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Ahh Borknagar<\/a><\/strong>, welcome back. It’s been about 5 years since we last heard from you with the stunning album True North<\/em>. I was looking forward to getting a new song stuck in my head from the Nordic outfit other than “The Fire That Burns”. Fall <\/em>marks itself as the band’s 12th<\/sup> studio album \u2013 an impressive feat for any group. I’m grateful that the band keeps trucking on, pushing for something fresh while keeping true to their blackened roots.<\/p>\n The first track “Summits” sets the tone for the rest of the album. While it still has Borknagar<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>‘s signature style and natural power, it ushers in a softness resulting in a less bombastic, crowd-riling album opener. There’s an inescapable feeling of darkness present, while choral moments let shards of brilliant light shine through. The ‘darkness’ isn’t terse or brutal; rather it feels like Fall <\/em>was inspired by an arctic-cold winter night \u2013 the kind where ice crystals glitter in the moonlight and winds blow bonfire smoke into the vast night sky. Borknagar<\/a><\/strong> <\/strong>songwriter, \u00d8ystein G. Brun<\/strong>, states that he has \u201ca very visual relationship with music\u201d and it shows. I always find my mind drifting through awe-inspiring Northern landscapes as Borknagar<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> plays, and “Summits” is no exception to the rule.<\/p>\n \n