As such, the band's most known style would be that of progressive black metal, with most of their albums taking from this style. Borknagar's lyrics often deal with philosophy, paganism, nature, and the cosmos. Øystein Brun stated once that the name was inspired by a Scottish legend about a man who climbed Lochnagar, a mountain in Scotland.
Borknagar rose out of the ashes of the Norwegian death metal band Molested when then-member Øystein G. Brun became tired of the brutal aspects of the band's music. Øystein formed Borknagar to explore a more melodic outlet of expression; he wrote all of the music and lyrics and gathered together an all-star group of black metal musicians to play in his band. Well-known musicians of the black metal scene (such as Infernus of Gorgoroth, Grim of Immortal and Gorgoroth, Ivar Bjørnson from Enslaved, Garm of Ulver, Head Control System, and ex-Arcturus) joined the project, bringing immediate attention to Borknagar. The band never even recorded a demo – they simply asked for a record contract on Malicious Records and were granted their request. Borknagar's majestic, melodic sound was instantly liked by many and received positive press attention.
Borknagar has released ten albums to date. Their self-titled debut album features lyrics in Norwegian; all subsequent albums have featured lyrics written in English by both ICS Vortex from Arcturus and Dimmu Borgir and later by current singer, Vintersorg from Otyg and his eponymous band (Vintersorg). All of the band's records (excluding the original pressing of the debut album via Malicious Records) have been released by the Century Media label. Borknagar has toured with various bands, including the well-known Cradle of Filth.
Simen Hestnæs rejoined the band in 2010. Since then he and Vintersorg have shared lead vocal duties.
Discography:
1996 - Borknagar
1997 - The Olden Domain
1998 - The Archaic Course
2000 - Quintessence
2001 - Empiricism
2002 - Urd
2004 - Epic
2006 - Origin
2010 - Universal
2012 - Urd
2016 - Winter Thrice
2019 - True North
Members:
Current Members
* Vintersorg (Andreas Hedlund) - Vocals
* Øystein G. Brun - Guitar
* Lazare (Lars Nedland) - Keyboard
* Jens Ryland - Guitar
* ICS Vortex (Simen Hestnæs) - Vocals, Bass
* Baard Kolstad - Drums
Former Members
* Garm (Kristoffer Rygg) - Vocals
* Asgeir Mickelson - Drums
* Kai Lie - Bass
* Infernus - Bass
* Ivar Bjørnson - Keyboard
* Grim (Erik Brødreskift) - Drums (Causa mortis: Suicide. 1969 - 1999.10.04.)
* Tyr (Jan Erik Tiwaz) - Bass - Session Member for Origin album
* David Kinkade - Drums
Colossus
Borknagar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Existence formed by substance unknown
Prelude to matter, shift of disorder
Completion of bonds between chaos and order
The era of seasons, the essence of being
The continuous process awakens the living
Absorber of every flickering sun
The stream of mortality flows uncontrolled
A boundless downward spiral to prospective void
Existence takes its toll, extinction unfolds
The Colossus falls back from it?s treshold
The cosmic grip so tight. Heed the celestial call
The rise, the voyage, the fall- tangled womb of mortal soil
Universal key of inception, pulled out of the grind
The growing seed of creation and time
Complex fusion, the bond of four- the nature?s core
Universal ritual, aesthetic beauty adored
The pendulum upholds the carnal deceit
Eternal, endless, indefinite
The paradox, render and the merge is complete
Nothing but the process is infinite
Nothing but the process is infinite
Eternal, endless, indefinite
The lyrics of Borknagar's song, "Colossus," delve into the creation and essence of existence. The first two lines, "From out of static time has grown / Existence formed by substance unknown," suggest an event in which time takes on a tangible form and creates existence, although nobody knows the substance that makes it up. This event, referred to as the "prelude to matter" and the "shift of disorder," marks the completion of bonds between chaos and order, suggesting that the universe has found a delicate balance between the two forces that keep it in motion.
The next lines describe how the universe came to life and continues to awaken the living. It is "the absorber of every flickering sun," meaning that it gathers energy from all forms of life and creates something new from it. This creation process is a continuous stream of mortality that cannot be controlled, and it leads to an inevitable extinction. The "Colossus" refers to the universe or existence as a whole, and it falls back from its threshold, referring to the moment when everything comes to an end.
The rest of the lyrics describe the bond of four forces that create the foundation of existence, referred to as "the nature's core," and how it exists within a cosmic grip. The "rise, the voyage, the fall" is the cycle of birth and death that everything goes through, and the "pendulum upholds the carnal deceit" refers to the deceptive nature of life and how it can be viewed as both beautiful and ugly. The final lines emphasize that the process of creation and destruction is the only thing that is eternal, endless, and indefinite, suggesting that everything else is temporary and fleeting.
Line by Line Meaning
From out of static time has grown
The beginning of time is not a single moment but a process that grows from nothing.
Existence formed by substance unknown
The origin of the universe is not fully understood, but its existence is certain.
Prelude to matter, shift of disorder
Chaos gradually gave way to the ordering of the universe.
Completion of bonds between chaos and order
The universe is constantly striving for balance between order and chaos.
The era of seasons, the essence of being
The cycle of life and death is an essential part of existence.
The continuous process awakens the living
Life is constantly adapting and evolving.
Absorber of every flickering sun
The universe absorbs the energy of all stars that exist, no matter how small.
Arranging the pieces to vivid perfection
The universe takes in all energy and matter, and arranges it in a way that achieves perfection.
The stream of mortality flows uncontrolled
Death is an uncontrollable force that flows through everything.
A boundless downward spiral to prospective void
Death leads to an uncertain and empty future.
Existence takes its toll, extinction unfolds
The cycle of birth, life, and death is taxing on all living beings.
The Colossus falls back from it?s treshold
Even great and powerful entities eventually face their own demise.
The cosmic grip so tight. Heed the celestial call
The universe is all-encompassing, and calls out to everyone and everything.
The rise, the voyage, the fall- tangled womb of mortal soil
Life is a journey through birth, existence, and death.
Universal key of inception, pulled out of the grind
The universe's origin and purpose is a mystery, but it is constantly evolving.
The growing seed of creation and time
The universe is like a seed that grows and evolves over time.
Complex fusion, the bond of four- the nature?s core
The four fundamental forces of the universe are what hold everything together.
Universal ritual, aesthetic beauty adored
The universe is a beautiful and awe-inspiring place, and its secrets are worthy of admiration.
The pendulum upholds the carnal deceit
The natural world can be deceptive and brutal.
Eternal, endless, indefinite
The process of creation and destruction in the universe is eternal, never-ending, and without limit.
The paradox, render and the merge is complete
Even though the universe is always changing, there is a sense of completeness to it.
Nothing but the process is infinite
The only thing that is truly infinite in the universe is the process of change and evolution.
Eternal, endless, indefinite
The universe is infinite and without end, constantly changing and evolving.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kerby200099
+Dorin Ionita Maybe I can help you out. Here's a couple songs of theirs that stand out, to me, from their usual stuff (cause all their stuff stands out from everybody else's):
Oceans Rise
My Domain
Revolt
The Presence is Ominous (a MUST listen)
Gods of My World
Fleshflower
Some of these growling accompanied by clean vocals. Good stuff. Also, if you haven't heard of them, I would recommend "Arcturus". Another awesome band from Norway with a very unique style.
@sykophiend
From out of static time has grown
Existence formed by substance unknown
Prelude to matter, shift of disorder
Completion of bonds between chaos and order
The era of seasons, the essence of being
The continuous process awakens the living
Absorber of every flickering sun
Arranging the pieces to vivid perfection
The stream of mortality flows uncontrolled
A boundless downward spiral to prospective void
Existence takes its toll, extinction unfolds
The Colossus falls back from it´s treshold
The cosmic grip so tight. Heed the celestial call
The rise, the voyage, the fall- tangled womb of mortal soil
Universal key of inception, pulled out of the grind
The growing seed of creation and time
Complex fusion, the bond of four- the nature´s core
Universal ritual, aesthetic beauty adored
The pendulum upholds the carnal deceit
Eternal, endless, indefinite
The paradox, render and the merge is complete
Nothing but the process is infinite
Nothing but the process is infinite
Eternal, endless, indefinite
@Squattingtiger9
At 33 years old, I've heard a hell of a lot of music. But to me, THIS song is the greatest song I've ever heard. If I can get away with it, I too will have this played at my funeral.
@TaxiToxin
мне 36, я тоже попрошу поставить ее на своих похоронах, хахах!
@Squattingtiger9
@@CarlosRivera-mq8yw Heh yep and its still the best song ever at 41. Still going to be played at my funeral!
@hecatombe4724
@@Squattingtiger9 hey, youre awesome man
@DeathSpellXVI
33 was not that old hehe.
@joeyuzwa891
@@DeathSpellXVI yes, but much can happen in seven years
@Squattingtiger9
I've always said, if you don't get goosebumps at some point of this song, there is something wrong with you. If you do, you're human. I think this would have to be my favorite song ever and that's a big call. Would love to have it played at my funeral when/if I die =D
@MorbusFreak2011
I completely get where you're coming from. It's musical poetry of the primal source of all life and matter. Complete beauty.
@skalddrummer4224
Likewise, Tiger!!!
@berserker2551
This song is one of the most BADASS i have ever heard in my life