I have a long history with Borknagar. I began to follow the band after the release of Empiricism. I was a high school student at the time and a freshly minted Metalhead. Borknagar’s combination of fierce Black Metal with progressive melodies and soaring clean vocals enraptured me. When Epic dropped in 2004, it only served to deepen my love of the band and that record made it’s way into my Top 5 albums of that year. Well, fast forward twenty years and the story remains the same. Borknagar is still consistently great and the recent run of albums including Urd, Winter Thrice, True North, and now Fall is on a par with any run of albums from the band’s discography.
From the opening notes of Summits the Borknagar sound emerges as crisp and clear as the air of the fjords in the band’s native Norway. Ice-cold Black Metal riffing and screeches transport the listener to the peak of a stormy mountain only to take in the view as the heavenly voice of ICS Vortex clears the skies. You can never mistake Borknagar for any other band. Mastermind Øystein G. Brun has carved out a unique sound – weaving together threads of Black Metal, Progressive Rock, and Nordic Folk into something truly his own. All of this is on display in the opening track where freezing Black Metal gives way in the middle to dreamy prog.
Nordic Anthem is the outlier track on the album – much like Voices was on True North. It’s a vocally driven track interspersed with tribal rhythms. The core of album sees the band reach some of it’s highest heights, not just on Fall, but in the entire Borknagar catalogue. The crowning gem of the album is Moon which is propelled by one of my finest vocal performances in the legendary career of ICS Vortex. Rather than resting on his laurels, he clearly challenged himself on this album and the result is evident: perhaps the best all-around performance on an album in his storied catalog. Vortex’s vocals are powerful, sensitive, and appropriate in each range and situation – a true highlight on an incredible record.
Another strength of Fall is the songwriting. The flow of the album is tremendous and it’s 54+ minutes pass by in what seems like half of the time. Fall shifts seamlessly from ripping Black Metal speed and harsh vocals to warm prog with gentle melodies to soaring anthemic choruses (and blastbeats!) ala Northward. Øystein has clearly mastered the art of songwriting, but he is not the sole contributor. Tracks were also written by Lars Nedland and ICS Vortex, the other longstanding, core members of the band. The fact that the three can blend their songwriting so well is a testament to their lasting creative union.
Fall is a truly remarkable work of art that should please not only longtime Borknagar fans, but any serious fan of Metal or music in general. The album sits neatly alongside recent classics Winter Thrice and True North and provides convincing evide
Tracklist:
Summits 7:59
Nordic Anthem 5:15
Afar 6:55
Moon 5:52
Stars Ablaze 8:27
Unraveling 4:34
The Wild Lingers 5:34
Northward 9:54
Band members:
Øystein G. Brun (guitars)
Simen “ICS Vortex” Hestnæs (vocals/bass)
Lars A. Nedland (vocals/keyboards)
Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow (drums)
Jostein Thomassen (guitars)
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