"If it weren’t obvious enough from album titles and covers such as The Archaic Course, Winter Thrice and True North, Borknagar specialize in bringing frosty vibes and Nordic themes of tribalism, folklore and paganism to the stylistic landscape. Like Enslaved, they got going with Viking metal but soon transitioned into English-spoken progressive black metal with folk accentuations, and they’ve persevered through many lineup changes since 1995 to fine-tune their sound. Their winning aesthetic was present right out of the gate, with the sharp riffs, acoustic strums, clannish bellows and/or towering clean singing of “Nord naagauk” and “The Eye of Oden” establishing Borknagar’s gratifying brand. Admittedly, their music became lusher and better produced over time – which goes against black metal’s fundamental griminess – but they never abandoned what made them unique (“The Black Canvas,” “Fleshflower,” “Erodent,” “Unraveling”). 30 years on, Borknagar still reign supreme in terms of creating exhilarating rallying cries and heartfelt reflections built upon triumphant singing, devilish screams, wintry environments and richly intense music."