We’re into spring now, but that doesn’t mean that the cold is gone. It’s been pretty dreary around where I live, as it’s still a little cold & wet. The rain has been on & off, and the wind still carries with it a bit of a bite. Only in the last day or so has the sun tried to come out, bringing about with it a welcome change. In memory of the recently dethroned chill, today’s review takes us to the loftiest mountains tops, to the ancient forests of old, and to the divine realms above. So, let’s look at Vintersorg’s first full-length album, Till Fjälls, and become one with the ancients.
Background
Taken from the Wikipedia page:
“Till Fjälls ("To the Mountains") is the first full-length album by Swedish folk metal band Vintersorg. Stylistically this continued in the same musical vein as the previous album, Hedniskhjärtad, with black metal-style riffs, harsh vocals and blast beats interspersed with folk-ish melodies, acoustics, and atmospherics.”
That’s really are there is to it. At it’s core, Till Fjälls is an extension of Hedniskhjärtad, but I’ll talk about that later on.
Songs
Rundans (Rune Dance)(“***”): A pretty easy song to start out with. The big focus in Rundans is the drumming: it’s very simplistic, not over the top, and really brings out a lot of that folk vibe that Vintersorg is known for. If there was anything that I thought disrupted the pacing, it would be the guitar. At the beginning & end of this song, there’s some soft guitar work that actually complements the drums quite nicely. About the 30 second mark, the guitars pick up in volume, and the singing begins. Now I don’t mind the vocals so much (They’re loud, but not terribly so), but the louder guitars disrupt the pacing to an extent to where I feel it is very out of place. Apart from that, Rundans is a good song to start this album with.
För Kung och Fosterland (For King and Motherland)(“***”): This song doesn’t pull any punches, that’s for sure!!
Immediately, your ears are bombasted by a loud & furious combination of instrumentation & vocals, both of which fly by at very high speeds. It never lets up with the speed, as the whole song stays consistently fast. What really impressed me is that nobody skips a beat during this song: everybody manages to execute their role in the song without skipping a beat or tripping up somehow. Hell, even during the portion where they play a little of Hall of the Mountain King, they still keep it together. Again, I’m impressed.
Vildmarkens Förtrollande Stämmor (The Enchanting Tunes of the Wastelands)(“***”): For a song called The Enchanting Tunes of the Wastelands, the name doesn’t match the music. If anything, I picture this song being played amongst a group of warriors as they travel a snow-covered forest, on their way to kill a troll that was hiding in the mountains. Sorry, I’m getting off course. How’s the song itself?
It’s pretty good. The pacing of it has been scaled back from For King and Motherland, but it still doesn’t let up. It feels like the band is holding on the reins this time around, as the instrumentation is slower than in the previously mentioned song, and it feels more controlled as well. With that said, I like how the drums & guitar feel perfectly in sync, and I also like how the vocals match up with it also.
Till Fjälls (To the Mountains)(“***”): Long before I had even heard of this band, Till Fjälls caught my attention in the weirdest way possible. I was surfing on youtube one day, when I came across a video named Swedish Chef Heavy Metal 2 (Click “***” to enjoy), and a portion of the song was used to comedic effect. As for the song itself, it’s pretty good. It’s a lot like The Enchanting Tunes of the Wastelands as far as the instrumentation & vocals are concerned, so I can’t say much else (Although when the guitars are played more folk-like, it’s a pleasant change).
Urberget, Äldst av Troner (The Ancient Mountain, Eldest of Thrones)(“***”): Now this sounds like a song to listen to while you’re on the mountains...during a raging storm...with thunder & lightning high in the sky!!!
I should point out that this marks the second song on the album that has piano used in it. The first time you actually hear piano is in Till Fjälls, although in that song it’s more obvious. Apart from the piano, we’ve got another well-paced song here. The instrumentation is never hyper fast, and the singing for the most part is a balance between soft & harsh. I say “most of the time”, because there are times where the singing becomes this harsh growl, and it’s hard to understand what he’s saying (This is more difficult for me because I don’t understand Swedish). Despite this hiccup, this is another great song.
Hednad i Ulvermånens Tecken (Turned Pagan under the Sign of the Wolf Moon)(“***”): If Till Fjälls wasn’t my first favorite song from this band, I’m sure as hell that this one would be said favorite!
This is easily the most simplistic song on this album. For the entirely of the tune, there is nothing but piano, some sound effects (I think it’s wind that they use), and vocals. The piano is absolutely beautiful, and almost got me to shed a tear because it was so lovely. They basically play the same beat over and over (Apart from a couple second about midway), but it’s done so well I can’t complain. The singing is equally beautiful: it’s never loud, but you can feel the emotion, power, and mysticism. A perfect song to play during a Pagan wedding, who when there’s a gorgeous moon high in the sky.
Jökeln (The Glacier)(“***”): Whiplash again!!
Like För Kung och Fosterland, you’re immediately assaulted by growling vocals, and fast instrumentation. I don’t like the combination this time around, but at the same time I don’t necessarily think that this song is bad. While the instrumentation is as good in previous songs (Especially the guitars), I feel like there wasn’t quite as much effort put into them. At several points, the drums just sound like directionless banging, and there wasn’t as much intensity in the guitars as there normally was. With that said, the intensity doesn’t let up during the song. Even during the slower portion, The Glacier could still kick your ass if you aren’t paying attention!
Isjungfrun (The Icemaid)(“***”): A very appropriate song title.
For one thing, we have female vocals appear on here (The same female vocals that were on Stilla from Hedniskhjärtad, to be exact). They’re light & airy, but they have a strength to them that can’t quite be explained. Secondly, the male vocals complement the female vocals, as they’re strong & furious, but can tone things down when the need is necessary. Finally, the instrumentation is a great middle ground between the lyrics, as they’re both heavenly yet brutal. Any aspiring valkyrie might want to put this on their mp3 player.
Asatider (Time of the Gods)(“***”): I have to give Asatider credit in one regard. As much as I appreciate the growling-like vocals that compose a majority of the songs on here, it’s nice to listen to something that isn’t quite so brutal. Not to say that this song isn’t brutal, oh no. Sure the vocals have been scaled back a little, but the instrumentation has remained pretty much untouched. You still have moments where it comes at you fast & furious, but there are still times where it calms down so you can get back into it’s groove. Great song all around.
Fångad utav Nordens Själ (Caught By the Soul of the North)(“***”): We conclude Till Fjälls with this bone-chilling ditty. You’d sweat that this is the kind of song you’d hear during a raging blizzard, and you’d be right. We have the female vocals from Isjungfrun come back in this tune, but they’re considerably scaled back, and only appear in two parts. This is a song that’s much more geared towards the male vocals, as they are incredibly loud & powerful. The instrumentation reflects this sentiment, as they carry with them a great weight & strength, even during the fast parts. A great way to end such a frost-covered journey!!!
Overall Impression & Rating
Till Fjälls is a damn impressive album. While I rated Hedniskhjärtad pretty high, at the same time I found that it’s shortness was it’s greatest detriment. It went by so quickly, it really doesn’t leave a big impact. With this album, it’s increased length, couple with the passion of the music, makes for a better listening experience. If you want metal with a twist, then this is a good place to start.
Till Fjälls get a 9 to 9.5 out of 10
See you all soon. Until then, stay Otaku!
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