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
Witching Hour
Borknagar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Nordic mirror lies black yet calm
Reflects my shadow and heaven above
The frost force the ocean up
Past the shores towards the mountain tops
Spirals flash green glittering blitz never seen
Through shining mists past the planet of witz
Mysterious realms still exist
In this black and blue void schizoid creatures will toy
With fragments of what once where souls
Dreamlike I follow their path dark and hallow
My feet barely touch the ground
Ride the radiant waves into unexplored space
Obscure scenery changes
Into trance without end to lunatics glen
Spellbound I kneel down in pain
The lurkers and I
Become one
As a hunters eye like the moon
Together we ride the storm
Magic unfolds at the crack of dawn
Reborn
Like my fathers before me
I am shown the way
The lyrics of Borknagar's song Witching Hour describe a mystical experience that takes place during the early hours of dawn. The Nordic mirror is used as a metaphor for self-reflection and introspection. The reflection of the singer's shadow and heaven above symbolizes the contrast between good and evil within oneself. The frost that forces the ocean up towards the mountain tops symbolizes the inner turmoil and chaos that can arise within a human being.
The second stanza of the song describes a surreal landscape that can only be accessed through an altered state of consciousness. The schizoid creatures that toy with the fragments of once whole souls represent the inner demons that one must confront during this spiritual journey. The singer follows their path into this dark and hallow world, becoming spellbound along the way. The experience is described almost as a dream, with the singer's feet barely touching the ground.
In the final stanza of the song, the lurkers and the singer become one, as they ride the storm together. The magic of the moment unfolds at the crack of dawn, and the singer is reborn. Like their fathers before them, the singer is shown the way, implying that this spiritual journey is something that has been passed down through the generations.
Line by Line Meaning
In the hour before dawn
The singer describes a time before sunrise.
The Nordic mirror lies black yet calm
The singer sees a peaceful and dark landscape in front of them.
Reflects my shadow and heaven above
The singer observes their own reflection and the sky above in the dark mirror.
The frost force the ocean up
The cold weather causes the ocean to rise.
Past the shores towards the mountain tops
The ocean continues to move towards the mountains in the distance.
Spirals flash green glittering blitz never seen
The singer sees spiral shapes in bright green light which they have never seen before.
By the eyes of the self pronounced clean
The singer suggests that only those who claim to be pure cannot see what they see.
Through shining mists past the planet of witz
The artist travels through fog and past a planet with a mysterious name.
Mysterious realms still exist
The artist believes that there are hidden, mystical places in the world.
In this black and blue void schizoid creatures will toy
The artist describes encountering strange and possibly insane creatures in a dark, empty space.
With fragments of what once where souls
The creatures play with bits and pieces of what used to be living beings.
Dreamlike I follow their path dark and hallow
The artist follows the creatures' eerie path in a surreal manner.
My feet barely touch the ground
The singer feels light and ethereal, as if they are not really touching the ground.
Ride the radiant waves into unexplored space
The singer travels on waves of light into an unknown part of the universe.
Obscure scenery changes
The singer sees strange and unclear images that transform as they move forward.
Into trance without end to lunatics glen
The artist is in a hypnotic state and enters a place that is associated with madness.
Spellbound I kneel down in pain
The artist is caught up in the mystical experience and falls to their knees in agony.
The lurkers and I
The singer joins forces with the creatures from before.
Become one
The singer and the creatures merge together or share a common purpose.
As a hunters eye like the moon
The artist compares their vision and focus to that of a skilled hunter or the phases of the moon.
Together we ride the storm
The artist and their allies face a difficult challenge together.
Magic unfolds at the crack of dawn
The artist believes that something mystical will happen at sunrise.
Reborn
The singer will be transformed or have a new beginning after their experience.
Like my fathers before me
The artist is following a tradition or legacy passed down from their ancestors.
I am shown the way
The singer believes they have been guided towards a specific path or purpose.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind