~|You hide in the shadows from the past
But the past resurrects and makes the pain last
Wounds from times best forgotten
Are reopening with a smell so rotten|~
All right folks! It's time to get back to reviews, and today we are checking out a Norwegian group called "Windir". Their music is mostly based in the early 90s black metal sound, with a lot more use of both synths and accordions in their tracks. "Valfar" is the brain behind Windir and most of the lyrics are based around local history from sogndal, and his lyrics are all sung in an old version of the dialect from there.
They were active until 2004, when "Valfar"(Terje Bakken) died in a blizzard on the way to his cabin here in Norway. They managed to release 4 albums, and one compilation dedicatied to their fallen brother, with artists from all over the metal community joining in to cover windir tracks in tribute to Valfar. After this, the members have gone on to form the group "Vreid", a group keeping a bit of the sound and absolutely worth checking out. Today however, we'll start off by checking out their last full band release, "Likferd"
Likferd
Their fourth and final record as a full band, the title is a norwegian term for when you bring the deceased out to a funeral pyre or to get buried. The record has a very somber feel to it, starting off with "Resurrection of the Wild". It starts off slow and melancholic, before unleashing the rage Windir's music is known for. the album has a very high production quality compared to a lot of other acts in the black metal scene at the time, and in the post 2000 scene it was getting harder to find acts in the black metal scene that hadn't either sold out/stopped making music or still sounded like they were recording through a potato.
The album has this melodic quality it as well, that makes you feel the inspiration coming out of old scandinavian folk melodies, tracks like "Martyrium" and "Despot" showcase this, with thundering black metal riffs and blastbeats syncronizing with melodic patterns with a sinister dissonance.
The first track we'll check out today is the 7th track on the album "Dauden", it means "Death"(as in the entity), and it has a haunting melody that I personally really enjoy.
Dauden
1184
This is their third album, and the title "1184" refers to the ending of the civil war for the crown in Norway during the middle ages.
This record is full of gems, but it recieved mixed responses, due to the heavy use of synths. It came out in 2001, so this was during the great divide that came during the time, with purists of the older "KVLT" black metal hating on bands evolving with technology. The record starts off with "Todeswalzer", a good example of this use of synths, however I feel it brings a lot more to the table with these kind of sinister sounding pads and leads.
Moving on the album goes on to the title track, a speed monster of a metal track, surging along until a breakdown with guitars and synths forming with an accordion, forming the unholy trinity. From that we get "Dance of the Mortal Lust", a heavy metal track with a trollish vibe. The the track we'll check out on this record is the opener, "Todeswaltzer" it is one of my favorite windir tracks, and one of the first I heard from them.
Todeswaltzer
Arntor
This is Windirs 2nd release, coming out in 99. It came out at the beginning of the viking metal movement, and it secured windir a spot as reigning kings of the scene, with their sound having the folk melodies and the lyrics having content from the viking legends or norwegian history.
The record opens with "Byrjing" or beginning, in english. Here we start off with an accordion played by Valfar, this is the final release where he was responsible for recording most of the instruments, only opting for session musicians when playing it all together. The album moves on from the introductory beginning with "Arntor, ein Windir". Windir translates to an old term of a viking berserker, so this is the tale of a warrior and his demise in a world that seems out of place to him.
This record is full of gems, and it's extremely difficult to choose just one, but my favorite track on this album has to be the more somber of them, the second to last track of the album, and the most melancholic of them, this is "Saknet"(longing)
Saknet
All right, that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed todays edition of Alphabetical Order, a blog series where I write my opinions on parts of an artists discography. If you liked it or if you hate it, let me know! And if you wanna keep up to date, you can follow me. Until next time, peace out!
You can get more info or support the artist by checking out these links:
https://www.discogs.com/artist/417283-Windir
http://www.vreid.no
