Borknagar

Although it has been nearly three years since their previous album, Norway's Borknagar improves upon a working formula. There are still some black metal elements in their sound, a fleeting glimpse into their formative years, but with the folk influences that have crept into their sound, the band now has a much more majestic and epic sound. The diversity of this new release came as a surprise at first, but overall it is a great collection of songs. It seems that the recent line-up changes that occurred are all positive. They now have a fresher sound, thanks in part to the experimentation and desire to continue exploring uncharted territory. I am sure that if they continue this way, Borknagar will soon become even more of a fan favourite. Their new platter should help them make a lot of new friends in the metal world.