INTERVIEW: Norway’s environment inspires Borknagar’s new album
Photo: Borknagar’s new album is called Fall. Photo courtesy of the band / Provided by Atom Splitter PR with permission.
Borknagar, the Norwegian metal band that has been pumping out albums for years, is back with a new set of songs. Simply titled Fall, the new album features several nature-inspired tunes, such as “Summits,” “Nordic Anthem,” “Moon” and “The Wild Lingers.” The band’s sound encompasses several sub-genres of the metal scene, including avant-garde, progressive and black metal, according to press notes. For guitarist Øystein G. Brun, the recording is a signal that the band is finally getting back on track following months of delays and closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We released True North just before corona broke out,” Brun said in a recent interview. “We were supposed to head straight out on a U.S. tour, basically a world tour, European festivals and all that. I think it was half a week before we were supposed to fly to the U.S. Everything was shut down, so we were a bit shell-shocked, as everybody else, of course. So we had this feeling that we wanted to complete the circle with the previous album. … When we did this European tour with Moonspell and Insomnium, we kind of decided, OK, after this one, let’s sit down and start planning out the whole process of the new album. I guess that was the starting point.”
Joining Brun in Borknagar are ICS Vortex on bass and vocals; Lars A. Nedland on keys and vocals; Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow on drums and percussion; and Jostein Thomassen on guitars. They collectively decided to call the album Fall because that word can be interpreted in so many different ways.
“It’s a simple word,” Brun said. “[The title is] always the final piece of the puzzle, after we have done the mix, after all the lyrics are compiled and even sometimes the band’s pictures and stuff like that. To me, it’s very important that the album title has this kind of layered feeling to it. You can put various understandings into it, depending on the listeners basically. They can look into it the way they want, but for me, first and foremost, it was the classical idea of this duality in life, especially the harsh nature of the north where I live.”
Brun, who lives in the countryside of Norway, said that his surroundings are both beautiful and picturesque, but they can be simultaneously dangerous and pitch black, depending on the time of year. Nature can kill in the blink of an eye, and this duality inspired the band for the title of the album and several songs on the recording effort.
“Fall kind of symbolizes or represents a waterfall, and as we all know, water is everything on this planet,” he said. “We consist of 80 percent or something like that of water in our body. We need water to survive. On the other hand of it, one of the most destructive forces in nature by natural courses is falling water. Eventually that will grind up every stone and every rock and every mountain at some time in the future, so it’s a little bit about that duality. The second layer is for the change of seasons. It represents change, and especially in Norway, there’s quite a big contrast between the summer, which can be really decent nights and warm and cozy. But the winter is really harsh, so it’s this balance.”
Brun kept going with the interpretive logic of the album’s title; he is a man of depth when it comes to his art. Fall can also represent the fall of man, a theme that dates back to biblical times.
“We are living in times that are challenging on so many levels and in so many ways,” the guitarist said. “We have a climate crisis just in front of us. We don’t seem to realize it, but it’s so close. In Europe, we have a war going on in central Europe in Ukraine and Russia, and not to forget the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and all that. All those things, there is room for this reflection in the title. … The main idea is this very classic duality of life, this night and day, this rainy day and sunny day, especially the Norwegian nature. It’s such a beautiful place with all that I need for soul food and relaxation, and it’s just beautiful and silent. But in a blink of an eye, especially here in this area, the weather can change in a matter of five minutes, and it might kill you. That classic duality is part of the title.”
Brun believes his music should be honest, above anything else. He doesn’t care about fitting a particular mold or making tons of money off concert tickets and merch. Instead, he’s an artist with something sonically to say to the world. This philosophy, which he claimed can seem childish to some, imbues every aspect of his life. He lives in the countryside, amongst nature, and throughout his entire life he’s taken time away from the trappings of modernity to seek shelter amongst the trees.
“I’ve spent hours in nature, with my father and with my son,” he said. “I’m not from a religious home, but we had almost a religious relationship to Sundays because on Sundays in the ‘80s, there was always a natural documentary with David Attenborough and that stuff. I’ve always been fascinated by nature. … That’s my way of approaching my art and how I project my art. I guess if I was born and raised in southern Africa, I’m pretty sure my themes and my scenery would be quite different. That is my way of being honest and real about my expression, so to speak.”
Brun added: “To me, maybe I might sound a little bit like a grumpy bastard, but to me this whole thing is about the journey of the music. Everything else is kind of secondary. All that commercial side of it, it’s a great thing, and I feel privileged and all that. But for me, I’ve always held on to this child-like excitement of making and creating music, in a sense. My goal is always on the musical side of things. I honestly believe that great music, if there is something like that, is music that will pave its way no matter what.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Borknagar’s new album is called Fall, and it’s now available from Century Media Records. Click here for more information.
