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the album is the best produced offering they have released and it is also their most technical. if you are a fan of the new style black metal (good production and heavy keyboards) then you will surery love this disc.

i was dissappointed to learn that Vortex would not be handling the vocal duties this time around, but Vintersorg is a great successor. his clean vocals are a real treat and his growl is strong as well.

one reason that i like Borknagar so much is that their lyrics are not typical black-metal lyrics. it is refreshing to hear about something other than Satan. actually, their is not much about this band that is typical at all.

overall, i would say that this cd doesn't immediately have as many stand-out tracks as Quintesence, but it is a more consistent album all the way through. i jope this line-up lasts because they are making a really great sound together.

i sometimes feel silly describing metal as being beautiful, but i will go ahead and label this disc as such. Borknagar is a awesome band. Empericism is really great.


Great recording   January 10, 2004
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is a great CD; very melodic, with great vocals, admirable percussion, and above-satisfactory guitar work. The keyboards and synths really help out too. I don't see how this is black metal, as it doesn't seem to fit the bill for that subgenre. The extreme vocals are definitely black-metal style, but other than that, it seems like it's one of those albums that you just can't categorize within one subgenre. Vintersorg is a great vocalist in both the extreme and clean regimes. I haven't heard Simen's or Garm's work with Borknagar yet (but will be buying those albums soon), so I can't really compare them to Vintersorg, but I know that the vocals on this album only add to a brilliant layer of melodic metal majesty. The opening song is the best, but there aren't any bad songs. The lyrics are a little difficult to understand, but they beat the usual black metal array of satanism and misanthropy. That gets really tiresome after a while. This is a great album and I recommend it highly to anyone interested in high-quality melodic metal. But it's not for you soft-hearted whiners who are offended by the 'screaming' vocals.


Immaculate Post Black Metal Album   October 20, 2002
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This cd sees the appearence of Vintersorg on vocals instead of the vocal genius Vortex who did vocals on the last 3 Borknagar albums. This puts off many of the hardcore fans of the band and I am also a great fan of Vortex but i must say that the vocals on this album are excellent. Vintersorg has a strong clean voice and a good black metal rasp, and these both are blended to good effect on some of the tracks. Overall the music is a extreme hybrid of traditional black metal with ambient overtones especially on the keyboards. The drumming by Asgeir Mickelson who is also from Spiral Architect is flawless and his blasting is also very good. The guitar work is amazing, Oystein brun who is also the mastermind behind the band weaving some complex riffs and song structures. The bass work is very professional and adds to the overall atmosphere on the album, it is done by Tyr who is session bass player for the now split up Emperor and Satyricon. The production is fairly standard black metal production with a slight bit of fuzz but not overbearing and a mix which fades out the guitars a little bit but just enough so the vocals can stand out. The whole album is pretty much outstanding and there are no filler tracks but my favourites are tracks 1,2,6 and 7. Highly recommended to black metal fans and also fans of intelligent music.


Simply astounding   November 4, 2002
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

This was the first Borknagar album I bought (and unfortunately is still the only one I have), and I can't say how truly impressed I am by it. One thing I'd like to clear up is that this is *not* a black metal album. They use a fair amount of 'grim black metal vocals', but black metal it is not. Black metal is typified by a cold and evil sound, almost emotionless, in a way. What this album is is beautiful and passionate. The lyrics are a far cry from what you'd imagine a black metal album containing; they pertain to nature and the cosmos. If this sounds cheesy, don't worry. They (since each band member is responsible for the lyrics) do it in a poetic and dare I say touching manner, and the music goes on to fully enhance them; or, should I say, the lyrics enhance the music.

This album has a very grand feeling, fitting to the subject matter, and from the first song you can hear that each person in the band knows what he's doing. The guitars (Oystein Brun and Jens Ryland) are wonderfully melodic, even when heavy, and the keyboards (Lars Nedland) provide an ethereal atmosphere. The drumming is by Asgeir Mickelson, of Spiral Architect, so you know that there's a talented man behind the drumkit. Tyr, once-bassist of Emperor, performs his parts well, though I have to admit that the basswork on this album never stood out in my mind (not a bad thing, really). Then there's Vintersorg, who for me is the real highlight. I would venture to say that he's one of the best singers out there, period. His 'grim (black metal) vocals' are good, but his clean vocals are the real treat. He's got a very intense and passionate way of singing; epic without sounding overwrought, but at the same time touching. He sings the perfect melodies. Don't be surprised if you find yourself caught at unawares one night as you're listening, as I was, suddenly struck and stunned by the emotion in his voice and moved to tears. It's really something to experience.

This album is simply wonderful. I have to admit that I was reluctant to buy this CD at first (who knows why?), now I wish I had bought it the first time I saw it. Don't make my mistake. Buy it right now, and prepare to experience some truly remarkable and powerful music. You won't regret it.


Something new...or is it?   January 24, 2002
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Continuing where they left off with Quintessence, Borknagar has opted to drop the organic sounds of their brilliant Olden Domain and the remarkable Archaic Course, for a more technical approach. In simpler terms, if ya didnt like the last album you wont like this. It might be worth mentioning that Vintersorg (whose solo efforts are worth checking out) has replaced I.C.S. Vortex on vox, but it doesnt really matter since the vox are a tad to low in the mix.(Another thing about the vocals is that Vintersorg has fallen into the same trap as Vortex, both possess monumental clean vocal stylings yet they rarely employ them opting for the more generic black metal screech instead. This album would've been that much better if the clean vocals dominated the mix.) The addition of Lars Nedland on synth and Asgeir Mickelson on drums, while very talented in their own right, only add to the overall confusion of the album with their technical playing. There are a lot of good melodic ideas on vox and guitars that are never fully developed and the keyboards are too overbearing for my taste. The bass, however, is handled very well by the skillful Tyr who has also toured with the almighty Emperor, and Oystein's guitar playing is rivaled only by that of Ihsahn and Daemonaz. In short, a decent effort and worth the money for long time fans, but doesn't hold its own against the recent efforts of Emperor(Prometheus is brilliant), Immortal(watch out for the new "Sons of Northern Darkness"), and Dark Funeral(the new breed of true black metal). Choice cuts: "the genuine pulse" and "the black canvas."