his own solo works to a great degree in dealing with matters of the cosmos, the physics of inner-space, and the relationship between man, nature, and the technological world. Granted, elements of these ideas have certainly been present since 'Quintessence', but have become more noticeably dominant from 'Empiricism' to the present. Musically - as stated - this release likewise continues from where the previous album left off. And it is here that my only complaint with the proceedings lies. I find listening to this (and for that matter the previous release as well) that the quest for sonic innovation has in many ways overtaken what should be most important: the music.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the incredible thought, technical skill, and effort that must go into an endeavour such as this,all of which can only elicit a head-shakingly positive response. But at the same time I can't help but wonder how often I would be inclined to pull this out and throw it on for sheer 'pleasure'. It's the aural equivalent to a really well-written textbook on Metaphysics; interesting and illuminating certainly...But entertaining? 'Epic'? Maybe the title suggests something more visceral to me than what I found waiting inside which is of a more thoughtful and even avante-garde, and artistic vein. This is definitely thinking-man's Metal. The problem is, it seems to know it, and an aura of exclusivity and 'Boy aren't we clever!' is starting to show itself. Perhaps the old 'less is more' adage might have yielded more immediately satisfying results.
That aside, this is still definitely a good BORKNAGAR album. Taken on a track-by-track basis, standouts would have to include the storming opener 'Future Reminiscence' which would have fit in nicely on 'The Archaic Course' and showcases Vintersorg's undeniably strong and uniquely identifiable vocal. 'Traveller' and 'Origin' follow; the latter demonstrating a nice sense of blackened hook with interesting melodic breakdowns. By the time 'Sealed Chambers of Electricity' comes around however, with yet more trademark BORKNAGAR strucure, and BORKNAGAR arrangement, I can't quite start to shake a growing sense of 'Heard it all before' that will plague me more often than not through to album's end. 'Resonance' and 'Relate' briefly strike the chord again with the kinds of peaks and valleys these guys are capable of when performing at their best, 'Relate' in particular capturing that certain 'something' that takes me back to the days of 'The Olden Domain'.
This is probably my favourite track on the album. From hereon in, I'm afraid that while good ideas are abundant - again - that nagging sense of a band who are starting to repeat themselves continues to creep along in the background.
To conclude, I must reiterate that I have nothing but admiration for BORKNAGAR. They are true originals. I enjoy most of their catalogue. I enjoy a hefty portion of the material on this release too. Hidden treasures doubtless await the open-minded with each spin. However, in my personal opinion I just think that perhaps the time has come for BORKNAGAR to sit back, reflect, and focus their sights on a final product that is less 'everything-but-the-kitchen-sink', and more geared towards the kind of simpler consistency that made earlier works so much more immediately satisfying. It's certainly not a lack of good ideas that is the problem here. Rather, it is the overwhelming surplus of them, minus any clear direction that is at fault. In other words, a few more days of self-editing could have easily culled this down from 12 tracks of scattered hit/miss ideas into a good 8 tracks of pure genius.
But regardless, these guys are definitely at the leading edge of Metal's forward-thinking community and utmost respect must flow. To any who like their Metal intelligent, unique, and diversely creative, I daresay BORKNAGAR's 'Epic' is certainly a recommended starting point. I am - as ever - more than interested to see where their journey will take them next.
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