The Archaic Course
1998 studio album by Borknagar
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The Archaic Course is the third studio album by Norwegian progressive metal band Borknagar. It is the first album to feature Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs on vocals following the departure of Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg (who, according to Øystein Brun, "didn't want to scream anymore"), and the first with guitarist Jens F. Ryland. The album also features contributions from Enslaved guitarist Ivar Bjørnson, although he was not credited as part of the band in the album's liner notes. This is also the last album to feature drummer and founding member Erik "Grim" Brødreskift, who died of a deliberate drug overdose shortly after its release.
| The Archaic Course | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 20 October 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 17 August – 5 September 1998 | |||
| Studio | Woodhouse Studios (Hagen, Germany) | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal, folk metal, black metal | |||
| Length | 37:46 | |||
| Label | Century Media | |||
| Producer | Borknagar, Matthias Klinkmann | |||
| Borknagar chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chronicles of Chaos | 8/10[2] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 9/10[3] |
| Rock Hard | 8.5/10[4] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5[5] |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Oceans Rise" | Øystein G. Brun | Brun | 5:27 |
| 2. | "Universal" | Brun | Brun | 5:35 |
| 3. | "The Witching Hour" | ICS Vortex | Ivar Bjørnson, Brun | 4:26 |
| 4. | "The Black Token" | Brun | Brun | 5:19 |
| 5. | "Nocturnal Vision" | Vortex | Brun | 4:35 |
| 6. | "Ad Noctum" | Vortex, Brun | Vortex | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Winter Millenium" | Brun | Brun | 5:44 |
| 8. | "Fields of Long Gone Presence/Outro" (instrumental) | Bjørnson | 2:18 | |
| Total length: | 37:46 | |||
Personnel
- Borknagar
- Simen Hestnæs (credited as "ICS Vortex") – vocals, synthesizer and sound effects (on "Ad Noctum")
- Øystein G. Brun – guitars
- Jens F. Ryland – guitars
- Kai K. Lie – bass
- Erik Brødreskift (credited as "Grim") – drums
- Additional personell
- Ivar Bjørnson – synthesizer and sound effects (all tracks, except "Ad Noctum")
- Christophe Szpajdel – logo