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
The Genuine Pulse
Borknagar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Horizons of history re-erodent
The haven, where the stars are set
Constellations of manifestation
Glow, expanding through forever
I all with the rain, rise with the ocean
Drain to expire, the shrine of fortility
Burn as the flame, as strong as a came
Thousand senses of virtual faction
Existential inputs production of mind
Instinctive, raised to find
As the salt in the sea, burns in me
Forever, the taste in your mouth is I
Eternising the soul soaked estate
Solvable as fractional fragments
Divine gracious divulgence
Pulse, rotation, the spine of creations
Wane as the circle of zero
As the salt in the sea, burns in me
Forever, the taste in your mouth is I
Eternising the soul soaked estate
Solvable as fractional fragments
The genuine pulse - the link of a thousand senses
The genuine pulse - entire celestial allegiance
The genuine pulse - dense induce of the indomitable
Never to fail thus existence I sail
Through the elements of four
The zephyr, the sullen breath
Horizons of history re-erodent
The haven, where the stars are set
Constellations of manifestation
Glow, expanding through forever
Measure the circle of eternity
The treasure of ability
The Genuine Pulse
The lyrics to Borknagar's song "The Genuine Pulse" are deeply philosophical, evoking themes of existence, eternity, and spirituality. The opening lines depict the natural world, with the "zephyr, the sullen breath" and "horizons of history re-erodent." The singer then goes on to describe a haven where the stars are set, with constellations representing manifestation and the infinite expanding "through forever." The language is abstract and mystical, invoking a sense of wonder and awe at the vastness of the universe.
The second stanza describes a sense of oneness with the natural world - the singer becomes one with the rain and ocean, and the shrine of fragility drains away. The imagery of flames and twining existence is cryptic but suggests a sense of unity and fluidity between all things. The third stanza introduces the idea of virtual faction and existential inputs - this could be interpreted as a commentary on the societal constructs and expectations that shape our sense of self. The final stanza speaks of the "genuine pulse" as the link between a thousand senses and the "dense induce of the indomitable", suggesting that this pulse is the essence of existence itself.
Line by Line Meaning
The zephyr, the sullen breath
The gentle, soft breeze mixed with the sad, gloomy exhale.
Horizons of history re-erodent
The continuous changes in historical events that erode what we knew before.
The haven, where the stars are set
A safe place where the stars in the sky find their resting spot.
Constellations of manifestation
The patterns of stars created to represent an idea or concept.
Glow, expanding through forever
A luminous light that constantly grows and expands, everlasting.
I all with the rain, rise with the ocean
I merge with the downpour and elevate with the tides.
Drain to expire, the shrine of fortility
To deplete and wither away, leaving the foundation of strength behind.
Burn as the flame, as strong as a came
To be ignited like a fire, with the same intensity as a torch.
Twine the existence, sense of serene
To entwine one's being with a peaceful state of mind.
Thousand senses of virtual faction
Infinite perceptions of an alternate reality.
Existential inputs production of mind
The mind's creation of thought based on its own existence.
Instinctive, raised to find
Born with a natural intuition to seek answers.
As the salt in the sea, burns in me
The salt's reaction in the ocean sets me on fire.
Forever, the taste in your mouth is I
My essence lingers in your mouth for eternity.
Eternising the soul soaked estate
Making the soul a part of an endless and drenched environment.
Solvable as fractional fragments
Possible to solve like breaking down a complex problem into smaller pieces.
Divine gracious divulgence
A spiritual and generous revelation.
Pulse, rotation, the spine of creations
The rhythmic beat and movement that forms the backbone of all created things.
Wane as the circle of zero
To decrease gradually until nothingness.
The genuine pulse - the link of a thousand senses
The authentic rhythm that connects countless perceptions.
The genuine pulse - entire celestial allegiance
The absolute loyalty to the whole universe.
The genuine pulse - dense induce of the indomitable
A powerful force that inspires what cannot be subdued.
Never to fail thus existence I sail
I navigate through existence, never failing.
Through the elements of four
Navigating through the fundamental elements of nature.
Measure the circle of eternity
Calculate the limitless cycle of forever.
The treasure of ability
The invaluable riches of the power to achieve.
The Genuine Pulse
The true and authentic beat of life itself.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gratitude Rx Healing Arts & Yoga
The zephyr, the sullen breath
Horizons of history re-erodent
The haven, where the stars are set
Constellations of manifestation
Glow, expanding through forever
I all with the rain, rise with the ocean
Drain to expire, the shrine of fortility
Burn as the flame, as strong as a came
Twine the existence, sense of serene
Thousand senses of virtual faction
Existential inputs production of mind
Instinctive, raised to find
As the salt in the sea, burns in me
Forever, the taste in your mouth is I
Eternising the soul soaked estate
Solvable as fractional fragments
Divine gracious divulgence
Pulse, rotation, the spine of creations
Wane as the circle of zero
As the salt in the sea, burns in me
Forever, the taste in your mouth is I
Eternising the soul soaked estate
Solvable as fractional fragments
The genuine pulse – the link of a thousand senses
The genuine pulse – entire celestial allegiance
The genuine pulse – dense induce of the indomitable
Never to fail thus existence I sail
Through the elements of four
The zephyr, the sullen breath
Horizons of history re-erodent
The haven, where the stars are set
Constellations of manifestation
Glow, expanding through forever
Measure the circle of eternity
The treasure of ability
The Genuine Pulse
– – –
Gratitude Rx Healing Arts & Yoga
The zephyr, the sullen breath
Horizons of history re-erodent
The haven, where the stars are set
Constellations of manifestation
Glow, expanding through forever
I all with the rain, rise with the ocean
Drain to expire, the shrine of fortility
Burn as the flame, as strong as a came
Twine the existence, sense of serene
Thousand senses of virtual faction
Existential inputs production of mind
Instinctive, raised to find
As the salt in the sea, burns in me
Forever, the taste in your mouth is I
Eternising the soul soaked estate
Solvable as fractional fragments
Divine gracious divulgence
Pulse, rotation, the spine of creations
Wane as the circle of zero
As the salt in the sea, burns in me
Forever, the taste in your mouth is I
Eternising the soul soaked estate
Solvable as fractional fragments
The genuine pulse – the link of a thousand senses
The genuine pulse – entire celestial allegiance
The genuine pulse – dense induce of the indomitable
Never to fail thus existence I sail
Through the elements of four
The zephyr, the sullen breath
Horizons of history re-erodent
The haven, where the stars are set
Constellations of manifestation
Glow, expanding through forever
Measure the circle of eternity
The treasure of ability
The Genuine Pulse
– – –
Leonard Olds
one of the absolute best songs ever made :)
gabriel bvtista
melancholy, space, royalty, astral occult , Empiricism is unforgettable
Filipe Alfaia
Por quase 20 anos eu piro demais nesse disco! Nunca sai da playlist! #nostalgia #2001
MoonOvIce
This band is amazing...they mix the greatest elements of metal and music in general, really intelligent song writing and talent on every album!
Beat Therapy
This song has an awesome intro, in fact the whole song is awesome.
marcos cerdas entrepreneur
la mejor rola de Borknagar en mi puta opinión... Grandes los Borknagar
lowend365
Excellent song! This album and Quintessence are Borknagar's finest work in my opinion.
john vaughn
This song brings back so many memory's!
Tyvanius
gotta love the vocalist too. seeing how hes in two of the best bands EVER! Hail borknagar and Dimmu Borgir