Epic

I admit that I struggled to remember much of Epic before going back into it, or at least any 'highlights' of the album that have stood up to me against the greatness of so much in their discography. I can't say that Borknagar has ever released a bad album, but there are certainly some phases of their career I find more memorable than others, i.e. the first three albums or the two newest efforts Winter Thrice and True North with Vortex back in the fold. The solely Vintersorg-fronted material is not my favorite, but all of them are rewarding enough to listen through as I'm finding once again with an album I personally underrated for whatever goddamn reason that it just didn't sink in with me much at the time I first picked up the CD over at the local Bull Moose Music chapter.

Part of that was probably that it blends in rather well with Empiricism. The production on Epic is more prominent, as its title might imply, and the black metal vocals slightly more visceral, but the arsenal is much the same, proggy-infused melodic black metal that shifts between thundering blast sequences, frolicking mid-paced passages where the vocals shine, and folksy segues. Hedlund does continue to warm up and improve his vocal style here through multi-tracking, and delivering some more solid lines in the upper range of his comfort zone. As much as I wasn't feeling some of his singing on older albums of his career, it's absolutely certain that he brought his A-game with this new Borknagar venture, it remains some of his best work and helped spur continual growth through his other projects, particular his eponymous solo records which are generally quite good. Some of the rasping stuff can get a little bold or silly sounding in spots, but his cleaner vocal arrangements sound really good on tracks like "Traveller", or even where he's largely using them as backups for the snarls in "Resonance", etc. I think the band had also gotten a little better at making the symphonic sweeps sound more organic and natural within the tunes.

The group had whittled down to a four-piece here, with everyone handling multiple duties and really offering a showcase reel of their talents. I don't know that Asgeir Mickelson is as good a bass player as he is a drummer, and thus that instrument isn't quite as effective as it was on prior Borknagar albums, but he's got his moments, and even offers a little lead guitar. Lars Nedland continues to refine the progressive and orchestral aspects of the group's sound that were originally introduced by Ivar of Enslaved on the first few albums, and the acoustic pianos and guitars all over the album sound great. There's definitely a lot of shared songwriting duties which might make the album feel a little more chopped up than its predecessor, but everything still flows quite well together, and passionate tracks like "Cyclus" or "Sealed Chamber of Electricity" really floored me like they never had before. I think sometimes a group of this quality and consistency has a tendency to overwhelm me with what it offers, so I'm grateful that the style and production on this album holds up so well, that I can listen back on it over decades and continually discover what I'd been missing. It's still one of my least favorite efforts in their discography, but when the lower tier is still this good, who's complaining?

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

This is Borknagar's sixth full length release. Erik is no longer playing bass and is replaced by drummer Asgeir Mickelson, otherwise no changes to the line up have been made.

Songwriting on Epic has evolved into the more earthy sound that was hinted at on Empiricism, gone are most traces of black metal. The compositions are a lot more focused, and the album as a whole flows much better than its predecessor. The production is fantastic for what it's being used for, the guitar tone sounds crisp and clear as it should to accommodate the change of direction. If you were hoping to find the bassy, powerful sound used on Quintessence, you'll be in for a disappointment.

One of my biggest complaints about Empiricism was that Mr.V's clean vocal lines were not very memorable. On Epic, as heard in songs like Traveler and Origin, they sometimes become one of the strongest aspect of the band. Very emotional and gripping, especially when accompanied by Lars Nedland's soothing backing vocals. However, as he has been for quite some time now, Andreas is continuing to push his vocal range higher than he should. While he sounds great for the most part, sometimes it comes off as awkward and strained. He really shined on albums like Till Fjalls with his lower registry, but sadly it seems he has no intention of using it anymore. Some nice death growls are demonstrated, which I hope are used a little more in future albums, and grim vocals still go second to few.

Theres a huge contrast in the way Lars handled keys for this one, than on an album like Quintessence. No synths are used, and he even incorporated a folk element at the beginning of Traveler. It isn't folk metal by any means, but the atmosphere of the album sometimes gives off a similar vibe. Hammond organs are still in full effect, as well as regular piano. It's often up to the keys to really shine and bring the atmosphere to life.

Despite the fact that at this time this is my third favorite Borky album, it's also the album that has me worried about the future of the band the most. Borknagar are characterized to be consistently inconsistent in the way that mastermind Oystein Brun reinvents the band with each album, making them sound like an entirely different band. While I did mention Epic improved on Empiricism in many ways, the reinvention isn't there. As soon as you listen to the opener you'll find yourself scratching your head and wondering if you've heard it before. That's because although better, it sounds remarkably like Empiricism's opener The Genuine Pulse. Sure Epic sounds somewhat different, and that may be good enough for most bands, but not for Borknagar. Many people blame Vintersorg's influence and claim the music has been changed to accommodate his singing. I don't know if that's the case or not, but what I do know is that this holds no candle to the albums done with Simen Hestnaes.

Borknagar, like all good music, has never prided itself on musicianship favoring strong songwriting. With that being said, some of Oystein's guitar work in the past has just been so well thought out it left me in awe of how much of a musical genius the big guy is. Riffs like The Presence Is Ominous, sounding completely unique and masterful. While he always has been and always will be the bands driving force, he seems to have taken a more straight forward approach compared to past efforts. Of course that isn't a bad thing, just different. Theres still plenty of tasty riffs to be found, and he's still the best songwriter that ever lived. His lyrics are still among the most intelligent out there, dealing with scientific themes, nature, and the cosmos. There are some nice quotes to be found, as one from Pythagoras. Asgeir's drumming is as always, superb.

Despite some minor flaws, Epic proves Borknagar are not a band that get stale and run out of ideas with age, but rather a band with no restrictions, compromises, or limitations. At it's best, this is better than any other bands effort except perhaps Myrkgrav, and at it's worst it's still pretty damn good.

Epic is one of the great Viking metal masterpieces of today. Compared to similar bands such as Enslaved and Arcturus, Borknagar has always risen above and beyond. The composition of nearly all their albums is always flawless, and Epic is no different.

Vintersorg’s vocals are a key element to the music, and the versatility of vocal techniques is well used, and never overdone. The clean vocals are placed very well, especially on tracks such as “Future Reminiscence” and “Traveller”. The lyrical intelligence and incorporation of varying patters is nothing new for Borknagar, but is just one more thing on a large list of enjoyable aspects of Epic.

The guitar work is done well. Both guitar tracks can be easily heard, but are never overdone, which is something I appreciate as far as composition and production go. Varying minor harmonies and some major chord progressions add to both the “Viking” and “Folk” elements of the band’s diverse genre choice. Several tracks on this album incorporate the use of guitars as a rhythmic device, instead of the standard use of guitar as a driving, prominent force. A good example of this is the song Cyclus, which relies heavily on the droning sound of an organ, while the guitars are mixed slightly lower and are playing rhythmic parts. The talent of Øystein G. Brun and Vintersorg is heard throughout this entire album.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this album is the use of keyboard and synth sounds. This is another signature piece of all Borknagar albums. From piano to synth to flute sounds, and many other variations, Nedland portrays his talent very well and adds to the overall atmosphere of the driving music. Although the album does not necessarily “need” keyboard parts to hold its own, it is these very parts that make this band and this album what they are.

The Drums are the last instrument that I will comment on. While it is fundamentally necessary for all metal bands to have a talented and creative drummer, the drumming techniques used on Epic go above and beyond the call. With talented cymbal work, soul-searing double bass and intricate patterns, it is easy to see that Mickelson knows exactly what he is doing and when to do it. The fast beats create the “Black” aspects of the music, adding a new diverse side to the atmosphere.

Overall, I believe that although Epic is Borknagar’s latest heavy album, it certainly will not be their last. The legacy of their wonderful composition will live on for many years, and I will always consider them heroes of Norwegian Viking metal.

I had heard Borknagar on various compilation albums most notably those being Century Media presents Identity Volume 900 (More of the exact same songs that we've thrown at you on our other compilation albums.)

Jesting aside it was because of these VA albums that I first heard Borknagar and I was impressed. I loved the epic guitar work which wasn't limited to excellent riffs, but also had some amazing solos. I also loved the mix of clean vocals with the black metalish vocals.

I downloaded the song "Future Reminscense" and loved the very well sung vocals over the progressive blackish metal instrumentation.

The other Borknagar song that I had enjoyed immensely was "Oceans Rise" and "Revolt". The store I usually buy my CDs from didn't have those two albums, so I picked up "Epic" instead.

As I've listened to the album the most notable thing that sticks out in my mind is the vocals. This could in fact be the first album where I feel inclined to say "Toss away the guitars, the drums, and the bass, but keep the vocalist!"

Then I think to myself that wouldn't be such a good idea. It seems the point of this album was not only to create a good piece of music, but to show off some good vocals. Though other reviews have described the guitar riffs as epic, I cannot say the same thing.

Here's why.

In just about everysong the vocals always overpower the guitars. This is a strange case of music. To put into context let me say this.

With a normal metal album you have a guitar, vocals, drums, and a bass. The guitars are usually front and center displaying some good riffing and soloing techniques. The vocals are their to add the lyrics, but usually fight with the guitar for the limelight. The drums add the rhythm and the beat, and the bass either also adds the rhythm and has some good riffs or else it's just there. You have a hard time hearing it, but when it's removed you miss it.

Now with Epic we have the same thing. This time however the vocals are front and center. The guitars do have some great riffs those being of a proggish variety. The beginning song and the last three songs have the best guitar work on the entire album. The point of the guitars however seems to be to support the vocalist. The bass also serves the same purpose as the guitars but also supports them. The drumming is another noticible part of the album and adds the pace of each song.

Then we get to the vocalist, and holy fucking sod this guy can SING! This is the lead singer of Vintersorg, or one of the lead singers. This guy can change notes on the fly and some of his singing methods are fantastic. The vocals are 90% clean and 10% distorted.

Some of the best vocal work is found on "Future Reminiscense" "Circled" and "The Wonder"

99/100

I had my hopes up for this album, after having greatly enjoyed Empiricism and the majority of their other albums, but was greatly let down. Not only does this album pretty much rehash the entirety of their previous works, but it manages to do so in the most uninteresting manner possible.

Running the gamut of "old school vikingy black metal song from our first album" to "yeah, this should've gone on Empiricism" to the completely unexpected "this sounds like it belongs on a Capcom game", this band seems incapable of being original anymore, doing anything remotely unexpected or even doing anything halfway decent. Managing to stradle the line between annoying and boring, the only memorable things on this album are some grating keys and glaringly stupid vocal lines. In my opinion once a band releases a song with the vocal lines "HOO... HAA!" and "la la la la la la LALALA" when they used to have somewhat decent lyrics, it's pretty obvious they should call it a day.

I'm currently undecided on whether or not they actually listened to their old stuff and tried to redo it without anyone noticing, or if they tried to fall back on the standard prog way of thinking. It really could be either, since a good half the songs sound like the same rhythms used on prior releases, while quite a few sound like they just tried to some really "technical" things that look good on paper or in a theory class, without regard for how they sound. Something I truly despise, since it always seems to take the feeling out of the music, and this is pretty damn sterile.

The short of it is that this album is full of half-assed filler material made to fulfill contractual obligations while every band member goes back to his 5 or 6 side-projects, and nothing more. I cannot honestly recommend this album to anyone unless they want more of the same on a less good level. Hopefully, the band decides to go out gracefullly and disband, as opposed to drawing this out any longer.