CoC : Borknagar - Origin : Review

Borknagar - _Origin_
(Century Media, 2006)
by: Jackie Smit (4.5 out of 10)

Some will undoubtedly praise Borknagar's foray into fully-fledged acoustic territory as bold and experimental. I prefer to think of it as pompous and boring. Nevermind the fact that it's been done before and done significantly better (Ulver and Opeth come to mind as prime examples); _Origin_ simply fails dismally to capture the mesmerizing atmosphere of the unplugged sequences scattered across the sonic plains of its predecessors. Nine songs, thirty-five minutes and an overload of flute-playing amount to little more than an exercise in self-indulgence, with the only respite being a reworking of _The Archaic Course_'s "Oceans Rise". But let's be honest here: Borknagar have been cruising steadily downhill since 2001's _Empiricism_, and who could blame them? Their early discography was nothing short of fantastic, and it's understandable that they should run short on ideas sooner or later. Needless to say, they do so spectacularly here.

Contact: http://www.borknagar.com

(article published 10/11/2006)

CHATS
12/8/1999	A Bromley	Borknagar: Bullshitting With Borknagar

ALBUMS
13/8/2012	A El Naby	8	Borknagar - Urd
7/3/2010	M Dolson	7.5	Borknagar - Universal
23/6/2004	J Smit	7	Borknagar - Epic
14/1/2002	C Flaaten	8	Borknagar - Empiricism
12/8/2000	P Azevedo	8	Borknagar - Quintessence
16/1/1999	P Azevedo	8	Borknagar - The Archaic Course
16/3/1997	S Hoeltzel	7	Borknagar - Borknagar
5/2/1997	A Wee	8.5	Borknagar - The Olden Domain

GIGS
12/8/1999	A Wasylyk	Emperor / Witchery / Borknagar / Peccatum / Divine Empire	Canada: No Church-Burners Allowed
12/8/1999	J Weathers	Emperor / Witchery / Borknagar / Peccatum / Divine Empire	U.S. of A.: Church-Burners Are People Too
16/1/1999	P Azevedo	Cradle of Filth / Napalm Death / Borknagar	The Smell of Napalm in the Dark