EMPIRICISM...My First Borknagar CD

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

I am a new Vintersorg fan and having enjoyed such classic CD's as VISIONS FROM THE SPIRAL GENERATOR and THE FOCUSING BLUR, I was looking for more. And at the Vintersorg message boards, they recommended that I listen to his other band...Borknagar.
Since it was hard for me to get my hands on Vintersorg CD's, I thought this would be logical. So I bought the album EMPIRICISM...and boy, am I glad I did!

It does have Vintersorg's trademark of beautiful vocals and harrowing screams but the music is quite different. More brutal I would have to say, though Vintersorg's influence is certainly there...lyrically at least. It's a really great CD and I think I will pick up EPIC as well!

 

[Djöfull]

though Vintersorg's influence is certainly there...lyrically at least. as well!

Well they often write about similar things so I don't think the bands are influenced by one another

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

Yeah, I guess you're right. Vintersorg is given credit for only one song I believe. But all of the songs are somewhat about Astrology and other stuff like that...

 

[Awanhyr]

If you like Empiricism, then you'll love "Epic". All in all it's a little more complex, a little harder, a little... more "complete", so to say. It's of course one of my favourite Albums this year.

np: Agalloch - The Melancholy Spirit

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

Yeah, I heard that it was equally as great as EMPIRICISM...if not greater.

That alone makes me want to get it as soon as possible...

 

[Dantven]

Make sure to check out the early stuff too, they have 6 albums you know

(but no demo tape!)

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

Yeah, I checked out the discography...

However, I may only want the Vintersorg CD's...but if it's recommended, I will of course consider it...

 

[Dantven]

Every borknagar album is different and has its own feeling, so give them all a chance. Personally I like all 3 of their vocalists, you've heard simen and garm haven't you??

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

No, I haven't heard any of the non-Vintersorg Borknagar. I bought EMPIRICISM because I was a new Vintersorg fan and wanted more stuff. And I absolutely love the CD. His vocals are truly great and the riffs and keyboards are quite memorable.

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

The only other Borknagar CD's that were at my local record store were EPIC and QUINTESSENCE, and I'm going to pick up EPIC for sure. Though I heard this Vortex guy is a pretty good vocalist as well.

 

[Dantven]

If you like empericism you will definitely like quintessence my friend.

 

[The Burden Of Existence]

Each Borknagar Vocalist is incredible in their own way. I would feel comfortable saying that you would like Vortex if you enjoy Vintersorg. He doesn't exactly sound the same but they both have excellent clean, powerful voices and have a way of spinning incredible melodic passages. I am a huge Vortex fan (hes about the only reason I even bother with Dimmu Borgir) and Vintersorg (is one of my favorite vocalist of all time). You shouldn't overlook Garm either, I especially like his work with Arcturus.

 

[RosesofShadow]

My First Borknagar album was empiricism...then quintessence...then epic.

All of them are great. That's all.

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

Crap!

I was about to pick up the CD (along with Megadeth's THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED, which is great by the way), but they restocked EMPIRICISM and the two weren't there!

Which is good, I guess...folks are buying Borknagar CD's...

 

[Magister_of_Tenebrosity]

I had Borknagar's Empiricism, but someone stole it along with my Emperor cd's.

 

[Overlord Purple Rainbow]

That's weird.

I leave out my CD's knowing no body gives a darn about any of my bands...

 

[SinsAndShadows]

If you have the two newer Vintersorg albums, I'd also STRONGLY suggest you get Cosmic Genesis as well. It's far and away the best thing he's done. Till Fjalls is also great, though none of it is in English.

I have Epic, but I hanv't had the chance yet to really give it a good listen, though I really enjoyed Empiricism. My favorite Borknagar release though is The Archaic Course. It has Vortex on vocals, showing off his AMAZING voice. The clean parts are breathtaking. Universal has to be among my favorite songs ever. I wasn't a fan of Quintessence, actually. I heard the song Colossus (amazing song as well), and bought the CD thinking the rest will be similar. MISTAKE. I guess that's probably why I don't like it so much; I was expecting something very different.