Falconer - Falconer
Metal Blade - 2001
By Rodrigo
/images/covers/falconer.jpg
Falconer is the new band fronted by guitarist Stefan Weinerhall. He used to play in the band Mythotyn but he started Falconer because he wanted to pursue another musical direction. Falconer is a power metal band but there are many influences of folk music intertwined with the music to make this album unique and stand out from the rest of the crowd. Stefan is accompanied by the excellent drumming of Karsten Larsson and vocalist Mathias Blad. Mathiass vocals are very controlled, calm and subdued. What he may lack in power and range he makes up with great vocal melodies.
"Upon the Grave of Guilt" is the awesome opening track of Falconer. This song features super fast guitars and drumming all to the very familiar galloping pace of bands like Iron Maiden. The intro riff by Stefan is phenomenal and the singing is phenomenal especially in the chorus. The song ends with a slower tempo acoustic piece that is really cool. The next two songs "Heresy in Disguise" and "Wings of Serenity" also are played in the same speedy tempo. "Heresy in Disguise" builds slowly in the intro and it features great instrumental work that begins at around 3:44 into the song. "Wings of Serenity" is started by a quick and tasty lead by Stefan and the entire song features some great work by him. I especially like the section from 3:42 to 4:10 because the pace is slowed down and it allows Mathias to really show his melodic voice. "A Quest for the Crown" is the first song that really shows how evident the folk music themes are present in Falconer. It is a very memorable and fun song. The first verse gets repeated a few times during the song but it is still a very enjoyable song. This song is the perfect example to tell somebody that Falconer is not your ordinary power metal band. Two more songs are of special note, "Entering Eternity" and "Royal Galley". Stefan once again belts out some amazing guitar work in the first 40 seconds of "Entering Eternity". Now, I thought that Falconer was playing fast enough throughout the whole album but that was before I heard "Royal Galley" for the first time. The speed on this song is simply unbelievably fast during the verses and Karstens drumming is really of note here because not only does he have no problems keeping up but he really shows a lot of power in this song. I really enjoy the pre-chorus and chorus sections of this song; I am a sucker for these kind of catchy vocal melodies.
So is there anything bad about this album? Well, yes there is. I feel that the last 3 songs of the album are not quite as good as the first 7. These songs feature some cool ideas, like the chorus of "Lord of the Blacksmith" and the crushing guitars featured in the verses of this song, but they are not executed properly. I feel that the transition from verse to chorus in "Lord of the Blacksmith" is really odd and it just does not flow well. The other thing that I began to find annoying by the end of the album is the fact how the lyrics kept being repeated. I didnt mind on "A Quest for the Crown" but as the album goes on it does get old after a while.
Yet these complaints of mine dont hamper my overall feeling of Falconer. This is a great album, Stefan has really impressed me with his excellent guitar work (I should also mention that he plays the bass for this album as well) and this band definitely has the talent to be a big player in this genre. With some more maturity in the writing process, Falconer has the ability to come out with an excellent album but this is still a great starting point. Fans of power metal should not miss this one.
Metal Blade - 2001
By Rodrigo
/images/covers/falconer.jpg
Falconer is the new band fronted by guitarist Stefan Weinerhall. He used to play in the band Mythotyn but he started Falconer because he wanted to pursue another musical direction. Falconer is a power metal band but there are many influences of folk music intertwined with the music to make this album unique and stand out from the rest of the crowd. Stefan is accompanied by the excellent drumming of Karsten Larsson and vocalist Mathias Blad. Mathiass vocals are very controlled, calm and subdued. What he may lack in power and range he makes up with great vocal melodies.
"Upon the Grave of Guilt" is the awesome opening track of Falconer. This song features super fast guitars and drumming all to the very familiar galloping pace of bands like Iron Maiden. The intro riff by Stefan is phenomenal and the singing is phenomenal especially in the chorus. The song ends with a slower tempo acoustic piece that is really cool. The next two songs "Heresy in Disguise" and "Wings of Serenity" also are played in the same speedy tempo. "Heresy in Disguise" builds slowly in the intro and it features great instrumental work that begins at around 3:44 into the song. "Wings of Serenity" is started by a quick and tasty lead by Stefan and the entire song features some great work by him. I especially like the section from 3:42 to 4:10 because the pace is slowed down and it allows Mathias to really show his melodic voice. "A Quest for the Crown" is the first song that really shows how evident the folk music themes are present in Falconer. It is a very memorable and fun song. The first verse gets repeated a few times during the song but it is still a very enjoyable song. This song is the perfect example to tell somebody that Falconer is not your ordinary power metal band. Two more songs are of special note, "Entering Eternity" and "Royal Galley". Stefan once again belts out some amazing guitar work in the first 40 seconds of "Entering Eternity". Now, I thought that Falconer was playing fast enough throughout the whole album but that was before I heard "Royal Galley" for the first time. The speed on this song is simply unbelievably fast during the verses and Karstens drumming is really of note here because not only does he have no problems keeping up but he really shows a lot of power in this song. I really enjoy the pre-chorus and chorus sections of this song; I am a sucker for these kind of catchy vocal melodies.
So is there anything bad about this album? Well, yes there is. I feel that the last 3 songs of the album are not quite as good as the first 7. These songs feature some cool ideas, like the chorus of "Lord of the Blacksmith" and the crushing guitars featured in the verses of this song, but they are not executed properly. I feel that the transition from verse to chorus in "Lord of the Blacksmith" is really odd and it just does not flow well. The other thing that I began to find annoying by the end of the album is the fact how the lyrics kept being repeated. I didnt mind on "A Quest for the Crown" but as the album goes on it does get old after a while.
Yet these complaints of mine dont hamper my overall feeling of Falconer. This is a great album, Stefan has really impressed me with his excellent guitar work (I should also mention that he plays the bass for this album as well) and this band definitely has the talent to be a big player in this genre. With some more maturity in the writing process, Falconer has the ability to come out with an excellent album but this is still a great starting point. Fans of power metal should not miss this one.
