Artist: Borknagar
Label: Century Media
Release Date: 1/22/02
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Title: Empiricism Artist: Borknagar Label: Century Media Release Date: 1/22/02 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
As some of you might have heard from metalupdate.com, I was unable to fulfill my Committee duties last week due to a combination of alcohol and poor equilibrium. I have oft been warned of the dangers of alcohol, but the exact scenario in which I injured myself (well, actually the ground injured me) has never really been touched upon in any of the public service announcements that I've been shown. With little to do but sit on the couch and listen to metal and hobble around on crutches (which with my level of clumsiness is tantamount to drinking and driving), I spent a lot of time contemplating my actions. Is this scourge that is alcohol really worth the pain and inconvenience (not to mention hangovers) that I am now experiencing? After careful thinking and pacing (it's hard to pace using crutches, by the way), I decided that this would make the perfect time to change my life around, forsaking the bottle for good, and redirecting my life toward more constructive endeavors. I felt so enlightened that I quickly called my local alcohol counselor to give him the good news, but before I could give him the details of my life altering decision, I was surprised to hear him talking me out of sobriety, something I had always thought they would be very one-minded about. But his argument seemed sound as he warned me about the dangers of replacing "one crutch with another." So with that I stared at the wooden supports leaning against the wall near the couch and asked my girlfriend to run to the kitchen and make me a drink. Every time I think I'm out... I'm pulled right back in.
"I have oft been warned of the dangers of alcohol, but the exact scenario in which I injured myself has never really been touched upon in any of the public service announcements that I've been shown." Anyway, luckily for me I had the new Borknagar album to keep me company while everyone I knew was out at the bars watching the NFL playoffs and getting loaded. Now, I love "Viking Metal" (even though I don't know where these Norwegian dudes get off calling themselves Vikings when everyone knows that the Vikings are from Minnesota), and when it comes to that genre there are two bands that spring to mind. I'm talking about our subject here as well as their chief rivals, Enslaved. And while I realize that there has been much said about who came to this sound first, and who stole from whom, I, as a fan, am just happy as shit that both of these bands exist.
While these bands are rather similar, they are not interchangeable, as they both have relative strengths. Where I think Borknagar shines is in their melodies, which are often so beautiful, you forget that they are metal. New vocalist Vintersorg has definitely added to the mix, boosting the vocals up a notch from this band's previous efforts. Of course, that isn't to say that this band has ever had any trouble in the vocal department, they've always been quite good, but I do think that this platter is one step above those of the past in that department. The clean passages are confident and well executed, and the aggressive growls contain a weight that keeps the low end in balance, reminding me a touch of old (but much better produced) Dan Swano in the Edge of Sanity days. The vocals seem to form a sonic metaphor of the wintry climate of northern Scandinavia itself, at once harsh and beautiful.
" Where I think Borknagar shines is in their melodies, which are often so beautiful, you forget that they are metal." The music itself, while not quite as experimental as Enslaved, is wondrous to behold in its own right. Each song encapsulates a plethora of different sounds and moods, daring to be as far reaching as possible without losing sight that this is first and foremost a metal band. The production is top notch, but one still must concentrate on the surrounding sounds to fully appreciate this bands entire vision. For fans of this genre, every album from both Enslaved and Borknagar is a must have, and this one is no different. One word review: Inspiring.
Death's Review:
As is probably expected by now, the new Borknagar album shows the band sporting some changes, most prominently the addition of Vintersorg on vocals. For those who are unfamiliar with Borknagar, the sound on Empiricism has evolved to feature a very aggressive form of symphonic black metal a la Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir (only with most artisticness and probably more of a raw feel to the attack), combined with the drama of a King Diamond (vocally), Evergrey or Dream Theater (musically), and the folksiness and artistry featured by bands like Opeth on their latest, Blackwater Park. In short, Empiricism showcases a well-produced, progressive Borknagar which evolves from the rolling double-bass drums and blast beats with big tom rolls bathed in heavily-mixed keys of the album opener, to the very mellow and very cool sounding ending to track two (this is what I'm talking about when I make the Opeth comparison), and finally to the newer-era Savatage-esque, piano-led instrumental heard at track four, before jumping right back into the symphonic blackness. Variety is the spice of life it seems in the world of Borknagar. Still, you never forget that Empiricism is a metal record, so don't get scared away.
"Variety is the spice of life it seems in the world of Borknagar."
Guitarist and Borknagar mainstay Oystein appears to be responsible for most of this record, but the actual guitar playing seems a bit a buried in the mix. In its place, the bassline really is prominent for a metal record, as evidenced (for example) by the first riff of track five. Vintersorg truly does have a good voice, with his clean vocals truly standing out, although he does bring a touch of Carcass or At the Gates-esque guttural aggression to the death/black vocals throughout that truly must also be appreciated. All in all, this is a first-class metal record executed by excellent musicians and surrounded by a good production. It falls short of five-skulls primarily for stylistic reasons: it isn't as smooth and as progressive as Opeth and isn't as theatrical and dramatic as Cradle of Filth, and this middle ground leaves Borknagar in a place which slips between a few cracks in my musical taste. Still, this is an excellent effort, and if I had half skulls to give this would be a 4.5. I clearly will be coming back to this album, but will hold back the fifth skull as (although it may deserve similar accolades from others) it probably will not be on my top ten of 2002.
"All in all, this is a first-class metal record executed by excellent musicians and surrounded by a good production."
Hel's Review:
Favorite track: "Four Element Synchronicity"The first time I listened to Empiricism, I was fairly unimpressed. While it was clearly well engineered and well performed, the clean vocals put me off a bit. To make an attempt at being descriptive: he adds some tremolo and uses a lot of minor key tonalities that I guess I'm just not used to hearing. My first reaction was the mental equivalent of wrinkling your nose at something stinky.
Many listens later, I find that it has grown on me greatly. Moreover, I began to realize that some of those minor notes were sort of mirrored in the keyboards and guitars, plus, both of these devices are used sparingly enough to go almost unnoticed. It all started to come together for me at that point.
"My first reaction was the mental equivalent of wrinkling your nose at something stinky." While these Norsemen don't have a perfect grip on the subtleties of the English language, I admire their attempt at intellectual, intelligent, lyricism. Not every $10 word is used perfectly, but how many metal bands toss around words like "vicissitude," "zephyr," "vivacity," and "omniscience" anyway? The way some of it comes out, you can't really help but laugh, but if you take a step back and look for the overall point, it's pretty deep.
But above all, I'm impressed by the skill and depth displayed by their songwriting. This album is really good-- not showy good, but sneak-up-behind-you-and-whack-you-over-the-head good. The complexity is amazing to disassemble. I appreciate the little touches that add variety, like the overlay of clean vocals and death vocals, such as you hear at the beginning of "Liberated."
"This album is really good-- not showy good, but 'sneak up behind you and whack you over the head' good." All in all, Empiricism is more than just your typical black metal album. But then, Borknagar is more than just your typical black metal band, now aren't they? The bar is set high in 2002, and if I keep being handed albums this good, I'm going to have a beastly time with this year's top ten list.
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