In staying true to metal’s origins, Borknagar have always let their spirit guide them. Starting with the band’s self-titled beginnings back in 1996, these Norwegians pushed past the boundaries set by traditional black metal. Over the course of the past 30 years, the band’s domain has come to include prog, neofolk and darkly enchanting hard rock, capped by major international tours and chart placements across the world.
Today, Season of Mist is proud to announce a reissue of Borknagar’s album True North. More than two decades into their storied career, the band reached another creative peak on their eleventh full-length, which includes the hit singles “Up North”, “Voices” and “The Fire That Burns”.
True North will be reissued by Season of Mist on May 15, 2026.
Available formats –2×12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Black) –2×12” Vinyl Gatefold (Crystal clear, black and white marbled)
True North found Borknagar at a crossroad. Half of the band’s lineup had turned over, but their longstanding members kept them on a dizzying upward trajectory. Whether picking or riffing, founder and guitarist Øystein Brun led the way, lighting a path for the versatile ICS Vortex (Arcturus, ex-Dimmu Borgir) to return to the mic. His thunderous cleans shine amidst the warm misty keys of hit single “Up North”, while his screams cut through the more hellish passages of “The Fire That Burns”. Even when hounded by “Voices”, keyboardist Lars Nedland’s resounding chorus resonated far and wide. Loudwire named the album one of the best of 2019.
Norwegian avant-garde/progressive Black Metal pioneers, BORKNAGAR, released their monumental third single, “Moon,” from the highly anticipated 12th studio album, “Fall,” on the 6th of feburary.
The track, crafted by ICS Vortex, marked another significant step in the band’s ever-evolving musical journey. Accompanied by a visually stunning animated clip created by the talented visual artist Costin Chioreanu of Twilight13Media, the “Moon” video provided a profound and sophisticated visual interpretation of the song. Both the band and Costin Chioreanu were enthusiastic about the collaboration, with Øystein G. Brun expressing pride in presenting the single and its accompanying video.
Prior to “Moon,” BORKNAGAR had unveiled the album’s opening track, “Summits,” in a visualizer clip created by Wanderley Perna / W Designer, offering fans an initial glimpse into the captivating world of “Fall.” As anticipation for the album continues to build, BORKNAGAR remains at the forefront of the avant-garde/progressive Black Metal scene, showcasing their unique musical prowess and visual storytelling.
Embark on a transcendent musical odyssey with the latest offering from BORKNAGAR, the captivating single “Nordic Anthem”, from their upcoming album “Fall” set to release worldwide on February 23rd.
Released with an invigorating call to embrace the untamed Nordic spirit, this track is more than just a composition—it’s a sonic manifesto that resounds with profound themes of individuality, strength, and liberation.
As the echoing notes of “Nordic Anthem” reverberate, Borknagar delivers a powerful message of defiance, rejecting societal doctrines and standing tall against gods and authorities. The music becomes a conduit for a rebellion of the spirit, urging listeners to find solace and empowerment within their inner cores.
In the tapestry of “Nordic Anthem,” Borknagar weaves together a melodic and atmospheric soundscape, transporting the listener into a realm where the rugged beauty of Nordic landscapes meets the rebellious spirit of the human soul. The track not only showcases the band’s musical prowess but also serves as a testament to their ability to infuse deep philosophical concepts into their art.
Pre-order “Fall” and listen to “Nordic Anthem”, at this location.
A very special 25th Anniversary re-issue of the pioneering self-titled debut album by Norway’s avant-garde Black Metal innovators BORKNAGAR is out worldwide today via the band’s longtime label partner Century Media Records.
Check out a visualizer clip for the track “Dauden (Remaster 2021)” created by Wanderley Perna / W Designer to get an impression of “Borknagar (25th Anniversary Re-issue 2021)” here:
BORKNAGAR founder and mastermind Øystein G. Brun commented about “Dauden” as follows: “ If there is one song that has shaped my sound and inspired my career as a musician that is “Dauden”. Even though this was not the first song written for the debut, “Dauden” was the first song I carved out on my, then newly bought, Fostex multitrack recorder. This opened a new world to me, to be able to sit in solitude and work out layers of guitar arrangements without the typical fuzz and chaos of a rehearsal room. I still remember the grandiose feeling of musical excitement when the mid-section of this song fell into place. A notion that music can derive from “nothing” to become an entity bigger than life. This exact notion has kept my flame burning throughout all these years. Furthermore, when first talking with Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg about him doing the vocals and joining the band, “Dauden” was the song we were talking about, this was the musical trigger so to speak. He was seriously into this song. And I can clearly remember as if it was yesterday, Garm dancing around in studio in awe doing choirs. There was something magical about this one…And still is!”
And Øystein G. Brun previously commented on “Borknagar (25th Anniversary Re-issue 2021)” as follows: “Throughout the years I have received countless requests for a re-release of this album…but because this album represents such a personal and treacherous part of my life, I wanted it to be done with dignity. And here we are: This is the definitive re-release of the debut album of BORKNAGAR. This release contains a genuine re-master of the debut album, based on the original mix tapes. This has been done with the uttermost care and love by yours sincerely to maintain the original sound and flavour of the album, and solely to improve the listening experience. Working on this re-release has been an emotional ride. While always maintaining a good feeling about the project it has been times of frustration and technical obstacles. Hours has been spent finding and compiling old pictures, dealing with tapes and equipment that has not been played or used in over 25 years. But now it is done, and I hope you all enjoy and appreciate this release as much as I do.”
Initially released in 1996, “Borknagar” saw Øystein G. Brun recruiting a phenomenal cast of like-minded musicians such as Garm (Ulver, ex Arcturus) doing the vocals, drummer Grim (ex-Immortal, Gorgoroth), Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) on keyboards and bassist Infernus (who played in Gorgoroth) to enter the notorious halls of Grieghallen Studios with the goal of rupturing the peripheries of what was then deemed “traditional” Black Metal.
The new deluxe edition of the album, now entitled “Borknagar (25th Anniversary Re-issue 2021)” marks the definitive version of this pioneering Norwegian Metal classic, as it includes a careful remaster of the 10 album songs courtesy of Øystein G. Brun himself, a makeover for the original artwork, profound liner notes, exclusive photos and a bonus disc full of previously unheard material from the band vaults. Here are the complete tracklistings of the Anniversary release:
Most recently, BORKNAGAR have unfortunately been forced to cancel their previously announced European headlining run with support by SAOR and Cân Bardd, initially scheduled to happen in November-December 2021. But in better news, BORKNAGAR have announced a re-scheduled routing for their long overdue return to North America as part of the “Devastation Of The Nation” tour with Rotting Christ, Wolfheart and Abigail Williams, as well as several other shows for 2022 in order to continue to promote their latest album “True North”. Check out a list of all upcoming BORKNAGAR dates here:
BORKNAGAR – Live 2021: 11.12.2021 Eindhoven (The Netherlands) – Eindhoven Metal Meeting
BORKNAGAR – Live 2022: 08.01.2022 Zürich (Switzerland) – Dynamo / Mehsuff Winter-Festival
Rotting Christ, BORKNAGAR, Wolfheart & Abigail Williams “Devastation Of The Nation” – North American Tour 2022 21.04.2022 Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone 22.04.2022 Portland, OR – Bossanova Ballroom 23.04.2022 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre 24.04.2022 Seattle, WA – El Corazon 26.04.2022 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall 27.04.2022 Denver, CO – The Roxy Theater 29.04.2022 Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre 30.04.2022 Chicago, IL – Reggies 01.05.2022 Detroit, MI – Sanctuary 03.05.2022 Toronto, ON – Lees Palace 04.05.2022 Montreal, QC – Foufounes Electriques 05.05.2022 Quebec City, QC – Imperial 06.05.2022 Manchester, NH – Jewel 07.05.2022 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus Bar 08.05.2022 Baltimore, MD – Soundstage 10.05.2022 Greensboro, NC – Blind Tiger 11.05.2022 Nashville, TN – Exit/In 12.05.2022 Birmingham, AL – Zydeco 13.05.2022 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Hell) 14.05.2022 Tampa, FL – The Orpheum 16.05.2022 Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall 17.05.2022 Fort Worth, TX – Haltom Theater 18.05.2022 Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live 19.05.2022 El Paso, TX – Rockhouse Bar 20.05.2022 Phoenix, AZ – Nile Theater 21.05.2022 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick 22.05.2022 Los Angeles, CA – 1720 More info: https://www.facebook.com/devastationonthenation Tickets: https://bit.ly/DOTN2022
BORKNAGAR – Live 2022: 27.05.2022 Hollandscheveld (The Netherlands) – Graveland Open Air 28.05.2022 Whittlebury Park / Towchester (UK) – ManorFest 19.06.2022 Clisson (France) – Hellfest 24.06.2022 Kauhajoki (Finland) – Nummirock 27.08.2022 Thessaloniki (Greece) – 8Ball 28.08.2022 Athens (Greece) – Kyttaro
Moonspell, My Dying Bride, BORKNAGAR, Wolfheart & Hinayana “Ultima Ratio Fest” – European Tour 2022 29.09.2022 Frankfurt (Germany) – Batschkapp 30.09.2022 Leipzig (Germany) – Hellraiser 01.10.2022 Antwerp (Belgium) – Trix 02.10.2022 Luxembourg (Luxembourg) – Den Atelier 03.10.2022 Paris (France) – Elysee Montmatre 04.10.2022 Lyon (France) – Transbordeur 05.10.2022 Pratteln (Switzerland) – Z7 06.10.2022 Stuttgart (Germany) – LKA 07.10.2022 Geiselwind (Germany) – Music Hall 08.10.2022 Munich (Germany) – Backstage Werk 09.10.2022 Brno (Czech Republic) – Sono 10.10.2022 Budapest (Hungary) – Barba Negra 11.10.2022 Vienna (Austria) – Arena 12.10.2022 Wroclaw (Poland) – A2 13.10.2022 Berlin (Germany) – Kesselhaus 14.10.2022 Hamburg (Germany) – Markthalle 15.10.2022 Oberhausen (Germany) – Turbinenhalle 2 16.10.2022 Utrecht (The Netherlands) – Ronda Ticket pre-sale: http://www.ultima-ratio-fest.com
“True North” received raving reviews in the media and was elected “Album of the month” by publications like Metal Hammer (Germany), Legacy (Germany) or also Scream (Norway). The album scored several international sales chart rankings upon release as follows: Germany: #31, Switzerland: #34, Finland: #42, Austria: #56, Sweden (Physical Albums): #46, USA (Billboard Heatseekers): #12, USA (Billboard Hard Rock): #22 as well as ITunes Charts: Canada: #70, Italy: #77, Germany: #86 and Finland: #94.
Norway’s avant-garde Black Metal innovators BORKNAGAR are pleased to announce a very special 25th Anniversary re-issue of their pioneering self-titled debut album “Borknagar”, out for the first time ever worldwide via the band’s longtime label partner Century Media Records on November 12th, 2021.
BORKNAGAR founder and mastermind Øystein G. Brun comments on this special re-release as follows: “Throughout the years I have received countless requests for a re-release of this album…but because this album represents such a personal and treacherous part of my life, I wanted it to be done with dignity. And here we are: This is the definitive re-release of the debut album of BORKNAGAR. This release contains a genuine re-master of the debut album, based on the original mix tapes. This has been done with the uttermost care and love by yours sincerely to maintain the original sound and flavour of the album, and solely to improve the listening experience. Working on this re-release has been an emotional ride. While always maintaining a good feeling about the project it has been times of frustration and technical obstacles. Hours has been spent finding and compiling old pictures, dealing with tapes and equipment that has not been played or used in over 25 years. But now it is done, and I hope you all enjoy and appreciate this release as much as I do.”
Initially released in 1996, “Borknagar” saw Øystein G. Brun recruiting a phenomenal cast of like-minded musicians such as Garm (Ulver, ex Arcturus) doing the vocals, drummer Grim (ex-Immortal, Gorgoroth and Ancient), Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) on keyboards and bassist Infernus (who played in Gorgoroth) to enter the notorious halls of Grieghallen Studios with the goal of rupturing the peripheries of what was then deemed “traditional” Black Metal.
The upcoming deluxe edition of the album now entitled “Borknagar (25th Anniversary Re-issue 2021)” marks the definitive version of this pioneering Norwegian Metal classic, as it includes a careful remaster of the 10 album songs courtesy of Øystein G. Brun himself, a makeover for the original artwork, profound liner notes, exclusive photos and a bonus disc full of previously unheard material from the band vaults. Here are the tracklistings of the Anniversary release:
In other news, BORKNAGAR continue to promote their latest, 11th studio album “True North” and have now also been confirmed to be part of the “Ultima Ratio Fest 2022” across Europe in September/October 2022 together with Moonspell, My Dying Bride, Wolfheart and Hinayana. Here is a list of all dates for this run:
Moonspell, My Dying Bride, BORKNAGAR, Wolfheart & Hinayana “Ultima Ratio Fest 2022”
29.09.2022 Frankfurt (Germany) – Batschkapp 30.09.2022 Leipzig (Germany) – Hellraiser 01.10.2022 Antwerp (Belgium) – Trix 02.10.2022 Luxembourg (Luxembourg) – Den Atelier 03.10.2022 Paris (France) – Elysee Montmatre 04.10.2022 Lyon (France) – Transbordeur 05.10.2022 Pratteln (Switzerland) – Z7 06.10.2022 Stuttgart (Germany) – LKA 07.10.2022 Geiselwind (Germany) – Music Hall 08.10.2022 Munich (Germany) – Backstage Werk 09.10.2022 Brno (Czech Republic) – Sono 10.10.2022 Budapest (Hungary) – Barba Negra 11.10.2022 Vienna (Austria) – Arena 12.10.2022 Wroclaw (Poland) – A2 13.10.2022 Berlin (Germany) – Kesselhaus 14.10.2022 Hamburg (Germany) – Markthalle 15.10.2022 Oberhausen (Germany) – Turbinenhalle 2 16.10.2022 Utrecht (The Netherlands) – Ronda
Previously, BORKNAGAR are scheduled for a headlining run all over Europe for November-December 2021 with support by SAOR and Cân Bardd. Here are the dates again:
BORKNAGAR, SAOR & Cân Bardd “True North” European Tour 2021
20.11.2021 Warsaw (Poland) – Hydrozagadka 21.11.2021 Krakow (Poland) – Kwadrat 22.11.2021 Prague (Czech Republic) – Futurum 23.11.2021 Leipzig (Germany) – UT Connewitz 24.11.2021 Hamburg (Germany) – Logo 25.11.2021 Essen (Germany) – Turock 26.11.2021 Antwerpen (Belgium) – Kavka 27.11.2021 London (UK) – The Garage 28.11.2021 Glasgow (UK) – Slay 29.11.2021 Manchester (UK) – Rebellion 30.11.2021 Paris (France) – Petit Bain 01.12.2021 Toulouse (France) – Le Rex 02.12.2021 Madrid (Spain) – Caracol 03.12.2021 Barcelona (Spain) – Bóveda 04.12.2021 Lyon (France) – CCO Vileurbanne 05.12.2021 Parma (Italy) – Campus Industry Music 06.12.2021 Monthey (Switzerland) – Pont Rouge 07.12.2021 Stuttgart (Germany) – Im Wizemann 08.12.2021 Munich (Germany) – Backstage 09.12.2021 Vienna (Austria) – Viper Room 10.12.2021 Weinheim (Germany) – Café Central 11.12.2021 Eindhoven (The Netherlands) – Eindhoven Metal Meeting
And other BORKNAGAR live-dates are as follows:
BORKNAGAR live 2021/2022:
30.10.2021 Kopervik (Norway) – Karmøygeddon Arctic 27.05.2021 Hollandscheveld (The Netherlands) – Graveland Open Air 28.05.2022 Whittlebury Park / Towchester (UK) – ManorFest 19.06.2022 Clisson (France) – Hellfest
And many more shows to be announced soon…
Feel free to check out the singles for BORKNAGAR’s latest “True North” album here:
“True North” received raving reviews in the media and was elected “Album of the month” by publications like Metal Hammer (Germany), Legacy (Germany) or also Scream (Norway). The album scored several international sales chart rankings upon release as follows: Germany: #31, Switzerland: #34, Finland: #42, Austria: #56, Sweden (Physical Albums): #46, USA (Billboard Heatseekers): #12, USA (Billboard Hard Rock): #22 as well as ITunes Charts: Canada: #70, Italy: #77, Germany: #86 and Finland: #94.
In order to celebrate their -nothing short of amazing- 30 years career, crowned by the band’s latest and critically acclaimed studio album Hermitage live, together with their European wolfpack, the undisputed kings of the dark, MOONSPELL, have announced a series of tour dates for 2022!
Ever since their formation 30 years ago, the Portuguese took the international heavy music scene by storm, followed by a monumental journey through an impressive, enthralling yet various back catalogue of thirteen records earning their places as one of the most distinctive dark metal classics of all time. But playing live has always been the motor of the band. Especially after the world went into shutdown the more MOONSPELL showed the typical hunger of wolves, and just revealed to team up with no one less than MY DYING BRIDE, BORKNAGAR, WOLFHEART and HINAYANA for an extensive European tour run in 2022!
My Dying Bride, one of THE doom metal bands per excellence joins this high- class line-up. Along with Paradise Lost and Anathema, the British band from Halifax has been lauded as one of the Doomy Three who popularised the genre in the 90s. However, the formation was rarely seen on tour – in this respect the “Ultima Ratio Fest” tour not only offers one of the rare opportunities to experience My Dying Bride but to celebrate their latest album, “The Ghost Of Orion”, live.
Progressive Black Metallers Borknagar are no strangers to the scene either. Founded in 1995 and featuring members of acts such as Enslaved, Immortal, Gorgoroth and Ulver, there’s hardly any other formation that developed classic Black Metal with as much musical versatility as these Norwegians!
And although the Finns of Wolfheart have only been active since 2013, they have left a big stamp with their heavy, melodic doom metal sound. Their last album “Wolfes Of Karelia” even made it to number #8 in the official album charts. Up&coming melodic death metal band, Hinayana, rounds up this eclectic tour package: The Texas- based band made their debut in 2018 but with their latest record, “Death Of The Cosmic”, they stepped out as one of the US best kept metal secrets!
Says MOONSPELL frontman Fernando Ribeiro about the upcoming tour: “Musically speaking, this might be the best tour Moonspell has ever joined. My Dying Bride is one of our favourites when it comes to deep emotional songwriting and there’s no one that can spell Doom as they do. Borkanagar’s last album (Pure North) is a masterpiece and of course that Wolfheart has a special place in our “heart” for reasons that are obvious. We will be celebrating our 30 years together as a band in amazing company and if you’re into bands that “do it for the music” this is a one of a kinda experience that no true fan can afford to miss.
We will be revisiting our career and play classics, new songs and hidden gems alike, so the hype is real, brace yourself for an extraordinary voyage in the amazing company of these bands, probably the best and most heartfelt tour of 2022.”
30 years of MOONSPELL, and blessedly the band doesn’t show any signs to slow down soon. With their latest record Hermitage, the gothic metal masters proved they still belong to the first league of the darkest art of sounds. To celebrate their band anniversary in style, MOONSPELL furthermore announced to reissue their fifth, 2001- album, Darkness And Hope, as well as the pathbreaking Irreligious! One can be sure, their upcoming live performances will contain an exciting blend of timeless classics and modern MOONSPELL anthems. With a ticket sale to start on October 1, 2021 make sure to catch this killer live package live on tour!
“Ultima Ratio Fest” 2022: Moonspell
My Dying Bride
Borknagar
Wolfheart
Hinayana
29.09.2022 THU (DE) FRANKFURT Batschkapp 30.09.2022 FRI (DE) LEIPZIG Hellraiser 01.10.2022 SAT (BE) ANTWERP Trix 02.10.2022 SUN (LU) LUXEMBURG Den Atelier 03.10.2022 MON (FR) PARIS Elysee Montmatre 04.10.2022 TUE (FR) LYON Transbordeur 05.10.2022 WED (CH) PRATTELN Z 7 06.10.2022 THU (DE) STUTTGART LKA 07.10.2022 FRI (DE) GEISELWIND Music Hall 08.10.2022 SAT (DE) MUNICH Backstage Werk 09.10.2022 SUN (CZ) Brno Sono 10.10.2022 MON (HU) BUDAPEST Barba Negra 11.10.2022 TUE (AT) VIENNA Arena 12.10.2022 WED (PL) WROCLAW A2 13.10.2022 THU (DE) BERLIN Kesselhaus 14.10.2022 FRI (DE) HAMBURG Markthalle 15.10.2022 SAT (DE) OBERHAUSEN Turbinenhalle 16.10.2022 SUN (NL) UTRECHT Ronda
More MOONSPELL Live Dates: w/ PARADISE LOST Feb 11th 2022 – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage Feb 12th 2022 – Newcastle, UK @ Riverside Feb 13th 2022 – Wolverhampton, UK @ KK’s Steel Mill Feb 14th 2022 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms Feb 16th 2022 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy Feb 17th 2022 – Bristol, UK @ SWX Feb 18th 2022 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
April 22th 2022 – Rabat, MT / Dark Malta Festival *Moonspell only June 24th 2022 – Clisson, FR / Hellfest *Moonspell only
with many more dates to follow!
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