1. Congratulations on making such a great album and greetings to Norway!

Thank you! It feels great and the respons have been overwhelming.

2. What are your feelings about the new material and the recording process, now that it’s finished and you can look back at it with some distance?

We have been talking about this and we feel like the new material is probably more "even" throughout the album then any of the previous albums, but with all the factors with Urd it becomes the best album so far. The recording process was strange as we all worked more or less separately, but it seems to have worked out pretty good. Øystein did a huge job with this album in terms of production and editing, and then Jens Bogren (Fascination Street) just put it all together in a way that surprised us also I have to admit.

3. “Urd” is once again released under Century Media Records, but surprisingly, the previous album “Universal” was released under Indie Records, which seems rather strange considering that you’ve been signed to Century Media since “The Olden Domain”. Were you just trying out a new label and then decided to return back to your home label? What is the relationship between you and Century Media after so many years?

Yeah, we wanted to give Indie a chance and we also needed to break out of the patterns we had with Century Media, sometimes it's good to get a bit of distance you know. But the Indie experiment wasn't very successfull and we started talking to Century Media again after already a few years apart and they had done a few changes and improved in ways we found very interesting and the road back was found. So far so good...

4. There was a 6-year gap between “Epic” and “Universal”, which you filled with acoustic release “Origin” and a best-of compilation “For the Elements (1996-2006)”. Now we get a regular release after just 2 years. What has changed since in the meantime? Have you found a fruitful source of inspiration? Because “Urd” sounds really fresh and original. It has literally blown me away with its energy and abundance of great ideas.

First of all, Universal was delivered from us 7-8 months before it was released by Indie, by the time it hit the stores it was "old news" to the band and Øystein was already halfway into writing what has now become Urd. So the real gap is bigger. And yes, we have had some change in pace and development in focus and values and more focus on Borknagar was slowly coming over us. Universal was recieved much better then both Epic and Origin and that also put some spirits into the band. The biggest inspiration though was the return of ICS Vortex, he set this on fire he he.

5. Were there any songs that did not make it to the album? Are you saving something for an EP or some kind of a bonus release?

Oh, quite a few actually. One song was even recorded halfway, but hasn't been finished. But don't worry, material that doesn't make the cut is never thrown out, but used as ideas and parts for the next one. No bonus release planned no.

6. The production of “Urd” is really splendid. Where did you record and who is responsible for the great sound of the record?

We have a great deal with Steinberg who provides us with Cubase and suffucient equipment to make some of the recordings at home. I use Cubase 6 and a "CI2+" to record my guitars on my pc and then I just send the files to Øystein. Off course we can't record drums and vocals with easy home equipment, but Vintersorg has his own home studio and did all his recordings at home. We spent some time in Toproom also, but that is mostly to get a band feeling or studio feeling when we work, a bit more focus in a way. The big job was done in Fascination Street Studio where Jens Bogren put together the mix for us. We only spent 2 days there to finish this, but Bogren worked quite a bit on this, and thus the result.


7. Lately, there have been many bands returning to the classic analog sound. What is your take on this way of recording?

I think that is awesome, it's a very interesting way to work. Still I don't know if that is the right way for Borknagar just at this point because it would have set a very different flavour on the recording. It's no secret that we have pulled the strings of technology to create this sort of sound and at this time it felt like the right thing to do. If we were about to do an album like Origin at this point maybe an analog studio would be the right thing, but I don't think we could have made Urd that way.

8. Do any band members have a formal education in music? Or are all of you self-taught?

Hehe, 100% self thought... Well, our new drummer Baard is studying music...

9. The cover art is – on top of being really beautiful – full of various symbols. Can you tell us something about the imagery? Who is the author?

I call him Marcello "The Magician" E. Cissa, he's a Brazillian designer who also worked with us on Universal. Marcello has already become a close friend of Øystein and been to Norway several times. He seems to have a strange connection with Borknagar and is able to catch our drift very fast. The process this time was as simple as Øystein talking to him before anything was done and explaining some of the songtitles, atmosphere and key words, and then Marcello delivered the first draft only a couple of days later. We had a discussion about the first draft and with the more detailed feedback Marcello circled in this final work which we get a lot of positive feedback on.

10. What is the meaning of the word “Urd”? The wordplay in the name of the first song “Epochalypse” is really cool. Could you share with us something about the lyrics of the new album?

Urd is a "Norne" from Norse mythology, more spesific one of the three Nornes who sat under the tree Yggdrasil weaving the patterns of life. Urd represents the past of this. With this we wanted to give a notion that we were looking back a bit with this album, both welcoming ICS Vortex in the fold and trying to recapture some of the atmosphere from the early albums. The lyrics swirl around the usual Borknagar themes with nature and elements.

11. I guess that vast majority of old-school fans are delighted to see the lost son Vortex back in the band. Is working together any different after such a long separation?

Hehe, yeah! We have all grown up!
Vortex is one of my very best friends and playing in a band with him again is like playing with my brother. We have all developed the 10-12 years we spent in different camps and now we bring this together again. And now we have become mature parents and we can focus only on the musical part, no worries about anything else.

12. I was really looking forward to the vocals on “Urd”, now that there are three great voices in the line-up. But at the same time I was a little bit afraid that they would be fighting for their places in the mix, which could be really detrimental to the music. The more I was surprised that the result was really breathtaking, the vocals being incredibly well composed and balanced. My question is: Who comes up with the vocal lines? Is it Øystein Garnes Brun? Or does Vintersorg compose the main vocals and afterwards Vortex and Lars add the final touches?

The way we work with this is that while Øystein bring in the main schematics, we all contribute with our own interpretations. The different parts have been discussed, like who's doing vocals here and there and where should I play a solo, but the actual creation is made by the individuals. I have to admit that the first time I heard the vocal lines on this album I was more or less blown away, I had no idea they could make it work like this, and I play in the damn band he he. And then they fill in with eachother, there are lots of places where Vintersorg is singing main vocals, but Lars or Vortex is in the back.


13. I imagine that having a line-up with so many great musicians and strong personalities must be very inspiring and fulfilling. But there is always the possibility of rivalry; is it the case with BORKNAGAR? Do you have a leader who decides all the disputes?

Well, Øystein is the undisputed boss here, but there really isn't much rivalry. I think at this stage we all share a mutual respect and strong friendship and I have no problem at all leaving out a solo because it's more fitting with some organ there or such, because we focus on the finished product, not who should be in the spotlight. I believe we might have something a bit unusual here, but we make it work.

14. David Kinkade was responsible for drums on "Universal" and "Urd", but now the drum duties are in the hands of Baard Kolstad (Oceans of Time, ICS Vortex). What happened? The promo photos show just Øystein, Vintersorg, Vortex, Lazare and Jense. Is Baard just a session player?

Kinkade left us in the middle of the recording and we set him as a session musician this time. Then Baard joined well after the pictures were done and the album about to be pressed and we chose to do it like this. Baard is a full member of Borknagar and will set his stamp on the next recording.

15. In the history of BORKNAGAR, there have been lots of legendary musicians, but I guess that their departures from the band weren’t always peaceful, with no hard feelings involved. Are you in touch with some of the ex-members? How do you see your older albums and the circumstances of their origin in retrospection?

With this many people involved it's off course no similar way for them to depart. With most departures it's based on a difference of opinion, like when I left in 2003 it was because I was not happy with a band that didn't want to play live, we disagreed. But I saw no reason to make this ugly and found my way back, just like Vortex. Difference of opinion is not reason enough for personal abuse, that's usually a sign of low self asteem and being defencive after making mistakes. I had lunch with Garm just 3 days ago, I do business with Asgeir, Ivar Bjørnson helped us getting the Gibson endorsement deal and so on.

I see the development of Borknagar as also a result of the different influences all these past members have brought in, no doubt about that. And when people have left we have tried to keep some of the most valuable details they have brought into the band.

16. Will your fans have the chance to see you live? Your webpage sadly mentions just Norwegian shows. I think that a European tour would be very welcome among your fans. Norway is quite far for us to go there just for one show.

As for now it doesn't look too good, not everyone have time to go on a tour. I hope we can at least come for some festivals around here and there. If it was up to me we would be touring...

17. When BORKNAGAR emerged in the mid 90’s, the viking metal (or pagan black metal, if you wish) scene was totally different from today’s. Do you follow the scene and know the new bands? What do you think of them?

I'm not all into the scene no, but I think the main problem of the bands today is that they try too hard to copy what happened in the 90's, and fail. The upcoming musicians now seem to have an extreme technical skill, but few have the visionary minds of the great composers of the 90's like Ihsahn, Satyr, Abbath and such. Then there's a few who are original, like Shining. And they also do very good.

18. BORKNAGAR has over the time strayed away towards progressive metal, even though the essence of your music is still the same. Do you strive to sound like BORKNAGAR all the time, even when the style gradually changes? Or is it something inherent to you and your approach to composing music?

As long as Øystein makes the music, it will sound like Øystein/ Borknagar. Øystein IS Borknagar. Our sound develops with technology, members and outside inspirations, but I don't think you will find us doing something that you can't recognice. This is a natural process.


19. The band was never connected to the infamous church-burnings, but some of your band members have in fact been either members or at least in touch with the so-called “Inner Circle”. What is your opinion on the movement? And what is your view on religion as such? Does it even have a purpose in today’s post-modern society? Isn’t it just a meaningless idea that is still alive only by its own inertia?

I believe that science has established that an intelligent mind (a human mind) will always search for explanations. Mankind is a result of the tradition they grow up in and every movement has an anti-movement. Trying to fight religion is just silly, it's a lost battle. Pick your battles, spend your time right. If you take Norway for example, people mostly don't go to church anymore, but we see that when people drop out of the regular Christian beliefs, they pick up a scent of supernatural beliefs instead. People need something to believe in and I have to admit; personally I don't care what that is. I'm indifferent to religion. I don't like extremeists in any way. None of them!

20. Currently, there has been a lot of talk about ACTA and Internet censorship. Have you followed the news? What do you think about it? Does music piracy and censorship affect you in some way?

Yeah, I find this to be sort of naive. Piracy in itself can be a help for bands and artists for promotion, but the strange effect that kids who grow up believing that everything you find on internett is free is not a good thing. I don't think people who speak for piracy understand the whole picture, something that Swedish political party "Pirates" showed to some extent. Piracy would work only in a Communist utopia, not the kind they have in China or Russia, but the utopia explained in the ideas by Marx himself, and that's a paradox. It's like me picking up the neighbors car to drive it around to show everyone what a nice car it is, but then just dropping it back and let the neighbor pay for fuel and maintenance. Who gains on this? Me, cause I got to drive the car around for free!!

21. Thank you very much for your time. If you wish to say something to Mortem zine readers, here’s your chance.

Yeah, you kind of pointed the way with your previous question here: I'm not going to front a campaign against piracy, but I want everyone to help out and let the bands and artists know you're there. No matter if you buy, loan or rip the music, support your favorite bands and artists on Facebook and Twitter and let us know in some way that you excist. In some countries we can't see any cd sales, but we are finding loads of fans. If we don't know about you we can't come to you either.