Borknagar - Universal (4.5/5)

01. Havoc 06:42 02. Reason 06:55 03. The Stir of Seasons 04:01 04. For a Thousand Years to Come 06:46 05. Abrasion Tide 07:14 06. Fleshflower 03:28 07. Worldwide 06:39 08. My Domain 04:49

Borknagar are a Progressive Black Metal band. Let’s just think about that for a moment. If you’ll allow me to dust off the ol’ stereotypewriter, then Black Metal is going to involve a lot of spiked leather garments, face-paint, and possibly marching around in a forest with a burning torch and a grim countenance. You have to go some distance from this to prog; at least one guy in your prog band has an afro, and is wearing trousers that MC Hammer would declare to be just a bit much. He’s also so high that he’s trying to play a flute with his nose, and will only end up in a forest in the event of some kind of ‘Withnail & I’ situation. So…progressive black metal? How does that work, then?

Quite simply, Borknagar just make it work. They’ve just taken most of those ingredients and mashed them together, leaving furious double bass drumming going hand in hand with Hammond organ and spoken-word intervals. If by some chance you’re actually already Borknagar’s number one fan, and I’m just condescending to you right now, it’s been four years since their last album, and that was an acoustic effort (acoustic progressive black metal…the mind boggles). So I’d imagine we could all do with a little refresher course, right?

Throughout the first few tracks, there are plenty of black metal staples to keep the uninitiated grounded. “Havoc” is for the most part pretty straightforward BM fare, and other than taxing the quiet/loud dynamic, “Reason” follows much the same path. Quite often from there on, though, sudden patches of clean guitar picking and vocals rear up, often backed by a little organ or string line, and it’s suddenly all very melodic. Maybe it‘s that jazzy organ noise tapping into a baser part of my brain, but for comparison it sends me scurrying straight to the mid-70s and Boston. Which is high praise from me, actually; I have More Than A Feeling for Boston (I am so, so sorry). To put it another (and probably more rational) way, the intro to “The Stir Of Seasons” actually sounds a bit like King Crimson. But just as you’re starting to get used to this different approach, the distortion and double-bass and growling kicks back in, and everything goes all Dimmu Borgir again…it’s weird, schizophrenic music, flitting back and forth between these seemingly disparate identities. That Dimmu link is stronger than you’d think, as well - ICS Vortex, who was unceremoniously booted out of Borgir last year, provides vocals on epic closing track “My Domain”.

Songs like “Worldwide” and “For a Thousand Years to Come” perhaps showcase best the result when these two worlds collide, anyway. As if you didn’t need any more convincing as to the progressive bent of Borknagar’s music, those songs are by no means exceptional in stretching to almost seven minutes in length; that said, you never feel like they’re dragging on. There’s always something new or just downright unusual going on, like a sudden and unexpected folk music interlude, or the almost jazzy Hammond intro on the latter.

“The Stir of Seasons”, which I mentioned earlier as sounding like King Crimson, is an example sitting more firmly on the melodic side of the fence. For the most part it’s picked clean guitar, piano and Hammond organ, with clean vocals all the way through, but there’s a hint of thundering double-bass drumming during the distorted choruses. In fact, the drumming is perhaps the most black metal thing about ’Universal’ - new drummer David Kinkade shows off his best death metal chops throughout, adding a more aggressive edge to the music.

The second half of the album, from “Fleshflower” onwards, tends to side more with the melodic approach - in fact, it’s quite well structured in that respect, with the epic “Abrasion Tide” acting as the centerpiece, around which the rest of the album falls in relatively neat factions. One is ruled by the Hammond organ, the other heavy distortion and extreme vocals. Both exhibit a fondness for furious drumming and are frankly bonkers, of course, but it’s comforting to find a thread of rational planning to cling to in this kind of album. It all comes to a climax with the excellent and frankly quite emotional “My Domain”, where vocalist Vintersorg combines with ICS Vortex and an enormous-sounding keys-and-choir arrangement to create a truly epic finale.

It’s not the most accessible music in the world, frankly - during the first couple of listens, after a couple of songs you actually feel kind of exhausted. I’m half tempted to say that Borknagar try to do too much at once, but I kind of admire their madcap approach. You certainly couldn’t accuse them of ever being repetitive or boring. Founder and guitarist Øystein G. Brun has said of the album; “Universal’ is the title that shines through and mirrors the essence of the album. ‘Universal’ is a title that is broad enough and huge enough to project the giant character of this album”. He’s got that right, anyway - in terms of ideas and variations in approach, this is a bloody vast album. Yes, it’s initially a bit of a struggle to get into, and if prog or black metal isn’t your thing you should probably avoid it like your auntie’s holiday slideshow, but if you’re willing to persevere then ‘Universal’ is actually quite a rewarding listen.

Oh, and if like me you shell out an extra pound for the version of the album with the two bonus tracks, “Coalition of the Elements” and “Loci”, you’re in for a bizarre treat. “Loci” is perhaps one of the strangest things I’ve ever heard on a metal album, a song with an extensive a capella section. The sheer fact that Borknagar can get away with such audacious madness is testament to how well they manage to pull it all off, really. ‘Universal’ is an incredibly ambitious album, meshing together a vast number of styles and approaches and somehow crafting a cohesive whole from it all. It’s music not for those of a timid (or indeed traditionalist) disposition, but if you like your music a bit different, a bit adventurous and creative, and frankly a little bit barmy, then you couldn’t do much better than to give ‘Universal’ a spin.

Universal is available to buy or download at Play.com

Genre : Black Metal

Article by Phil Sim