Deluxe 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold sleeve of this 2000 album from the Norwegian Black Metal band. Quintessence was Borknagar's fourth album total. The album was recorded at The Abyss Studios in January 2000 and was meant to be a strictly straight-forward Black Metal album, as shown on the production quality and the fact that ICS Vortex's vocals are more of the traditional Black Metal screams and growls, with less clean singing. Back On Black.

Plastic Head Music USA presents the latest from it's distributed label Vinyl Collector Series. Each Title is manufactured on Heavy weight, 180-gram vinyl for optimum sound quality. The titles are hand selected representing the best of the respective artist/genre. Strictly controlled, these titles will quickly sell out, so stock up before they are gone!

A band consistently inconsistent, Norway's Borknagar have created an acoustic based album that is heavily folk-influenced and classically inspired. Main songwriter Oystein G. Brun has always started writing the band's avant-garde, progressive post black metal music acoustically,and by remaining acoustic this album retains an organic feeling.

Borknagar's first offering is a harsh yet melodic and majestic black metal album, featuring the "all-star" cast of vocalist Garm (Ulver/Arcturus), drummer Grim (Gorgoroth), bassist Infernus (Gorgoroth), and keyboardist Ivar Bjornson (Enslaved), in addition to leader/guitarist Øystein G. Brun. Production-wise, this is Borknagar's most raw sounding album, most notably in terms of the guitars, which here have more of an abrasive, buzzing sound (similar to Enslaved) than on subsequent records. Meanwhile, the songs (there are five of them, along with five instrumentals/interludes) possess the group's trademark epic vibe, with sweeping guitar melodies, subtle keyboard embellishments, and cleanly sung/chanted vocal sections contrasting the music's more purely aggressive and destructive elements. Some listeners may prefer the slightly more polished approach of Borknagar's later CDs, but this is certainly among their best efforts and it definitely has more of a rough edge to it than anything else they've done. -All Music Guide