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
Gods Of My World
Borknagar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mother of earth, mother of all
Father of air, father of all
Brother in flames
Sister of seas
Gods of my world, behold
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Praise the father's of all significance
The reckless burden of existence
I ace the rise of the furious
The amend forces
The amend course
Gods of my world, behold
Pour rain on the fire
The fire that burns
The day of my birth
Gods of my world, behold
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Recollection, my soul connection
The thrive of reflection, affection
Forever you'll be the tongue of mine
Through time and existence
By instincts divine
Forever you'll be the sight of mine
Through time and existence
By visions divine
In Borknagar's song "Gods Of My World," the lyrics are about acknowledging the power and presence of the gods in the natural world. The opening line "The gods are great, I am the greatest" can be seen as both arrogant and humble. On one hand, the singer is proclaiming their own divinity and greatness, while on the other hand, they are acknowledging that the power of the gods is even greater. The following lines "Mother of earth, mother of all/Father of air, father of all/Brother in flames/Sister of seas" establish the different aspects of nature that the gods represent.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "Gods of my world, behold/Flame my desire/To grow and to breed/The wisdom I need," suggesting that the singer is seeking guidance and wisdom from the gods to help them grow and mature. The following verses refer to natural phenomena like storms, rivers, and oceans as well as the burden of existence. The lines "The day of my birth" suggest that the singer is celebrating their own existence and connection to the gods.
Overall, the lyrics of "Gods of My World" are a powerful ode to the natural world and the forces that govern it. The singer is both seeking guidance and celebrating their own divinity, acknowledging the power of the gods while reveling in their own existence.
Line by Line Meaning
The gods are great, I am the greatest
I believe that while gods are great, I am the most powerful and important being in my world.
Mother of earth, mother of all
There is a maternal force that governs the earth and everything in it.
Father of air, father of all
There is a paternal force that governs the air and everything in it.
Brother in flames
There is a sibling force that governs flames.
Sister of seas
There is a sibling force that governs the seas.
Gods of my world, behold
I am calling upon the gods that hold power in my world to take notice of me.
Flame my desire
I want my desire to grow stronger, fueled by passion and intensity.
To grow and to breed
I want to expand and create more of what I desire.
The wisdom I need
I require knowledge and insight to achieve my goals.
Gather in the storms asunder
I want the gods to come together and merge their powers during a chaotic event.
Condone the cosmic hibernation
I want the gods to approve and allow for a restful period in the universe.
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
There is a flow of energy and life that runs through rivers and oceans.
Praise the father's of all significance
I give tribute to the paternal gods that control all significant things in my world.
The reckless burden of existence
Existence can be overwhelming and difficult, even reckless.
I ace the rise of the furious
I am skilled at handling and controlling extreme anger or passion.
The amend forces
There are opposing forces in the world that need to be fixed or balanced.
The amend course
The direction in which things are going needs to be changed or corrected.
Pour rain on the fire
I want something to be calmed or less intense.
The fire that burns
There is something causing great passion or intensity in my life.
The day of my birth
The day I was born and came into existence is significant.
Recollection, my soul connection
My ability to remember and reflect on the past is deeply tied to my soul.
The thrive of reflection, affection
Looking back on the past and cultivating strong emotions leads to growth and success.
Forever you'll be the tongue of mine
The gods will always speak through me and my actions.
Through time and existence
This connection will span across all of time and existence.
By instincts divine
My nature and instincts are guided by divine forces.
Forever you'll be the sight of mine
The gods will always be watching over me and guiding me.
By visions divine
The way in which I see the world is shaped and influenced by the gods.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leonardo Kherlakian
The gods are great, I am the greatest"
Mother of earth, mother of all
Father of air, father of all
Brother in flames
Sister of seas
Gods of my world, behold
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Praise the father's of all significance
The reckless burden of existence
I ace the rise of the furious
The amend forces
The amend course
Gods of my world, behold
Pour rain on the fire
The fire that burns
The day of my birth
Gods of my world, behold
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Recollection, my soul connection
The thrive of reflection, affection
Forever you'll be the tongue of mine
Through time and existence
By instincts divine
Forever you'll be the sight of mine
Through time and existence
By visions divine
Pauly D
"The gods are great, I am the greatest"
Mother of earth, mother of all
Father of air, father of all
Brother in flames
Sister of seas
Gods of my world, behold...
Pour rain on the fire
The fire that burns
The day of my birth
Gods of my world behold...
Inflame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gods of my world...
Gather in storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Praise the father's of all significance
The reckless burden of existence
Is the rise of the furious amend forces
The amend courses
Gods of my world, behold...
Pour rain on the fire
The fire that burns
The day of my birth
Gods of my world, behold...
Inflame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gods of my world...
Gather the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Recollection, my soul connection
The thrive of reflection, affection
Forever you'll be the tongue of mine
Through time and existence
By instincts divine
Forever you'll be the sight of mine
Through time and existence
By visions divine
Confessor Rahl
~* Lyrics *~
"The gods are great, I am the greatest"
Mother of earth, mother of all
Father of air, father of all
Brother in flames
Sister of seas
Gods of my world, behold...
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Praise the father's of all significance
The reckless burden of existence
I ace the rise of the furious
The amend forces
The amend course
Gods of my world, behold...
Pour rain on the fire
The fire that burns
The day of my birth
Gods of my world, behold...
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Recollection, my soul connection
The thrive of reflection, affection
Forever you'll be the tongue of mine
Through time and existence
By instincts divine
Forever you'll be the sight of mine
Through time and existence
By visions divine
frrrrt11116969696942
when i was 18, i'd drive around listening to this album. i did that again nearly 12 years later. probably will ten +/- years from now. always will be a great album.
Matt Lewinski
Bro im 30. Bought another dodge charger with a heavy sound system. This shit sounds great. Couldnt tell ya how young i was when i found this. Had to be 17 years ago or some shit by now
Notorisk
Wow! Are you brother metalhead like rest of us?
Franci Silva
Comprei esse álbum por R$8, pra mim vale mais que R$1000! Um dos meus álbuns prediletos de todos os tempos.
Tyvanius
the end of this song should be a 12 minute song in its own. that old-world sounding melody is hypnotizing.
Skirge
I bought this album a long time ago, not knowing what to expect... I gave it a few listens, then more or less discarded it because I was put of by some of the elements in the music. Now, 5 years later, I found it again in a dark corner of a closet, dusted it off (literally) and find myself in posession of a masterpiece I will be playing to destruction :)
Leonardo Kherlakian
The gods are great, I am the greatest"
Mother of earth, mother of all
Father of air, father of all
Brother in flames
Sister of seas
Gods of my world, behold
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Praise the father's of all significance
The reckless burden of existence
I ace the rise of the furious
The amend forces
The amend course
Gods of my world, behold
Pour rain on the fire
The fire that burns
The day of my birth
Gods of my world, behold
Flame my desire
To grow and to breed
The wisdom I need
Gather in the storms asunder
Condone the cosmic hibernation
Steam of rivers, the hive of oceans
Recollection, my soul connection
The thrive of reflection, affection
Forever you'll be the tongue of mine
Through time and existence
By instincts divine
Forever you'll be the sight of mine
Through time and existence
By visions divine
TheIzaam
Man, this song is a pagan spell *.*
Corbin Deutsch
Probably my favorite Borknagar album.
Danail Georgiev
I was 4 when my brother bought the album, awesome moments :') Now I find it again, back to the memories!