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Borknagar > Winter Thrice > 2016, CD, Century Media Records (Limited edition, Digipak, Germany) > Reviews
Borknagar - Winter Thrice

Borknagar - Winter Thrice - 95%

Orbitball, January 23rd, 2022
Written based on this version: 2016, CD, Century Media Records (Limited edition, Digipak, Germany)

Surprised I didn't get around to this sooner, I suppose it was a pause in retrospect thinking that it's already been covered. For whatever reason, here we have an almost flawless release that covers 3 genres all into one. But I think it's important to say that despite this, the music itself speaks for itself. What a varying degree of metal that ignites the speakers with bleeding metal though with varying degrees of intensity. They fluctuate rapidly mixing in those genres all up unto one. It's really noble that they've been able to do this! The vocals compliment the music perfectly. They go from shouting to clean it's rather (on clean) like Falconer.

It's strange that 'Winter Thrice' is actually the first LP I've heard from this band despite their extended discography. And I'm keen on hearing more newer material from them. Quite a unique album and quite a unique band. The ability to mesh 3 genres and on here it is quite evident because of the time signature changes. Some fast tempos that are accompanied by yelling lyrics indicates their black metal portion. The slower tempos and clean vocals indicate more of folk/Viking segments. The clean vocals remind me of Matthias from Falconer, though he has his own style being a native of Sweden.

I enjoyed the music quite immensely there were no songs that I thought weren't worthy of looking forward to. They all in their own way in metal struck me like I've never head before in sounds. Really unique. I didn't go by any song halfway through they all were played through and sufficiently played out. I thought that the musicianship was phenomenal. As I say, I'm looking forward to the new material. But this one was way worth it's weight in gold. These guys know how to juggle genres and the tempo changes really illustrates that in sounds. What a great album and knowing that they're still active is great.

The sound quality on here is awesome. You can hear everything equally and when one song ends, it's a matter of looking forward to the next then also the next after that, so forth. This album is available to hear on YouTube or Spotify. It's worth getting the physical CD, but if not, it's still good to take a listen in any streaming services see if you like it. I thought it was a little odd at first because of the time signature changes but as I heard more and more, the greater I liked it! I'd pick any of these songs as a sample about what to expect on the LP, but any of them are worth checking out and admiring. Take a listen!

Frost and fire incarnate - 92%

autothrall, March 14th, 2020
Written based on this version: 2016, CD, Century Media Records (Limited edition, Digipak, Germany)

Some people love the Three Tenors, some love their G3 guitar god tours, but I've got my Winter Thrice, an album that teams up all three of Borknagar's 'lead' singers to great success, thanks to some real teamwork and excellent songwriting. Now I admit, I've already made a bit of an exaggeration since 'Fiery G.' only appears on a couple of the tunes, but let's just combine his presence with Lars Nedland's added vocals and count them as one person. What's even more, like Urd before it, Winter Thrice feels like the band had a new lease on its existence, the compositions here are compelling, fresh, and apart from their stylistic parallels, didn't feel like any sort of senseless or lazy rehash of anything that had come before. A lot of that is the vocal interplay between Vintersorg and ICS Vortex, which was already well managed on the previous album, but seems to have matured here with a better balance between all the snarling black metal vocals, chants, choirs and Vortex' clean, almost yodel-like presence which had long been one of their most distinct characteristics.

But for all that, they also manage to squeeze in 'Fiery G.', Kristoffer 'Garm' Rygg back into the fold with the amazing title track and "Terminus", later on in the playlist. For a band that already had so much going on, so many weapons to skewer you with, this is just added detail that makes them so consistently engaging. You could very easily fuck up something like this with too many cooks in the kitchen and make the album sound like a crowded mess, but Brun is such a great writer that the album never suffers from any sort of excess, the structure of every moment is divine. I've already mentioned the title track which was instantly catapulted into my top handful of Borknagar tracks, not only for the trio of singers but also because of those Viking-like swaggering riffs colliding into the proggier parts with the amazingly memorable clean vocals. I hear this song every time I dream, from the melodies to the grounded brickwork laid out by Baard Kolstad, on loan from Leprous, who does a killer job here taking over for David Kincade, even if just for this one studio effort. Other highlights include "Cold Runs the River" with its desperate, surging rhythm and swells of heavenly orchestration, or "The Rhyme of the Mountain", one of their best career openers, or the nerding out of the proggy "Panorama", or the mellow but no-less-potent "Noctilucent".

I wouldn't say the album is entirely perfect, for all the masterful tunes here there are certainly a few moments where the music doesn't catch the ear quite so spiritually. Granted, this is a matter of measures or riffs, never whole tunes, and there is no sub-par material whatsoever that I feel like skipping, but I didn't think the album was incessantly genius, mostly just Urd-level with a few tracks going above and beyond anything on that one. Production is very polished and even, whether they're storming off into a blast beat with Vintersorg's rasp leading the way, an acoustic segue, or a more choppy progressive bit, and the lyrics are some of their finest, conjuring up these cyclopean and sweeping images of nature and philosophical whimsy. I can recall listening the fuck out of this thing when it first showed up early in 2016, and then for several late Autumns since then it provided me with an awesome soundtrack to some of my landscaping, whether it was bagging leaves or clearing snow. Just one of that albums that sounds even better outside than it does when you're experience it in a closed off environment. Expansive, mesmerizing and proof there was still a LOT of life left in this almost infallible Norwegian act. Tied with The Olden Domain for my third favorite Borknagar.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Thrice, Thrice And Thrice Again! - 95%

Larry6990, February 19th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2016, CD, Century Media Records (EU)

One of metal's most consistent, and therefore underrated, bands stamp their mark upon the genre once more. When I say consistent, I mean that in terms of quality as well as quantity. A four year gap between albums is unusual for Borknagar; this IS the band who released four gold-quality albums between 1996 and 2000...then five more in the new millennium. Of variable successes, but all unique and bringing something fresh to the table. After 2012's expansive "Urd", the frosty melodies of "Winter Thrice" pick up the baton and sprint off into the sunset with it, leaving all other competitors in the dust.

Competitors? It's hard to pin down exactly who Borknagar's peers are, genre-wise. For me, they cross the line between the progressive tinge of early Tyr, and the more grandiose side of Moonsorrow. However, Borknagar pre-dates both those bands, so in reality they simply stride on; proud and peerless. The four-year gap has allowed for an expansion of sound since "Urd"; there is a bigger emphasis on the cleaner, more ambient sections. Although this has always been an aspect of Borknagar's music, on "Winter Thrice" they carry significant gravitas - often introducing musical motifs which are developed as each song progresses.

Another, more immediately noticeable, evolution since the previous release is the vocal variety. Both Lars' and Vortex's crisp, melodious tones are exquisite; perfectly decipherable and provide significant emotional power. Extravagant opener "The Rhymes of the Mountain" is particularly memorable because of their smooth choral quality. Good ol' Vintersorg sounds as reliable as ever - his blackened growls beautifully performed, but also perfectly comprehensible. He really shines in the icy "Cold Runs The River" - which is also where my previous comparison to Moonsorrow is most apparent.

The songwriting here is certainly extensive - something now a given for this Norwegian sextet. This can narrowly work against them in some areas. Occasionally, tracks get lost in their own wanderings - especially "Noctilucent" which seems pretty directionless. I understand that the joy of this band is allowing the multi-layered tracks to grow on you over time, but sometimes it has the tendency to be quantity over substance.

The sprawling nature of the songs is incredibly immersive. Forget even trying to sing along or mime the guitar solos - just lie back and let the ethereal atmosphere engulf your mortal body. The triumphant chorus of "Erodent", the broad structure of "Terminus", the celestial beauty of "Panorama"...it's all so goddamn atmospheric and addictive! Even when Kolstad is going hell-for-leather with his inimitable blast-beats, is still retains a vibe of dignity and nobility. Perhaps it's the respectful nature of the lyrics, perhaps it's the contrapuntal vocal acrobatics, perhaps it's the regal riffwork. Perhaps nothing - it's all these things.

I'm so happy Borknagar decided to evolve from the black metal of such early releases as "The Olden Domain" (amazing as that album is), because they have created a truly wondrous entity over the past decade. Their brand of progressive folk metal is unmatched anywhere else - both in style and musicianship. "Winter Thrice" is yet another monument to one of metal's most cruelly overlooked, but remarkably consistent bands - along with Manilla Road and Overkill. So far, the Bergen crew are leading the race for 'album of 2016'. Hail to Norway!

"Waves that rave the coastal line.
Rain that reaps the breeding soil.
Wind that pierces the heart of man.
The fire that burns all creatures around."

And the fire shine in the forest - 96%

TheMetalPalantir, February 13th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2016, CD, Century Media Records (Limited edition, Digipak, Germany)

The Metal Palantir - https://themetalpalantirr.wordpress.com/

Boom! 2016 here we go! These progressive black metal geniuses are back with an extraordinary album.

I must admit that I’m not much into the black metal scene as I tend to miss the most extreme genres in metal, may it be black metal may it be ultra sweet pop metal. The equilibrium in my taste is for the mixing primarily.

Quite surprisingly, this is the first time I hear Borknagar, and holy man what a discovery is this Winter Thrice! Øystein Burn is a terrific songwriter and I can say without a shadow of doubt that we are into one of the best vocal work in the past years. Vortex, Vintersorg and Lazare play a game of mixing themselves up into wonderful vocal melodies that will take you up into the mountains and feel the smell of rain on the grass in a cold winter morning. Guitar work doesn’t stay behind and Brun and Ryland are able to blend some amazing riffs with folk essences that match perfectly with the provided atmosphere. Probably core fans of black metal will find this album just too light, without enough harsh vocals on it, but again, its very difficult to have a 50/50 on clean and harsh vocals without sounding the typical metalcore band of “clean chorus and harsh verse”.

One thing has to be clear if you want to throw yourself into this wonderful journey: this is not an easy album. We are talking of 8 songs of mostly around 6-7 minutes each with quite a number of breaks and mid tempo pieces. Needless is to say that if you manage to make the effort of sinking into it you won’t be disappointed.

As for the killer songs, all of them are on an incredible high level but the first half of the album is simply enormous. The Rhymes of the Mountain, Winter Thrice (single) and Panorama will be on the top songs of progressive black-folk metal of this 2016 that has just began (and how!)

So, if you want to take an adventure through oaks, pines and birches and sit around a flaming fire this is your album.

For more reviews and comments check out the Metal Palantir blog! goo.gl/y4bNh2

Borknagar's Crowning Achievement - 100%

mjollnir, February 8th, 2016

I am a huge Borknagar fan and believe that this band has never released a bad album. Some might disagree due to how far removed their current sound is compared to their first album, which was more of a raw black metal sound but with enough melody to make it stand out. True, they do not resemble their "original" sound but neither does any other album that came after their debut. Every album after has been more focused and thought out. Vocals stand out as much as the music creating a balance of beauty and aggression, just like the forces of nature in this band's homeland of Norway. Nature is also the most common lyrical theme for this band and their newest album, Winter Thrice, is no exception.

I'm going to cut right to the chase here and say that Winter Thrice is their crowning achievement, their magnum opus. The reason I say this is because of what they were able to pull off with absolute brilliance. Anyone who is a fan of this band knows it's history of vocalists with Kristoffer "Garm, Fiery G" Rygg on the debut and sophomore before handing the torch over to Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnaes. After two albums Vortex is gone and Andreas "Vintersorg, Mr. V." Hedlund steps in adding his own brand of legendary vocals to the band. However, beginning with 2012's Urd, ICS Vortex is once again a full time member and both he and Vintersorg share vocal duties along with keyboard player Lars R. "Lazare" Nedland, who has an incredible voice and has appeared on all of Solefald's releases as well as guesting on such incredible albums like Ásmegin's incredible debut and some of Vintersorg's solo albums. So here, again, we see a band that takes it vocals seriously. So what would be the next step in this pattern that is obviously emerging?

Well, what would have seemed so unlikely a few years ago has now happened and the result is nothing short of brilliant. This album has two songs in which every vocalist that has ever been in Borknagar is singing together. The title track, could quite possibly be the best song they've ever done, even beating out "The Earthling" from Urd. The song is epic as fuck with amazing riffs and a melody that has so much atmosphere. But the best part is where you hear the unmistakable voice of Mr. Rygg and then you know this is something magical. They could have played it safe and just had him come in a sing a few bars so they can say they did it. No, instead every moment of this song is written for the person who sings it, including Garm's moments, which are quite a lot on this song. It's as if he never left and was still a part of this band. That's what makes this song so special. "Terminus" is the other song that Garm sings on and is a monster of a seven minute epic. This song is a bit heavier in spots than the title track and Garm's input here is not as prominent as on the title track but his amazing presence is felt in both of these amazing songs.

The rest of the album is no less amazing. Songs like the opener, "Rhymes of the Mountain," grab you with it's hooks immediately and let you know that this will be another amazing effort by this incredible band. "Cold Run's the River" has some really cool melodies and some nice tempo changes, which also shows newcomer Baard Kolstad on drums as a force to be reckoned with. This kid looks like he's twelve but can play his ass off. He can stand in the ranks of Hellhammer and Asgeir Mickelson at his young age and that's an accomplishment. Vintersorg's vocals also stand out as he seems to be using his "old style" baritone, which I think suits him much better. It's actually a blessing we get to hear Mr. V. at all because of his accident last year, which kept most of us wondering if he could continue to perform. Have no fear. It's safe to say that Vintersorg is not throwing in the towel anytime soon. Epics like "When Chaos Calls" and "Erodent" are some of Vintersorg's best performances in years.

So yes, this could be considered the band's magnum opus but I don't think they are finished surprising us with monumental albums. The creative core of this band is firmly in place and their formula for making huge, epic songs without sacrificing hooks and creativity will continue to grace our ears. This band has done no wrong and I think they never will.


The Elitist Metalhead