| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chronicles of Chaos | 8/10[2] |
| Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal | 9/10[3] |
| Rock Hard | 8.5/10[4] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5[5] |
The Archaic Course is the third studio album by Norwegian progressive metal band Borknagar. It is the first album to feature Simen “ICS Vortex” Hestnæs on vocals following the departure of Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg (who, according to Øystein Brun, “didn’t want to scream anymore”), and the first with guitarist Jens F. Ryland. The album also features contributions from Enslaved guitarist Ivar Bjørnson, although he was not credited as part of the band in the album’s liner notes. This is also the last album to feature drummer and founding member Erik “Grim” Brødreskift, who died of a deliberate drug overdose shortly after its release.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Oceans Rise” | Øystein G. Brun | Brun | 5:27 |
| 2. | “Universal” | Brun | Brun | 5:35 |
| 3. | “The Witching Hour” | ICS Vortex | Ivar Bjørnson, Brun | 4:26 |
| 4. | “The Black Token” | Brun | Brun | 5:19 |
| 5. | “Nocturnal Vision” | Vortex | Brun | 4:35 |
| 6. | “Ad Noctum” | Vortex, Brun | Vortex | 4:22 |
| 7. | “Winter Millenium” | Brun | Brun | 5:44 |
| 8. | “Fields of Long Gone Presence/Outro” (instrumental) | Bjørnson | 2:18 | |
| Total length: | 37:46 | |||
Personnel
- Borknagar
- Simen Hestnæs (credited as “ICS Vortex”) – vocals, synthesizer and sound effects (on “Ad Noctum”)
- Øystein G. Brun – guitars
- Jens F. Ryland – guitars
- Kai K. Lie – bass
- Erik Brødreskift (credited as “Grim”) – drums
- Additional personnel
- Ivar Bjørnson – synthesizer and sound effects (all tracks, except “Ad Noctum”)
- Christophe Szpajdel – logo
References
- ^ Anderson, Jason. The Archaic Course at AllMusic
- ^ Azevedo, Pedro (16 January 1999). “Borknagar – The Archaic Course”. Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (1 August 2007). The Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector’s Guide Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
- ^ “Review Album: Borknagar – The Archaic Course”. Rock Hard (in German). No. 138. 28 October 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ P, Ryan (13 July 2010). “Borknagar – The Archaic Course”. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
