Borknagar, for the last couple of decades, has been renowned for its crisp fusion of black metal, progressive metal, and folk / medieval elements, pushing and transcending the boundaries of the genre. Since its inception, Borknagar has continually contoured its aural silhouette, with different ideas, band members, and choices on production adding and removing layers to the band’s rich tapestry, while keeping its core essence true and alive, inadvertently leaving signs that define who the band is today. Similar bands that come to mind are Enslaved and Ihsahn. Borknagar continues to create epic and transcendental experiences, gluing the lyrical themes and the atmosphere together, with its new album ‘Fall’.

Borknagar shows that it is a venerable force in the realm of progressive black metal as it creates a blueprint of how to blend the harsh and melodic elements seamlessly. Along with the epic prog elements and the punctuated black metal, I would like to highlight the considerable amount of the classic heavy metal sound in several tracks of the album. Lyrical themes delve into a celebration of the ancient lands, the beauty and brutality of nature, and absurdism, and it invokes the urge to visit the terrains and mountains of the true north.

‘Fall’ continues Borknagar’s journey towards primarily being a heavy/Viking metal band with prog and black metal elements propelling, transitioning, and reigning the epic pieces together. There are a lot of soaring clean vocals that are anthemic and energetic. With the way the first track “Summits” starts, the album might trick you into believing that it is going to be a raging and hurtling machine, but it is one of the only few sections in the album that moves with a blistering pace. In fact, the only other tracks that you can say has a noticeable amount of black metal are “Afar” and “Northward”. On the other hand, anthemic tracks are plentiful. Tracks like “Nordic Anthem”, “Moon”, and “The Wild Lingers” are fist-pumping bursts are energetic heavy metal that also somehow layers a sombre and meditative ambience over it, making this album a very fulfilling listen. While “Nordic Anthem” has a strong folk influence that makes the track sound tribal, hypnotic, and catchy, “Moon” sounds like something that can come out of the Holy Diver album. “Unraveling” is a fantastic track that finds the perfect balance between fierce, melodic, contemplative, and emotive, and it reminded me a lot of Ihsahn’s style of prog black metal. As expected, the final track “Northward” collates all the ideas displayed throughout the album and culminates into a strong summary and exit.

Borknagar‘s latest opus, ‘Fall’ reaffirms their enduring presence in progressive black metal. The album stamps with authority the classic heavy metal nuances on top of the prog extreme metal sound, enriching the overall sonic tapestry. ‘Fall’ explores themes of ancient landscapes, the dichotomy of nature, and existential reflections, inviting listeners on a vivid journey through the band’s conceptual landscape. The album strikes a balance between aggression and contemplation, solidifying Borknagar’s position as a masterful force in the ever-expansive realm of progressive black metal.