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On disc: Windir



- 1184 - Claudia Ehrhardt - 8 stars


www.windir.no







1184

1184
(Head Not Found - 2001)


This is the 3rd album of the Norwegian band. Musically they fit into the genre viking or symphonic black metal. As I don't know their previous releases I can't compare this to the predecessors Soknardal and Arntor. The album title 1184 is marking the year of the battle of Fimreite in Sognadal - the hometown of Valfar and his pals. The vocals are mainly in English, but still there are 2 songs in the local old Norwegian 'Saognamaol'.
Opening the album with the title Todeswalzer, a fast black metal tune. Partly the guitar and partly the keyboard take over the melody lines which are a kind of counterpart to the screaming vocals. The mid-tempo parts have some folk elements and German lyrics! At least the clear vocal parts are in German, I think the black metal-like screams are in English, but I'm not 100% sure... One of my favorite tracks is The Spiritlord which has elements you won't find on every viking metal album. The variety makes this one worth to listen to. The refrain is anthem-like and leads into a guitar solo which supports the song and here guitarist Strom isn't trying to play as many notes as possible per second. On some tracks Valfar is adding some accordeon parts - perhaps that's what let me think of Finntroll.... On Destroy it's like an army hits you! Really heavy, fast double bass drumming and mid-tempo parts carried by the keyboard and guitar. Perhaps the best song on the album... In the vein of the early days of this genre.
Listen to the title track 1184, The Spiritlord, Dance Of The Mortal Lust and Destroy to make up your mind.
This is definitely nothing new, but well done viking metal. The Norwegian use different tempi and are able to surprise the listener here and there. For fans of Vintersorg, Mithiotyn, Falkenbach and Finntroll I can recommended this album. Not a must-buy, but a good choice.


8 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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