The eleventh studio album from Norwegian progressive black metallers Borknagar, and the third to feature the talents of I.C.S. Vortex, True North comes at a time of upheaval in the band’s internal make up. With Jens Ryland and Baard Kolstad departed, True North sees Jostein Thomassen (lead guitars) and Bjorn Ronnow (drums) making their recording debuts, although such is the quality of the song-writing, that you’d never know from the epic soundscaping on display. Perfectly recorded by Marius Strand and packaged with stunning photography (Thor Erik Dullum), who seems to capture the majesty of the band’s music, True North is arguably one of Borknagar’s most majestic albums to date.
Aptly titled, opening track Thunderous leaps from the speakers, the rampaging riffs neatly offset by the layered clean vocals of I.C.S Vortex and Lars A. Nedlund. Vortex, who is quite simply one of the finest vocalists in extreme metal, is in his element here, adding to the grandeur of the music, and there’s a sense of operatic high drama in the symphonic sweep of the band’s music. It is a deeply impressive start and it matches the evocative imagery of the cover art. The elegiac Up North sees the band head in a direction pitched somewhere between Ulver and Solstafir, with blackened riffs, progressive digressions and an astonishingly catchy vocal, which adds a certain pop nous to proceedings. Wide-eyed and filled with wonder, Up North is a journey filled with beauty and an air of the unpredictable, all perfectly captured by Marius, whose exceptional production work is highlighted here. Following a short, clean intro, The Fire That Burns sees the band deliver a ferocious, blackened assault that thunders down the mountain passages like an avalanche, and if the mesmerising clean vocals are never far behind, they only add to the lingering sense of threat. The result is not unlike mid-period Opeth, progressive grandeur doing battle with blackened might; whilst elements of Dimmu Borgir’s orchestral pomp are also audible in the mix. An airier piece that emphasises the band’s progressive elements, Lights offers massed vocals and gargantuan, catchy hooks that recall elements of Genesis, King Crimson and Porcupine Tree, although that’s not to suggest that the power of the guitars has been forsaken in the process. It all leads to the folk-infused beauty of Wild Father’s Heart, a poignant lament dedicated to Oystein’s father, who passed away in 2016. It is a truly touching tribute, sensitively played by the band, and it provides True North with its emotional heart.
Opening the album’s second side, the explosive black metal of Mount Rapture juxtaposes hulking riffs and soaring vocals to grand effect, the frozen landscapes of an uninhabited wilderness laid bare in the ever-changing riffs and tonal shifts. It seems to flow seamlessly into the mesmerising beauty of Into the white, another track that just seems to float in the air between the speakers, the band drawing the listener ever further away from the mundanity of the modern world. It’s followed by Tidal, a lengthy piece that ebbs and flows beautifully. It opens with clean guitars and aching, Gilmour-esque leads that glisten in the morning light, before expanding into something even more unworldly. When it finally does resolves into focus, it proves to be an epic that pairs clean and blackened vocals, weaving a frozen web that proves both irresistibly lovely and yet deadly to all those who approach it. A truly majestic piece of music, Tidal is a masterclass in progressive black metal and an astounding jewel in Borknagar’s crown. The album concludes with Voices, a glorious, hypnotic coda that feels like a Viking marching song, with its taut rhythm and sanguine bass line. Inscrutable and awash with a sense of dark ambience, Voices is a masterful conclusion to the album, leaving the listener to blink themselves back to reality once more.
True North is a remarkable album that sees Borknagar continue to create their own unique world, endlessly drawing the listener out into the frozen expanses of their creation. Mesmerising, beautiful and yet with the lingering sense of danger that comes hand in hand with venturing into the unknown, it’s one of those records that seems to stop time in its tracks, and it stands as one of the finest, most lyrical albums of the year. 9/10
