Nature is basically undefeated. Sure, not everyone who faces a massive natural disaster such as a hurricane or a tornado or a flood dies, but no one scores any points against it. There constantly are forces beyond our control that can do us in at any moment, and there’s nothing we can do other than try to survive and pick up the pieces.

Long-running black metal force Borknagar always have held nature in high regard, but maybe never more so than they do on their great 13^th record “Fall.” Here, the band—vocalist/bassist ICS Vortex, clean vocalist/keyboardist Lars A. Nedland, guitarists Øystein G. Brun and Jostein Thomassen, drummer/percussionist Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow—not only pays tribute but acknowledges the struggle many face when trying to measure up to a force larger than us all. “Fall” also is a season of change and decay, another sign that we are temporary, and one day we, too, will fall to a beast we cannot overcome.

“Summits” wooshes open, the guitars dripping as a wild gust swallows everything. Shrieks crush over the verses, and then the soaring clean singing injects progressive energy, bringing surging, exciting power. Things go cosmic as moody guitars take off, slipping into a dreamy aura. “Nordic Anthem” is rousing and, well, anthemic, spirited singing punching, the rustic elements giving off folk pride. “We bow our heads to nothing but our past,
our breath is cold, we know our history will last,” Nedland calls, great fire spitting, making your heart race as everything bleeds away. “Afar” opens with warm guitars before things begin to chug, the keys surge, and glorious melodies lather with energy. Shrieks strike as they strengthen their grip, prog-style keys blazing and making your blood race, the drums plastering. A giant gust comes out of that, picking you up on a wave, landing you with force on the ground. “Moon” begins charging, keys drizzling, the singing pumping as every element comes to life. The leads melt before the soloing takes over, muscular singing stinging the senses, disappearing into a stormfront.

“Stars Ablaze” has a clean open with rushing singing and airy synth, making a pillowy landing for when the roars arrive. Singing sweeps as the shrieks rip, the guitars bring more heat, and out of an immersive sequence comes ravenous thunder, the strong guitar work dissolving into the sky. “Unraveling” starts with keys bursting, the pace pulled back a bit, and then shrieks exploding with energy. The dual vocals mix and add to the accumulating drama, then the shrieks go demonic, bringing the track to a daring and emotional end.
“The Wild Lingers” enters amid humid guitars, singing spilling, and the steam thickening and rising. The chorus quakes the earth as symphonic glory spreads, the singing bellows, and a fantastical sweep captures minds. Closer “Northward” is balmy at first, but it isn’t long until molten rock flows, fiery howls rattle cages, and a fiery assault pulls into the lead. The shrieks rain down before the playing grows colder and reflective, the singing soothes, and the chorus crushes, everything ending in a synth haze.

Nature is a force that cannot be conquered, and we are at its mercy if we want to simply survive. Borknagar’s breathtaking progressive black metal addresses that truth with great power and heart on “Fall,” a record that respects its subject matter and pays off the strength that is holds. This is a great-sounding album, another step into a similar sonic territory as “True North” but that holds its own unique qualities, making it music that’s bound to stick in minds through every passing season.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/borknagarofficial

To buy the album, go here: https://centurymedia.store/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.centurymedia.com/