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Windir - Arntor review




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Reviewer:
9.8

402 users:
8.62
Band: Windir
Album: Arntor
Release date: October 1999


01. Byrjing
02. Arntor, Ein Windir
03. Kong Hydnes Haug
04. Svartesmeden Og Lundamyrstrollet
05. Kampen
06. Saknet
07. Ending

Here it is: the album that began all folk metal. The album that was epic to such proportions that it is widely recognized today as a metal masterpiece. The album that inspired Finntroll to play pagan metal. The album of a dead man, who unfortunately passed away at the end of 2003, freezing to death in Reppastolen, Norway while walking home to his mountain cabin.

Arntor is an album that cannot be described easily. Through it's chilly, cold guitar riffs and glassy, harmonized melodies it delivers an ensemble of feelings and emotions that is yet to be rivaled in the world of metal. The album guides you through dense forests, snowy landscapes, frozen fjords, and bare frostbitten prairies, with a contrast of fast riffs and drumming, and slow melodies, causing one to enter a sort of trance that transports them to a place where they have only dared to dream about. The melodies on this album are simply extraordinary. Combined with the epic choruses and catchy synths, you will be frozen in your seat while listening to the grandeur of certain passages, hoping you had discovered this album earlier.

On to the technical part, this album has been done by one single person, Valfar, who played all instruments on this album. Listening to the record, it is pretty impressive to hear such a high level of musicianship done by a single individual. The level of creativity is very high in this album: a number of songs have become instant classics among metal fans - "Arntor Ein Windir", "Svartesmeden Og Ludamyrstrollet", "Saknet", and "Ending...".

I must say that this album contains a lot of keyboards, which is uncommon for traditional metal. This gives a weird, but folky atmosphere to the album, sometimes lifting it to extreme heights. The guitars are predominant in this record, as well as the keyboards and drums. The bass cannot be heard that much, but in the whole it gives quite a unique feeling. Fast tremolo picking can be heard throughout the songs, balanced by slow melodies that give a "dreamy" feeling.

In conclusion, I would say that this album is among those who had made a lasting impact on the world of metal. If you haven't heard this album yet, you should not be wasting your time reading this review, you should buy it immediately, and one thing that I can guarantee is that you will not regret it. The wonder that is Arntor will forever lie deep in the vaults of metal music. I would personally rate it amongst my all-time favorite metal albums.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 10
Originality: 10
Production: 9

Written by Carl Berg | 31.05.2010




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 14   Visited by: 234 users
31.05.2010 - 13:38
Rating: 9
Until the End

Whoops, you posted this review for the wrong album. Other than that, it's good.
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31.05.2010 - 14:13
Rating: 10
patrickmetal12

Haahahaaha nice. still good
hail Valfar!
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31.05.2010 - 15:15
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by patrickmetal12 on 31.05.2010 at 14:13

Haahahaaha nice. still good
hail Valfar!


Written by Until the End on 31.05.2010 at 13:38

Whoops, you posted this review for the wrong album. Other than that, it's good.


That was my mistake - I changed the ID during the editing process but it looks like it didn't go through.
Anyway, the review is now matched up to the right album.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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01.06.2010 - 00:18
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Everyone loves Windir! Or at least I've never heard of anyone who doesn't. I haven't actually listened to this album all that much but Likferd and 1184 are permanently etched into my brain. Amazing albums. Great review too.
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01.06.2010 - 17:01
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Written by Troy Killjoy on 31.05.2010 at 15:15

That was my mistake - I changed the ID during the editing process but it looks like it didn't go through.
Anyway, the review is now matched up to the right album.


only then topic in "Updated topics" is still entitled "Windir - 1184"
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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08.06.2010 - 15:02
Rating: 10
W-Lash
Metal Master
Written by Guest on 01.06.2010 at 00:18

I haven't actually listened to this album all that much but Likferd and 1184 are permanently etched into my brain. Amazing albums. Great review too.

Arntor is even better - the best ony by Windir. A MUST LISTEN album.
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05.08.2010 - 02:30
Fane

This surely is an epic album. If you know Valfar's story, listening to makes it even more epic. Although it is a great album, I still would give it 9. This is because I'm not a huge fan of synth parts on the album. But that's just a minor thing. Just listen to "Svartesmeden Og Lundamyrstrollet" and experience something chilly.

Oh yeah, Valfar played all instruments expect drums =P Drums were done by Steingrim.
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Coffee for power
Music for creativity
Sarcasm for fun
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05.08.2010 - 14:15
vezzy
Stallmanite
That began all folk metal? Lol no.
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Licensed under the GPLv3.
Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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22.10.2010 - 00:48
Rating: 10
Carl Berg
Carl Berg
Written by vezzy on 05.08.2010 at 14:15

That began all folk metal? Lol no.


Point taken. Of course, the mighty Skyclad began it all, but Windir is the band who influenced the most of today's folk metal scene : Manegarm, Finntroll, Ensiferum, Moonsorrow.
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15.08.2011 - 18:16
BeastOfMetal456
Account deleted
Epic album. Everything works fine, the harsh vocals are great, as are the clean vocals. We hear some great Black metal riffage that is viking influenced. Drums are mighty. Symphonic effects do not sound cheesy.
I'll rate this after another spin.
KONG HYDNES HAUG!!!!
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17.08.2011 - 06:33
Fredd
Account deleted
One word: Ending.
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29.04.2013 - 22:56
MandoMikey

One of the few keyboard heavy albums that doesnt make wanna throw my stereo out of the window. such a majestic and medievil sounding album, insane that it was all recorded just by valfar.
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In a sane world as it should be, and it wont be for a while, we'll do away with capital and pay for things with smiles.
In a sane world as it should be, however slim the chances, we'll do away with capital and pay for things with dances.
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26.09.2013 - 21:28
NorthernDickhead

Written by Carl Berg on 22.10.2010 at 00:48

Written by vezzy on 05.08.2010 at 14:15

That began all folk metal? Lol no.


Point taken. Of course, the mighty Skyclad began it all, but Windir is the band who influenced the most of today's folk metal scene : Manegarm, Finntroll, Ensiferum, Moonsorrow.

I don't think so...Windir didn't do nothing about folk metal genre....good black metal still.
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05.10.2018 - 20:05
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Wise words about this, this album are not so known, only few old school people who likes dig deeper and understands true meaning of how you describe nature and cold into your reviev. Its amaizng album, its sad Valfar died, but good is we have one man atmo BM bands what sounds as roots but are original
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
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I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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