Øystein Brun
Encyclopedia
Øystein Garnes Brun is the guitarist and founder of the Norwegian black metal
supergroup Borknagar
. He has been the only permanent member of the group, and is also responsible for writing almost all the music, and is noted for having many albums already written ahead of time.
.
, Erik Brødreskift
of Immortal
and Gorgoroth
, Ivar Bjørnson
of Enslaved
, and Kristoffer Rygg
of Ulver
, Head Control System
, and Arcturus
. The stature of these musicians caused Malicious Records to award the band with a contract without even hearing them.
After the release of their debut album, the band was signed to Century Media, where they remained until 2006. They have since signed with Indie Recordings
. Through the years, the personnel has changed, but the sound is influenced mainly by Brun, so the style of music has been consistent despite a revolving lineup.
founded Cronian
, an epic sounding heavy metal band which had been in planning stages since before Hedlund had joined Borknagar
. Their debut album Terra was produced by Dan Swanö
and released in 2006 on Century Media.
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
supergroup Borknagar
Borknagar
Borknagar is a progressive black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines folk metal and black metal with progressive and melodic elements...
. He has been the only permanent member of the group, and is also responsible for writing almost all the music, and is noted for having many albums already written ahead of time.
Biography
After releasing 2 full length albums with the death metal band Molested, Brun grew tired of playing brutal death metal, and decided to form a more melodic metal band, inspired by the burgeoning black metal scene. He wrote a group of songs which would eventually become the first songs by BorknagarBorknagar
Borknagar is a progressive black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines folk metal and black metal with progressive and melodic elements...
.
Borknagar
Brun gathered a cast of musicians who were well known in the black metal scene including Infernus of GorgorothGorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...
, Erik Brødreskift
Erik Brødreskift
Erik Brødreskift was a Norwegian drummer, who played in several black metal bands during his career...
of Immortal
Immortal (band)
Immortal is a black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1990 by current frontman/guitarist Abbath Doom Occulta and former guitarist Demonaz Doom Occulta...
and Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...
, Ivar Bjørnson
Ivar Bjørnson
Ivar Bjørnson is a Norwegian composer/guitarist for the progressive black/viking metal band Enslaved. He is, along with Grutle Kjellson, one of only two founding members left in the current line-up, being only 13 years old at the time of the band's formation...
of Enslaved
Enslaved (band)
Enslaved is a progressive black metal band formed in June 1991 in Sveio, Norway, and currently based out of Bergen, Norway.-History:Enslaved was formed in June 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson when they were 13 and 17 years old, respectively. The band name was inspired by an Immortal demo...
, and Kristoffer Rygg
Kristoffer Rygg
Kristoffer Rygg , also known as Garm, Trickster G. and recently also God Head is a Spellemannprisen nominated vocalist, musician and producer known as the frontman of Ulver and former vocalist for Arcturus...
of Ulver
Ulver
Ulver is a musical group from Norway. Since their first, folklore-influenced black metal release entitled Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler , Ulver’s musical style has been fluid and increasingly eclectic, blending genres such as rock, electronica, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise and...
, Head Control System
Head Control System
Head Control System is a cross-national groove rock/metal band featuring Portuguese Daniel Cardoso and Norwegian Kristoffer Rygg . Head Control System is currently part of North-American The End Records' roster along with bands such as Voivod, The Gathering, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Ulver...
, and Arcturus
Arcturus (band)
Arcturus is an avant-garde metal band formed in Norway in 1987. They named it Arcturus , after the Behenian fixed star Arcturus.-Biography:The band has released four official full-length albums...
. The stature of these musicians caused Malicious Records to award the band with a contract without even hearing them.
After the release of their debut album, the band was signed to Century Media, where they remained until 2006. They have since signed with Indie Recordings
Indie Recordings
Indie Recordings is a Norwegian independent record label specialising in heavy metal. The label was founded in 2006 by brothers Espen and Erik Solheim Røhne, who previously founded Tabu Recordings. Indie Recordings has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway...
. Through the years, the personnel has changed, but the sound is influenced mainly by Brun, so the style of music has been consistent despite a revolving lineup.
Cronian
In 2004, Brun and Andreas HedlundAndreas Hedlund
Andreas Hedlund , also known as Vintersorg and Mr. V, is a Swedish vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who has played in several heavy metal bands.-Biography:...
founded Cronian
Cronian
Cronian is a progressive/avant-garde metal band from Norway and Sweden founded in 2004 by Øystein Brun and Andreas Hedlund, also known as Vintersorg...
, an epic sounding heavy metal band which had been in planning stages since before Hedlund had joined Borknagar
Borknagar
Borknagar is a progressive black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines folk metal and black metal with progressive and melodic elements...
. Their debut album Terra was produced by Dan Swanö
Dan Swanö
Dan-Erland Swanö is a Swedish musician who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale as well as the Owner of Unisound but he achieved fame as the vocalist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Edge of Sanity.As a multi-instrumentalist he is...
and released in 2006 on Century Media.
With Borknagar
- BorknagarBorknagar (album)Borknagar is the debut album by the Norwegian band of the same name. It is their only album to feature lyrics in the Norwegian language, as well as their only pure black/viking metal album, as they would progress on to a somewhat more melodic/progressive black metal sound on their later albums...
(1996, Malicious Records, Century Black) - The Olden DomainThe Olden DomainThe Olden Domain is Borknagar's second studio album, and their first to feature English lyrics. It also marks the beginning of the band's transition to its trademark progressive/folk/black metal sound featured on later records....
(1997, Century Black) - The Archaic CourseThe Archaic CourseThe Archaic Course is Borknagar's third studio album and their first to feature ICS Vortex on vocals replacing Garm , along with the addition of guitarist Jens F. Ryland...
(1998, Century Media Records) - Quintessence (2000, Century Media Records)
- EmpiricismEmpiricism (album)Empiricism is the fifth studio album by Borknagar, and their first studio album to feature Vintersorg on vocals, along with the addition of Tyr on bass. This would mark the last album appearance of Jens F...
(2001, Century Media Records) - Epic (2004, Century Media Records)
- OriginOrigin (Borknagar album)Origin is Borknagar's seventh studio album, and is primarily an acoustic effort. Origin explores the band's more progressive and traditional elements....
(2006, Century Media Records) - UniversalUniversal (Borknagar album)Universal is the eighth full-length album by the Norwegian metal band Borknagar. It marks the return of guitarist Jens F. Ryland. The band's former vocalist ICS Vortex performed vocals on the track My Domain. The album was intended to be released in the fall of 2009, but the release date was...
(2010, Indie RecordingsIndie RecordingsIndie Recordings is a Norwegian independent record label specialising in heavy metal. The label was founded in 2006 by brothers Espen and Erik Solheim Røhne, who previously founded Tabu Recordings. Indie Recordings has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway...
)
With Cronian
- Terra (2006)
- Enterprise (2008)