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
Frostrite
Borknagar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
away from the great sea
up to the barren and cold
The wind gathers might
as the last trees passes out of sight
I plunge into the blight
see me, feel me
Awe strikes where even the air bites
and ice ceaselessly survives
Blue shades on white
announcing the rite taking place here tonight
Fading to black then explode in attack
hits the blazing northern lights
Spellbound I fight
the chaos, the colors painted in flight
And I watch and I sink in the snow but in spite
of this call from the other side I rise
My mind at ease
war harvest peace
Blood, fire
death cannot freeze
My father's gods
grant wisdom and odds
this is their gift through the bond
A spearhead, a zeal
I know what is real
to no one, nowhere I kneel
Frozen landscape
touch me, heal me
Awe strikes where even the air bites
and ice ceaselessly survives
The lyrics of Borknagar's song "Frostrite" paint a vivid picture of a frozen landscape, where the harsh yet beautiful surroundings inspire awe and strength in the singer. Through the use of metaphors, the lyrics suggest a deeper meaning related to a spiritual journey, where the singer confronts chaos, death, and his own mortality. As he moves away from the sea and into the cold, the wind gathers might, and he is plunged into the blight of the frozen landscape. Yet, despite the harsh conditions, the blue shades on white announce the rite taking place here tonight. It is as if the environment is a testing ground, a place for the singer to face his inner demons.
The singer is spellbound by the chaos and the colors painted in flight as he fights, and he sinks in the snow, but in spite of this, he rises. His mind is at ease, and the war harvests peace. He acknowledges the power of his father's gods, who grant wisdom and odds as a gift through the bond. The singer becomes a spearhead, a zeal, and he knows what is real. He does not kneel to anyone or anywhere. The frozen landscape touches him, heals him, and strikes awe, even where the air bites, and ice ceaselessly survives.
Overall, the lyrics to "Frostrite" suggest a spiritual journey of self-discovery, where the singer faces his inner demons in an environment that is both breathtaking and brutal. The lyrics invoke a sense of perseverance, strength, and determination in confronting the challenges of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Moving through fields
away from the great sea
up to the barren and cold
I am journeying away from the sea and into the cold, barren lands.
The wind gathers might
as the last trees passes out of sight
I plunge into the blight
The wind grows stronger as I move past the last trees and into a harsh environment.
Frozen landscape
see me, feel me
Awe strikes where even the air bites
and ice ceaselessly survives
The frozen landscape is awe-inspiring, even though the air is bitterly cold and everything is frozen.
Blue shades on white
announcing the rite taking place here tonight
Fading to black then explode in attack
hits the blazing northern lights
The blue hues against the white snow announce a ritual happening that will fade into darkness before the northern lights burst forth.
Spellbound I fight
the chaos, the colors painted in flight
And I watch and I sink in the snow but in spite
of this call from the other side I rise
I am entranced by the chaos and colors of the northern lights, even as I sink into the snow. Despite the call from some unknown force, I rise back up.
My mind at ease
war harvest peace
Blood, fire
death cannot freeze
Although there is death all around from the harsh environment, there is a sense of peace in my mind which cannot be extinguished.
My father's gods
grant wisdom and odds
this is their gift through the bond
The wisdom and insight of my father's gods are a gift which I enjoy as their follower.
A spearhead, a zeal
I know what is real
to no one, nowhere I kneel
I possess a strong conviction and belief in my own reality, and refuse to kneel before anyone or anything.
Frozen landscape
touch me, heal me
Awe strikes where even the air bites
and ice ceaselessly survives
The frozen landscape can be healing to me, even though the air bites and everything is frozen in ice.
Contributed by Maria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.