BORKNAGAR – Universal CD review

BORKNAGAR – Universal CD
Indie Recordings

I’ll openly admit my bias first hand. I like this band’s first release from 1996; in fact it’ll be in the Scumfeast Metal Essentials someday. But as their recording career progressed over the years so has their sound which originally was Pagan Black Metal but has changed. Pagan Black Metal/Viking Metal aficionados, one of whom I am, hold that first release in high regard. But BORKNAGAR has followed the footsteps of their fellow countrymen, ENSLAVED, in that they’ve gone on to be a Progressive band. I’m not saying this new one blows lobster chucks but much like their Norwegian brethren mentioned, they’ve changed to the point where you either stayed docked along side or you sail out of the harbor. As far as that is concerned, the latter is true for me.

Another thing, there are those in Metal print and on the Interweb who feel it necessary to attack all naysayers of this band’s progression from black to light. Most cite BORKNAGAR’s 2006 release Origin as the point of contention since it was an all acoustic release. I can’t speak for anyone else but for me personally I thought Origin was an incredible release. Anyone who knows this band’s recording history will cite past acoustic explorations. Therefore screw any and all the bozos who think they know something about other’s tastes. With that said I’ve dive into my disagreements for this release. First off Vintersorg, aka; Adreas Hedlund, uses way too much clean vocals on here than previous efforts. Yes in all honesty he is much more versatile then original vocalist Garm and a hundred times better than ICS Vortex (ex DIMMU BORGIR bassist/vocalist). But with all of that said he sounds bored on Universal. Gone is that harsh wanting from the past and on here he’s in competition with the keyboards for up front position.

Musically this release is more atmospheric and Progressive Metal leaning than past efforts. The Black Metal and Folk influences have taken a back seat to something which can only be considered a formula. Dare I say this release is geared more towards the commercially minded music fan? Worse yet it sounds as if the scared of their own shadow post BM crowd is what this release is actually meant for. Either that or we can always turn to fans of mall metal since the earlier mentioned, ICS Vortex, does the vocals on the very last cut “My Domain”. If this thing is packaged in stores with the words “features DIMMU BORGIR backing vocalist” on the cover than I’m right as well as saddened. Guitarist Oystein Garnes Brun started this band in 1995 to be something different from the typical second wave of the Black Metal style and he succeeded for a few releases atleast. Fifteen years later I feel as if he’s fallen in with his Bergan, Norway compatriots into a formula of survival than avant-garde.

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