Borknagar - Quintessence

Country: Norway      Genre: Black Metal, Folk Metal

Quintessence is a transition album, finding Borknagar still operating in a similar field musically as on The Archaic Course, but also changing the focus, making something a little darker than before, less organic sounding. The overly sharp and direct Abyss Studio production doesn't work very well for Borknagar, as they are not Immortal or Dark Funeral, they are an organic black metal band first and foremost. They were on the first three albums and were again on Empiricism. However I get a feeling that Vortex had been spending too much time with Dimmu Borgir (this is right before he left) and so he was using a lot of vocal effects very similar to Shagrath's vocal effects, and even the music started to develop that grotesque carnival feeling of Dimu Borgir. As such the band is much more direct then they've been since Borknagar, but lack the overwhelming olden feeling of that album. They sound kind of confused on here, not wanted to continue down the Norwegian feeling of their first two, and not fully going down the mystical path of The Archaic Course we find the band doing a bit of both, sometimes venturing into something a bit like where they'd end up going, but in general the feeling is a little odd. Not all the songs are bad though, when the keyboardist doesn't over use the Organ sounds and everything falls in place. I particularly like the choir parts of the album, on songs like "The Prescence is Ominous" for example.

I don't like their new keyboardist, maybe it's because Ivar Bjornson was so talented, but this new guy doesn't seem to understand how to totally infiltrate the keyboard elements into the songs, sometimes using some really strange and bad sounding effects. You could say this is Borknagar's "experimental" album, where they tried stuff and sometimes it worked, others it did not. But like I said not all is bad, it is still Borknagar, but I can understand why Vortex left, and am kind of glad he did as though I really enjoyed his work on The Archaic Course and also his earlier work with bands like Arcturus and Ved Buens Ende, his work on here is very derivive of Shagrath, and he also doesn't use his clean voice very much (and when he does it really lights up the music, like on what is perhaps the best song on here "Colossus"), which is perhaps his best asset (though if you asked me Vintersorg is better at that). Best songs on here: "The Presence is Ominous," "Colossus," "Icon Dreams" and "Revolt." They're all songs that still have the same Borknagar epic sound, also all unsurprisingly are the songs that Vortex sings the most with his clean voice, which is something Shagrath could never do. The worst song on here? "Inner Landscape," the new keyboardist keyboard song which is jut horrible, totally out of line for a Borknagar album, it sounds like a track Arcturus or Dimmu Borgir would have thrown away. I'm going to give this a 7, the lowest score I've ever given a Borknagar CD, as it has some good tracks alongside the wretched sounding ones, I wouldn't start here if I were a new fan, this for the fan who's bought everything else and wants to hear a few more things by the band. With that approach this has some really good moments, though it won't be played as much on my CD player as any of their other albums.

 Album Score: 7 out of 10
Reviewed by: Karl Haikara

Nature worship is nothing new to Norwegian black metallers Borknagar. The lyrics and music of this quintet seem to summon the raging elements themselves, displaying an epic quality that sets Borknagar apart from the standard blast beat/coffin growl variety. With Quintessence, the group has added some new talent and twists to a successful formula that has gained them notoriety as one of Scandinavia's most original extreme metal acts.

Given the depth and complexity of Borknagar's music, it's hard to believe they've only been around since 1995. Yet it was that year that guitarist Oystein Brun formed the group and caught the attention of metal's underground by recruiting Garm (Ulver and Arcturus), Grim (Gorgoroth, Immortal) and Ivar Bjornson of Enslaved as bandmates. Borknagar was signed without even releasing a demo just a year later, and their self-titled debut made big waves in Europe's black metal scene. Century Media took notice, signing the band in 1997 and issuing their second release, The Olden Domain. After a successful tour with In Flames, Borknagar went back to the studio in 1998 and produced their most intricate and epic work to that point, The Archaic Course. Leading the way was new vocalist I.C.S. Vortex (known for his work in Arcturus and Ved Buens Ende), who replaced Garm and brought a fascinating blend of clean and unclean vocals to the band's already potent mix. Course blossomed with Nordic folk melodies and a romantic sense of grandeur that meshed seamlessly with the band's ferocious black metal stylings.

Change has again come on Quintessence, as Vortex has taken over the bass duties and Spiral Architect drummer Asgeir Mickelson has stepped in for the now-deceased Grim. Lars A. Nedland (also active in Solefald) has also lent his talents on keyboards. The result is another technically impeccable effort with customary production polish (courtesy of Peter Tägtgren), that adds a few new tweaks to keep things fresh and interesting. Jumping out at the listener is the experimentation with vocal effects. A gurgling, underwater- type sound is played with on the scorching "Ruins of the Future." "The Presence is Ominous" has a layered effect that recalls the synth-like voice utilized by technical metal legends Cynic. Less noticeable is a change in the overall keyboard sound. Nedland's sound is more intrusive than on past albums, and often seems to be driving the band's compositions. It works fine on pieces focused around him (such as the instrumental, "The Inner Landscape"), but is less effective when his bandmates are actively involved. The Archaic Course seemed much more adept at blending the band's various players, moods, and stylings into a coherent vision.

Quintessence, however, is not without its moments. The sense of grandeur and epiphany so palpable on past efforts returns again on tracks like "Revolt" and "Colossus." And lyrics such as "Upon the failure, denial of token/Upon the speech, in my tongue spoken/ Upon the ruins of the future I settled to be bold/When the downfall arises, as I am told" from "Ruins of the Future" make it clear that Borknagar is a band with vision and adherence to grander philosophical themes. If Quintessence is not their greatest work, it is nonetheless a significant one, and the next step on a path that is distinctly their own.

Reviewed by: Ladd Everitt