Windir no more?

[J.]

http://www.heavymetal.no/show.article.asp?menuid=&artid=945

Maybe those that can read Norwegian will help, but from what I've gathered, Valfar committed suicide.


Disclaimer: could be a rumor.

 

[Erik]

Quick-and-dirty translation by someone who isn't even Norwegian:

Valfar found dead
The front man and vocalist of the black metal band Windir, Terje Bakken a.k.a. Valfar, was found dead today. Bakken has been missing since Wednesday (according to?) NRK [Norwegian radio/TV] and was found dead earlier this day.

UPDATE: The band and family of Bakken has confirmed that Terje has been found dead, but (according to?) the police nothing is as of yet certain concerning the cause of death. With regard to the family that has a hard time this day we therefore ask that speculations around the cause of death are dropped until the police's official report concerning the death is finished.

Our thoughts are with Bakkens' family and loved ones on this gloomy day. Terje will be deeply missed both as a fellow human being and a pillar within Norwegian metal.

Should finish that Windir review...

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

That fuckin' sucks
R.I.P.

 

[JayKeeley]

Oh man...that is sad. RIP.

I really liked the direction they took with Likferd as well. I was hoping that they would explore even more of those dual guitar melodies etc on the next album.

 

[Demonspell]

Damn, just when I was starting to get into them and when the band was starting to get serious attention...RIP Valfar.

 

[J.]

Windir is a band I always wanted to look in to. What bands are they comparable to? I do like viking black metal, so will I like Windir?

 

[JayKeeley]

Windir are like Thyrfing, Einherjer, or Mithotyn - in other words, they're at the melodic end of the viking spectrum. They're a little less folky than Finntroll or Moonsorrow, and I know you liked Voimasta. They're also nothing like Helheim or early Enslaved because they're not really all that 'black' or aggressive, even though they do use grim vocals throughout.

 

[J.]

eek, I didn't think too much of those first three bands you mentioned, although Thyrfing's 3rd album was pretty good.

 

[JayKeeley]

Right - knowing you, if you want to look for anything black viking, you really must own Helheim's Jormundgand. Unless you have this already?

 

[Dark One]

Windir are like Thyrfing, Einherjer, or Mithotyn - in other words, they're at the melodic end of the viking spectrum. They're a little less folky than Finntroll or Moonsorrow, and I know you liked Voimasta. They're also nothing like Helheim or early Enslaved because they're not really all that 'black' or aggressive, even though they do use grim vocals throughout.

Gotta disagree partially here. While it's true Windir may be a bit on the melodic side, and not as 'black' as Enslaved or Helheim, they're definitely every bit as aggressive. I just listened to 1184 today (ironically just before I read the news), and was headbanging like a muthafucka. Crunchy, driving Viking metal at its finest, riding on the shoulders of the spirits of marching warriors of a time when the love of anarchy and the taste of bloodless victims ruled the day.

 

[Shakermaker]

Holy Shit I never was a *big* fan but still I really liked that Band. RIP.

 

[Erik]

Windir has plenty more blastbeats and aggression than Thyrfing, Einherjer or Mithotyn ever had. More like Helheim or Enslaved with near-constant harmonic lead guitar work.

 

[JayKeeley]

Gotta disagree partially here. While it's true Windir may be a bit on the melodic side, and not as 'black' as Enslaved or Helheim, they're definitely every bit as aggressive. I just listened to 1184 today (ironically just before I read the news), and was headbanging like a muthafucka. Crunchy, driving Viking metal at its finest, riding on the shoulders of the spirits of marching warriors of a time when the love of anarchy and the taste of bloodless victims ruled the day.

Heh, two more paragraphs and you'll have a review! I guess it depends on how you interpret 'aggressive'. I would refer to Enslaved (when they were actually Viking) and Helheim (when they were actually Viking) as borderline Norwegian Black Metal with Viking elements. That's my interpretation as aggressive.

Windir has plenty more blastbeats and aggression than Thyrfing, Einherjer or Mithotyn ever had. More like Helheim or Enslaved with near-constant harmonic lead guitar work.

Well, to be fair, I don't own anything pre-1184 or Likferd if that's where you're making the comparison. Likferd, for a fact, is practically melo-death - it's got *HAPPY* melody and Maiden like guitars coming out of the wazoo. Certainly nothing like Jormundgand.

But either way, the question is, will Dreamlord like either Likferd or 1184 and I say, wholeheartedly, no. If Windir was a different band before those albums then I'll plead the fifth. :Smug:

 

[Erik]

I have the demo tape "Det Gamle Riket" and the latest "Likferd", and I reckon the above holds true for both. They've very much kept their style, and I will NOT put Windir in the same genre as Thyrfing. They're much more aggressive. EDIT: But yeah, nothing like Jormundgand, you're right.

 

[JayKeeley]

OK, well fair enough. I'm not arguing the case, but I really believe that most people who like Valdr Galga or Urkraft would probably like Likferd too. I'm not sure how there's such a distinction being made, but hey, we all hear things differently.

When I used to listen to Likferd day in and out, I started a thread about it on this forum: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106228&highlight=windir

I think that would pretty much sum up that album anyway.

 

[Dark One]

Heh, two more paragraphs and you'll have a review! I guess it depends on how you interpret 'aggressive'. I would refer to Enslaved (when they were actually Viking) and Helheim (when they were actually Viking) as borderline Norwegian Black Metal with Viking elements. That's my interpretation as aggressive.

Hmmm....... ok, I kinda see where you're going here. I guess I'm interpreting aggressive in a broader sense, simply as heavy and fast, which most of Windir is (save for the really weird techno ending portion of 1184).

But either way, the question is, will Dreamlord like either Likferd or 1184 and I say, wholeheartedly, no. If Windir was a different band before those albums then I'll plead the fifth. :Smug:

Well, I say give it a shot Dreamlord, you might be pleasantly surprised. Pre-1184 material may be more raw sounding, but not all that dissimilar from the latter material, which to me is not comparable from a speed standpoint to Thyrfing, Einherjer and the like. I dunno, I really don't hear a "melodic" death sound on the new one either.

P.S. - I typically agree with JayKeeley's assessments, so you know I must feel pretty strongly about this one.

 

[JayKeeley]

In hindsight, I think I gave a pretty good assessment in the other thread I started. But OK we can place bets....

Dreamlord doesn't like the musical styles of Thyrfing, Einherjer, or Mithotyn, but will he like Windir's Likferd? Hmmm, this should be interesting....that's a lot like saying I don't like Slayer but I like Vader. But then, I guess that's possible...

P.S. I'm sure Dreamlord is perfectly in the clear now.

 

[J.]

Jeez, my head hurts. If it helps, I recently gt Hades' "The Dawn of the Dying Sun" and quite liked it. Very much black metal with Bathory Viking elements thrown in the mix. So, chances are I will probably like some Windir.

Mithotyn wasn't that good to my ears. Don't know, the vocals didn't do it for me. Einherjer didn't interest me much, but when I heard them I wasn't into viking metal as much as today. THyrfing's "Urkraft" was pretty darn nifty, but didn't like the first two as much.

Viking bands I do enjoy: Bathory, Falkenbach, Graveland, Himinbjorg, Hades, and Moonsorrow. That's pretty much it, so another quality Viking band would do me well. I have decided I will buy some Windir. The End has all 4 for $13 each, so when some money gets into my hands, I'll start from the beginning. Thanks, guys.

 

[JayKeeley]

Or just listen to a sample perhaps?

 

[Erik]

If you like Moonsorrow, it's far from impossible you'll like Windir.