Borknagar

Øystein G. Brun (guitar) created Borknagar in 1995 in Bergen just after the release of the first album of his first band Molested (Brutal Death with Erlend Erichsen future drummer Gorgoroth on Incipit Satan). He formed the band with Erik "Grim" Brødreskift (battery, future Gorgoroth), Ivar "Bjørnson" Peersen (keyboarder, member of Enslaved), and especially Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg (chant, leader of Ulver and singer of Arcturus).
The first eponymous album was recorded in 1996, with Roger "Infernus" Tiegs ( Gorgoroth ) as a bassist who will be thanked just after the recording due to his lack of involvement. This first effort will be acclaimed by the Scandinavian scene thanks to the attractive line-up and careful artwork of the album.
The following year, the band hired Kai K. Lie to bass and signed with Century Media. They record The Olden Domain the same year by delivering us a metal Viking more laid and epic than on the eponymous, unfortunately Ivar "Bjørnson" Peersen and Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg leave the band to devote themselves to their other projects. Garm himself introduced his replacement: ICS Vortex ( Lamented Souls and future Dimmu Borgir), and Jens F. Ryland (guitare) entered the group.
In 1998 The Archaic Race was released, still very Viking but with many more heavy touches especially in the song of Vortex. The album was unanimously acclaimed yet Erik "Grim" Brødreskift left the band, as well as Gorgoroth, and committed suicide the following year, Kai K. Lie also left Borknagar. Vortex resumes the bass but the tour following the release of the album seems compromised. Fortunately, Justin Greaves (future Electric Wizard) helps them out and it's the turn of Nicholas Barker (Ex Cradle Of Filth and future Dimmu Borgir) to take the drums for American dates.
At the end of the tour, the band recruited Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect) on drums and especially Lars "Lazare" Nedland (Solefald and former drummer of Carpathian Forest). With a stabilized line-up, Borknagar recorded Quintessence in 2000 under the leadership of Peter Tagtgren. Despite the success of this fourth album, Vortex decided to leave Borknagar and joined Dimmu Borgir , Øystein G. Brun nevertheless found him two high-quality replacements: Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund (Vintersorg , Otyg ) to the song and Jan-Erik "Tyr" Torgersen (Ex Emperor ) to the bass.
In 2001, they released Empiricism , an album both epic, progressive, folkloric without denying the Black roots of the band. Once again, success is on the table. In 2003, Jens F. Ryland left the band, he would not be replaced and rumors of split began to circulate. We must wait until 2004 to see the release of Epic , sixth album of the band. Asgeir Mickelson takes charge of the battery and bass parts because Tyre has many personal problems, he will leave the group during the year. Since the band members have focused on their other projects, even though Øystein G. Brun has planned a fully acoustic album by Borknagar for 2006. In 2008, the band announced that Erik Tiwaz and Jens F. Ryland would return to the band. In May of that year, drummer Asgeir left Borknagar because of musical differences. Øystein announces that this separation took place on good terms, it is replaced by David Kinkade, who was drummer for Malevolent Creation and Arsis . In 2010 the album Universal was released. April 2011, the band announces the return of ICS Vortex to bass and singing. Always 2011, drummer David Kinkade left the band to devote himself exclusively to Soulfly, he was replaced by Baard Kolstad. During the year 2012 releases the album Urd . In 2016 Borknagar released its tenth album, Winter Thrice.