BORGARTING – Beist

Review by Gamil

1.- Band Name:

The band’s name is related to the Borg region, present-day Sarpsborg, in Norway, which was the site of one of the regional general assemblies in medieval Norway. Political and legal decisions were made in these assemblies and were fundamental to the legal and political system at that time. The Old Norse “borg” means “city” and “ting” refers to an assembly or court. Today, Borgarting is still one of the six courts of appeal in the Norwegian judicial system.

2.- Country and Background:

The band is originally from Norway and even though their first album dates back to 2019, the band has existed since 2009 without any other known work or demo.

This is their second album under the Italian Dusktone label, which has been releasing very good works by very representative bands for the Black Metal scene for more than 10 years.

It belongs to the Norwegian Black Metal scene, but despite the fact that its first album is not more than 5 years old, its sound is focused on the traditional black metal of the 90s. Great merit to create albums like this at a time when many fusion and revival trends are increasingly dominating the scene.

3.- Album Description:

*Cover: The cover shows us a rural passage with some vegetation, something desolate and with a couple of houses to which the observer seems to be going. Additionally, a dog is observed which approaches in the presence of someone strange. Mountains can be seen in the distance and behind the houses. Some vegetation represents likely harvesting activity and a sunrise-like cloudscape.

*Vibes similar/ FFO: mainly Satyricon ( R.E. ,Volcano, Now D.), Gorgotroth (Pentagram, Antichrist), Taake (2nd Era) , in their mid paced songs or passages.

*Voice: A deep voice full of anger and dominance in the style of Satyr is heard in most of the songs.

*Guitars & Bass spirit: TNBM vibes.

*Drums: Polished sound and very technical.

*Sound production mid 90s – 00.

4.- Analysis and appreciation:

*Warning: The following rating is a personal appreciation based on what I personally have fed myself with certain bands or subgenres throughout my whole life experience.

It never represents a derogatory opinion regarding the art done by someone. You, having had another listener experience and mind construction based on the bands that life made you cross path, will surely have a bit different opinion regarding what a certain artist creates.

The score is taking into account the best masterpieces in each corresponding subgenre.

Hail to all artists related to the great world of Black Metal.

*Duration time: +/- 40 minutes

*Songs summary: 9 songs, 1 Intro, 6 mid paced songs, 2 blast beats driven songs.

– Track Analisys and Scoring:

1. De skyldige – 04:16 (The Guilty) 5/6.

2. Allfar – 03:57 (Universal) 5/6.

3. Hat – 04:19 (Hate) 5/6.

4. Vrede – 04:17 (Wrath). 5/6.

5. Svart – 04:15 (Black). 5/6

6. Beist – 05:16 (Beast). 6/6 .

7. Mer – 04:02 (Sea) 6/6

8. Horde – 04:29 (Horde) 6/6

9. Gammel hud – 05:22 (Old Skin). 5/6

1.”De skyldige”. It is an eerie atmospheric track that seems to tell that somebody is walking to receive a sentence or punishment for being guilty. This has a drum accompaniment similar to a ritual march. The guitars express a mixed feeling of fear and sadness.

2. ”Allfar”, 4.“Vrede”, 5. “Svart”, 7.”Mer” and 9. ”Gammel hud”.

Songs at medium speed with a dark and majestic guitar feeling, typical of Norwegian black metal and very much in tune with the somewhat thrash rhythms at mid-tempo of Carpathian Forest or of Taake’s most recent albums in his mid-tempo songs or passages.

3. “Hat”, 6. “Beist”, and 8 ”Horde”. They are their best. Blast beats at full speed with the grim, cold and dark Norwegian feeling, something in the vein of the traditional Gorgoroth of his early era or Nemesis Divina.

*Average album score: 5/6.

*Comparison with previous albums/works: As good as their previous release, “Besit” is an additional dose of what they gave us with “Far”.

5.- Conclusion:

About the songs, the album doesn’t have one that can be labeled as a hymn, but on the other hand, all the songs are very good to listen to them all or as a whole. I mean, sometimes we appreciate or judge an album just for having 4 or 5 good songs with 1 or 2 that can be called hymns, but other times we can appreciate all the songs or listen to an album in its entirety because all the songs have an average of quality in composition, and that is the case of this album.

A band that will surely give us more good black metal not related to current trends or revival subgenres which are taking over nowadays scene. They keep the true Norwegian metal vibes of the 90s and reek of it, with a more polished instrumentation from the 00s.

Nowadays we tend to receive too much musical stimulation based on fusion and that may some people forget the beauty of the simple pure genres.

Nice album to listen and gladly waiting for their next release.

6.-Band Info and where to get it:

-Follow them:

https://www.facebook.com/borgartinget/

-Listen to them:

-Find the album on:

https://www.dusktone.it/product-page/borgarting-beist

https://www.facebook.com/dusktone

Aside from Digipack format, it comes in black vinyl besides a beautiful sky blue marble and green marble.

Hail “Borgarting”.

2.- Country and Background:

The band is originally from Norway and even though their first album dates back to 2019, the band has existed since 2009 without any other known work or demo.

This is their second album under the Italian Dusktone label, which has been releasing very good works by very representative bands for the Black Metal scene for more than 10 years.

It belongs to the Norwegian Black Metal scene, but despite the fact that its first album is not more than 5 years old, its sound is focused on the traditional black metal of the 90s. Great merit to create albums like this at a time when many fusion and revival trends are increasingly dominating the scene.

3.- Album Description:

*Cover: The cover shows us a rural passage with some vegetation, something desolate and with a couple of houses to which the observer seems to be going. Additionally, a dog is observed which approaches in the presence of someone strange. Mountains can be seen in the distance and behind the houses. Some vegetation represents likely harvesting activity and a sunrise-like cloudscape.

*Vibes similar/ FFO: mainly Satyricon ( R.E. ,Volcano, Now D.), Gorgotroth (Pentagram, Antichrist), Taake (2nd Era) , in their mid paced songs or passages.

*Voice: A deep voice full of anger and dominance in the style of Satyr is heard in most of the songs.

*Guitars & Bass spirit: TNBM vibes.

*Drums: Polished sound and very technical.

*Sound production mid 90s – 00.

4.- Analysis and appreciation:

*Warning: The following rating is a personal appreciation based on what I personally have fed myself with certain bands or subgenres throughout my whole life experience.

It never represents a derogatory opinion regarding the art done by someone. You, having had another listener experience and mind construction based on the bands that life made you cross path, will surely have a bit different opinion regarding what a certain artist creates.

The score is taking into account the best masterpieces in each corresponding subgenre.

Hail to all artists related to the great world of Black Metal.

*Duration time: +/- 40 minutes

*Songs summary: 9 songs, 1 Intro, 6 mid paced songs, 2 blast beats driven songs.

– Track Analisys and Scoring:

1. De skyldige – 04:16 (The Guilty) 4/5.

2. Allfar – 03:57 (Universal) 4/5.

3. Hat – 04:19 (Hate) 4/5.

4. Vrede – 04:17 (Wrath). 4/5.

5. Svart – 04:15 (Black). 4/5

6. Beist – 05:16 (Beast). 5/5 .

7. Mer – 04:02 (Sea) 5/5

8. Horde – 04:29 (Horde) 5/5

9. Gammel hud – 05:22 (Old Skin). 4/5

1.”De skyldige”. It is an eerie atmospheric track that seems to tell that somebody is walking to receive a sentence or punishment for being guilty. This has a drum accompaniment similar to a ritual march. The guitars express a mixed feeling of fear and sadness.

2. ”Allfar”, 4.“Vrede”, 5. “Svart”, 7.”Mer” and 9. ”Gammel hud”.

Songs at medium speed with a dark and majestic guitar feeling, typical of Norwegian black metal and very much in tune with the somewhat thrash rhythms at mid-tempo of Carpathian Forest or of Taake’s most recent albums in his mid-tempo songs or passages.

3. “Hat”, 6. “Beist”, and 8 ”Horde”. They are their best. Blast beats at full speed with the grim, cold and dark Norwegian feeling, something in the vein of the traditional Gorgoroth of his early era or Nemesis Divina.

*Average album score: 4.5/5.

*Comparison with previous albums/works: As good as their previous release, “Besit” is an additional dose of what they gave us with “Far”.

5.- Conclusion:

About the songs, the album doesn’t have one that can be labeled as a hymn, but on the other hand, all the songs are very good to listen to them all or as a whole. I mean, sometimes we appreciate or judge an album just for having 4 or 5 good songs with 1 or 2 that can be called hymns, but other times we can appreciate all the songs or listen to an album in its entirety because all the songs have an average of quality in composition, and that is the case of this album.

A band that will surely give us more good black metal not related to current trends or revival subgenres which are taking over nowadays scene. They keep the true Norwegian metal vibes of the 90s and reek of it, with a more polished instrumentation from the 00s.

Nowadays we tend to receive too much musical stimulation based on fusion and that may some people forget the beauty of the simple pure genres.

Nice album to listen and gladly waiting for their next release.

6.-Band Info and where to get it:

-Follow them:

https://www.facebook.com/borgartinget/

-Listen to them:

-Find the album on:

https://www.dusktone.it/product-page/borgarting-beist

https://www.facebook.com/dusktone

Aside from Digipack format, it comes in black vinyl besides a beautiful sky blue marble and green marble.

Hail “Borgarting”.