Borknagar reunion

Eindride said:
Just a little clarification on my sources. I looked around on the internet to try and find out were i got this "statement"-thing from, and quite obviously it wasn't an interview with Simen - not directly anyway, but his official/unofficial (?) mypace fanpage (www.myspace.com/icsvortex) where you can read:

"In August 2000, Hestnæs left Borknagar to fully concentrate on Dimmu Borgir. According to an interview, Borknagar was set to tour Europe with Mayhem, about the same time he would be in the studio to record with Dimmu Borgir. Borknagar guitarist and frontman Oystein G. Brun gave Hestnæs an ultimatum: tour with Borknagar, or quit and deal with Dimmu Borgir. He opted for the latter, stating that he enjoys working in the studio more than performing live, as more creativity is abound. Brun would later state that the decision was 'business', and that he 'had nothing against Dimmu Borgir', and he wished Hestnæs the best; Hestnæs then stated that had he not gotten the ultimatum, he would still be in Borknagar to this day."
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Dimmu was in writing modus at the time we were supposed to tour with Mayhem. If my memory servers me right, the studio sessions were a couple of months after the tour. Simen would have had time for BOTH touring with us (which was only a couple of weeks) and prepare for the Dimmu recording. It was even a go from Silenoz. Most of us know how to deal with a calendar. Hell, we even know what common sense is. I didn't get any ultimatum from Øystein (or any other) when I went on tour with Testament only a month before recording "Epic". I did my homework on tour so I was prepared. Simen could have done the same thing in his situation. He told us he couldn't tour because "he had to write bass lines for the new Dimmu album". In other words - Dimmu was his 1st priority and Borknagar would be left totally in the shadows from then on. Keep in mind that Borknagar was a much more active band at the time (it's a totally different situation today). We had absolutely nothing against him playing in Dimmu but if he couldn't handle the situation professionally then we would have to find another singer. He didn't get any ridiculous ultimatum but we did in fact left him the choice.

Simen has been working on a solo album for years. It's probably a combination of pure solo material and left over material from stuff he wrote for Borknagar (he had another unfinished song for "Quintessence") and Dimmu. I talked with him last year about maybe recording it in my studio and also play drums on it. Simen's not the fastest guy on this planet - and his time management is, ehm, pretty close to non-existent - so I don't know when and IF this will happen. I sure as hell would like to play on it though! I absolutely love his vocals on "The Archaic Course".
 
Asgeir thank you so much for that...It looks like wikipedia was wrong as usual. I had no idea thats how it was, I will never complain about Simen not being in Borknagar again.

Hearing about his solo album has put a huge spark of hope in me. Damnit Simen...had to write basslines for the Dimmu album yet you're bass playing is completely inaudible in the mix. I hope he calls his solo project ICS Vortex, that would be so cool. Asgeir please ask Simen about it from time to time, and remind him his biggest fan is looking forward to it more than anything else in the world.
 
asgeir said:
In other words - Dimmu was his 1st priority and Borknagar would be left totally in the shadows from then on [...] Simen has been working on a solo album for years ... I talked with him last year about maybe recording it in my studio and also play drums on it [...] I absolutely love his vocals on "The Archaic Course".
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All this was quite saddening to hear, since it would mean that Simens heart never really was in Borknagar for a full 100%. Your description of the situation back then puts this whole story in a rather different light, I must say. You guys, with all the facts on hand, propably did the only right thing to do, and it seems to me that you acted quite fair to Simen. But saddening nonetheless, cause even if Simen didn't feel as strong for the music in The Borks as for Dimmu, i still will perceive his contribution to this band as carved in stone. His vocal performance and songwriting on The Archaic Course and Quintessence is nothing less than of classic stature. Period.

I tend to like TAC more than Q just because i prefer Simens clean vocals, and Q has more of the grim harsh growl wish i find less preferable. That goes also for Mr V, i must say.

Songwritingwise i think of these albums as pretty equal.

But with all this in mind one could only hope that the current line-up of The Borks will last for a long time (Tyr is a proper member i hope?).

The music scene will be much poorer if you guys broke up. Of all the bands that has come out of Norway during the last twenty years or so i put only one beside The Mighty Borks and that is Enslaved. These two represents a top-notch quality strain of music unmatched in the rest of Scandinavia (I say that as a swede :)) - and the rest of the metal world for that matter.

Hopefully you can find time and - perhaps more impotantly - motivation for coming up with yet another masterpiece. Don't let this band go to waste, you are far to good for that, far to good.

And this talks of a collaboration betwwen Simen and Asgeir sound absolutly mindblowing! It will bear the quality-stamp all over it ...
 
asgeir said:
Simen's not the fastest guy on this planet - and his time management is, ehm, pretty close to non-existent - so I don't know when and IF this will happen.
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:lol:

It's kinda unusual that he'd pick Dimmu over Borknagar, seeing as techinally he probably had more creative control in Borknagar than Dimmu.... oh well!
 
Kazaum said:
:lol:

It's kinda unusual that he'd pick Dimmu over Borknagar, seeing as techinally he probably had more creative control in Borknagar than Dimmu.... oh well!
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Last I checked he was closer friends with Shagrath and the gang than anyone else from Bork, but I may be mistake. And again, Dimmu is where the money at, although it may have not been in the past. And then as Asgeir already mentioned, Simen said he preferred to work in the studio than play live so Dimmu seemed the better choice.
 
Isjungfrun said:
Last I checked he was closer friends with Shagrath and the gang than anyone else from Bork, but I may be mistake. And again, Dimmu is where the money at, although it may have not been in the past. And then as Asgeir already mentioned, Simen said he preferred to work in the studio than play live so Dimmu seemed the better choice.
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Eh... You misunderstood. The studio session and the tour I talked about was NOT at the same time. But you're definitely right about where the money is... The money doesn't stay long in Simen's hands though, muahahaha!
 
asgeir said:
Eh... You misunderstood. The studio session and the tour I talked about was NOT at the same time. But you're definitely right about where the money is... The money doesn't stay long in Simen's hands though, muahahaha!
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No no, I didn't saying anything about them being at the same time, I was just quoting you on how he preferred to be in the studio than play live, which is why Dimmu must have been more appealing.

Asgeir you gossip more than a teenage girl, hahaha.
 
asgeir said:
Eh... You misunderstood. The studio session and the tour I talked about was NOT at the same time. But you're definitely right about where the money is... The money doesn't stay long in Simen's hands though, muahahaha!
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Haha...Simen rules.
 
Go see Unexpect. Buy 2 shirts and all their albums. Give them food and beer and love.

Back on topic: Borknagar now is not Simen's Borknagar... Quintessence is one of my favourite albums ever recorded, but the material since then is definitely better suited for Vintersorg. I mean... it would be cool to see a one-off show but even though I'm a big Simen fanboy too I'm a little weary of people saying that he should be reinstated as their singer.
 
asgeir said:
And I don't know what Simen thinks is best either, but I would guess he thinks playing live is better than being in the studio.
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When I saw Dimmu live Hellhammer was hiding in shame when his name was called out by Shagrath.:lol: And Simen was like *Grim face*, *Pretending my bass is an axe*! Funny stuff.
 
Kazaum said:
When I saw Dimmu live Hellhammer was hiding in shame when his name was called out by Shagrath.:lol: And Simen was like *Grim face*, *Pretending my bass is an axe*! Funny stuff.
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When did you see them live with HH playing? I mean he hasn't played live with them once yet has he because of the injury?

I just remember from oour Dimmu gig Simen had a bit of a hissy fit because something was up with the sound, couldn't help but laugh.
 
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