:: Borknagar - Origin

Borknagar

Throughout their decade long history, Norwegian (Bergen) based act Borknagar has always progressed and challenged itself (and fans for that matter) with every new release, and it’s safe to say that with ‘Origin’ (their seventh full length album to date), they have once again achieved their objective. Contrary to what some may believe with the rather misleading title, ‘Origin’ is anything but a return to the group black metal roots, but rather an all acoustic based affair, with the nine tracks on offer being stripped back their raw components. Most Borknagar songs are written on acoustic guitar, and embellishes further in the studio, thus providing a new direction for the avant-garde group. Retaining the line of vocalist Andreas ‘Vintersorg’ Hedlund, guitarist/founder Øystein G. Brun, guest bassist Erik ‘Tyr’ Tiwaz (Ex-Emperor, and who also guested on 2004’s ‘Epic’), keyboardist Lars A. Nedland (Lazare of Solefald) and drummer Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect, Ihsahn), the group have enlisted the help of violinist Sareeta, cellist Thomas Nilsson and flutist/recorder Steinar Ofsdal to flesh out the songs in their intimate setting, and the end result is nothing short of stunning.

With the gentle strains of acoustic guitars, flutes and complimentary full bass sound, ‘Earth Imagery’ effortlessly shows off the soothing and calming aspect of Borknagar’s music, with Hedlund’s unique presence and melody structures only adding to the serenity. The captivating ‘Grains’ follows a similar theme of the opener with some additional choral effects in the backing vocal department, while the reworking of ‘Oceans Rise’ from 1998’s ‘The Archaic Course’ offers a completely different light on the old classic. After the brief instrumental ‘Signs’ subsides, the bombastic ‘White’ sees Borknagar delve into familiar territory with a greater progressive and symphonic edge seeping into the acoustic format, while the towering ‘Cynosure’ and ‘The Human Nature’ only prove Hedlund’s unmatched ability and sound on the vocal front. The sweeping ‘Acclimation’ is perhaps the most visual song on the album with the song centred more around Hedlund’s odd vocal passages than the rest of the album, while the parting instrumental ‘The Spirit Of Nature’ draws together a sound of all the musicians together in a befitting symphonic and orchestral manner. While some may be a little disappointed in Borknagar’s decision to try their hand at an all acoustic album, ‘Origin’ proves once again another to be another compelling piece of art from avant-garde act, and a release that continues their push into strange and different sonic terrain.