No matter how you slice it, BORKNAGAR remain a band that in their entire decade-long history has never released a single album that is outstanding from start to finish. The retrospective being conducted by FONO in light of the new full-length's release only confirms this once again. "The Olden Domain" is the most "Viking" of the band's works: everywhere you look there are shields, swords, arrows. The album opens with "The Eye Of Oden" — arguably the most iconic BORKNAGAR track now and forevermore. Upon hearing it, you begin to grasp the core formula underpinning the esteemed Norwegians' craft: symphonic bombast + black metal primitivism + an all-star frontman. The latter, in this case, refers to Garm (ULVER, ARCTURUS), who has immortalized his inimitable voice on "The Olden Domain." And Garm is not the only cult Norwegian figure to make an appearance here. Ivar Bjornson of ENSLAVED — the chief Viking of the black metal stage — works his magic over keyboards and samples. Still, even the involvement of such luminaries cannot save the album — "The Olden Domain" is drawn-out, predictable, and, to put it plainly, boring. I know many will disagree with me, but as the saying goes, "this is our cow and we'll milk it as we please." My verdict — I'd rather go and listen to EMPEROR.
