Borknagar - Quintessence

One of my first black metal albums. Nice to reminisce, still a great record, even if that is nostalgia talking.

Written by [user id=35732] on 08.04.2012 at 03:55

Has some BM stylish parts, but I wouldn't call it a BM album. Really great anyway.

In my mind Borknagar have always been a black metal band first and foremost. I've never bought into the progressive metal tag they get tarred with from time to time.

Written by [user id=35732] on 08.04.2012 at 04:03

Ye, my opinion differs a bit. Reminds me of (modern) Enslaved. Both have some typical BM elements but the albums are just too far from BM.

Enslaved is another band who've always been black metal to me. I certainly don't call them viking metal, and neither do I call Windir viking metal either. I don't call any band viking metal really. Both (Borknagar and Enslaved) are progressive black, or something to that effect. To me anyway.

Written by [user id=35732] on 08.04.2012 at 04:07

I accept.

*thumb up*

An album that shows Borknagar's ever further progression from BM territory into new and unfamiliar sounds. It still has a great atmosphere as is expected from the band yet with songs as somewhat experimental as 'The presence is ominous' and 'Icon dreams' this atmosphere is made ever more epic and ambitious.

How this isn't everyone's fave Bork album is a curiosity to me.Then agin it was one of my first black-ish records ever (pretty much reiterating what I said in my first post).

Would like it more if it had better vocals. Don't think much of Vortex's harsh voice.

Written by [user id=4365] on 23.03.2013 at 05:12

How this isn't everyone's fave Bork album is a curiosity to me.Then agin it was one of my first black-ish records ever (pretty much reiterating what I said in my first post).

Also one of my first black metal albums I fall in love with 'Colossus' immediately after first listen.

Written by Hex_Omega on 02.01.2015 at 21:59

Also one of my first black metal albums I fall in love with 'Colossus' immediately after first listen.

Probably my fave song off this album actually. I need to revisit this for nostalgia reasons (and because it's great).

The funny fact: I discovered this album because once I was a huge fan of Dimmu Borgir (it was in 2005 maybe) and I realized that Vortex is singing on this album. My first impression was: 'cool album, cool vocals from Vortex, but who is that second singer... his vocals could have been better'

Revoltt is excellent song, I love it .. maybe my second fab from this band (try to guess what is 1th)
Nice melodic stuff, hard to define it, not BM for shore, great melodies, singing style, guitar passage, calmer vox, growler vox, simply hood album.... I did listen it on the way to Boden, than back to Luleå(and nice to see Swe army guys in training as well ) maybe that's why I like it, snow, snow, woods, forests , darkness. good feelings , great album

Went through some old nostalgic albums that I own and I realized I never rated this album. Man, even today this is still a phenomenal piece of musicianship. I love Vortex' voice, and I find Colossus to be Borknagar's best song ever.

I've never cared much for Vintersorg's voice, and thus the follow-ups to this album were all much less interesting to me. With Vortex being back in Urd, though, that album brings me back to this era

One of my favorite albums with vortex, I like his performance here, also first album with lazare, which gave the modern borknagar sound, I like it. Colossus and revolt (both epic) are best tracks.

The perfect result of black meeting prog, for me one of my favorite albums of all time.