BORKNAGAR Announces Reissue of 'Winter Thrice'

Details: Written by: Edvardsen; Created: 04 May 2026; Hits: 100

BORKNAGAR band

With major international tours and chart placements around the world, after more than 30 years, Borknagar remain a consistently evolving force. Starting with their self-titled beginnings, the band quickly pushed past the boundaries set by traditional black metal by encompassing prog, neofolk and hard rock. Though a season of change would soon follow, their tenth album remains a true force of nature.

Today, Season of Mist is proud to announce a reissue of Borknagar’s tenth full-length album Winter Thrice. With blinding blast beats, melodies as crisp as the first frost and Garm of Ulver joining forces with their seasoned vocal trifecta, the band summoned a perfect storm of blackened progressive metal.

Winter Thrice will be reissued by Season of Mist on July 10, 2026.

Borknagar Winter Thrice

Pre-order

https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/BorknagarShop

Available formats

2×12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Black)

2×12” Vinyl Gatefold (Transparent with Brand-New Crusher Effect in Black and White)

While their last album with Vintersorg and long-time guitarist Jens F. Ryland, Winter Thrice still stands as a peak in Borknagar’s discography. The album charted on the Finnish, Swiss and U.S. charts, peaking at #15 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums. Meanwhile, the video for the title track continues to climb with more than 2 million views on YouTube.

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BIOGRAPHY/LOGO

Borknagar was formed in 1995 in Bergen, Norway by guitarist and songwriter Øystein G. Brun, who sought to expand the boundaries of black metal by incorporating melody, atmosphere, and philosophical themes. Emerging from the fertile Norwegian extreme metal scene of the 1990s, the band quickly distinguished itself from its peers through a more progressive and epic approach.

The self-titled debut album Borknagar (1996) featured an all-star lineup, including members associated with bands like Enslaved, Gorgoroth, and Immortal. Unlike most black metal releases of the time, the album was performed entirely in Norwegian and already hinted at the band’s ambition to blend aggression with melody and depth.

With The Olden Domain (1997) and The Archaic Course (1998), Borknagar transitioned to English lyrics and further developed their signature sound—combining black metal with elements of folk, progressive rock, and clean vocals. This era saw key contributions from vocalist ICS Vortex and keyboardist Lars A. Nedland, both of whom would become central to the band’s evolving identity.

Throughout the 2000s, albums like Quintessence (2000), Empiricism (2001), and Epic (2004) showcased increasing sophistication, with a stronger emphasis on progressive structures, philosophical lyrics, and layered vocal arrangements. The band experimented further on Origin (2006), an acoustic and atmospheric release that highlighted their versatility and willingness to break genre conventions.

In the following decade, Borknagar solidified their reputation as one of the most forward-thinking acts in extreme metal. Releases such as Universal (2010), Urd (2012), and Winter Thrice (2016) featured complex compositions and a refined balance between harsh and clean vocals. The return of ICS Vortex marked a renewed creative peak, bringing dynamic vocal interplay and grandeur to the band’s sound.

With True North (2019) and Fall (2024), Borknagar continued to evolve, delivering atmospheric, melodic, and intellectually driven metal that blends black metal roots with progressive and symphonic elements. Their music often explores themes of nature, cosmology, philosophy, and the human condition.

Over the decades, Borknagar has remained a unique force within the metal world—bridging the raw spirit of Norwegian black metal with expansive, progressive artistry, and earning a dedicated global following.