Windir - Arntor (1999)

As soon as you hear the interchange between the accordion and the synths of "Byrjing" that herald Arntor, you know there's been a little sea change in the years since the Windir debut. As I mentioned on that review, it takes a bit of finesse to pull this stuff off without coming across as goofy self-parody, something that plagues a lot of folk metal oriented acts (even Finntroll, a band I happen to love). Valfar used his music to honor his ancestry, the heritage of his region, and took a lot of responsibility in doing so. The synths were actually pretty good on the debut, so I'm not surprised how well they're used throughout Arntor, but it's the rest of this production that has stepped everything up over its predecessor. I would be remiss to point out that this also largely a solo venture: he has numerous contributors for vocals, lead guitars, and the same drummer and clean vocalist (Steingrim and Steinarson) from the debut, but Valfar is in command.

Arntor is immediately a more developed, textured affair than the debut, with numerous improvements. The guitar melodies are still extremely excellent, some of the best ever from the Norwegian scene, and they have such a grasp of antiquity that the sound of them feels like you're in some epic poem or watching some documentary about Viking or Scandinavian culture. The bass lines are highly improved, with a good supporting groove that adds yet more character to the compositions. The vocals are still the same rasp, but they've been blended into the riffs so much better here that they sound excellent and never obnoxious. There are still clean vocals implemented, with some festive whoops and shouts, but it always feels timely and thematic to the whole. The male choir vocals on "Kong Hydnes haug" and elsewhere are superior to those of the debut, delivered with a more brazen confidence, and I also think the mix of the drums for Arntor is better, you can feel the kicks so much more, they're using some more warlike march rhythms and such and get a festive rock groove to them when the music moves at a more moderate pace.

There are a few of the dour clean vocal lines in tunes like "Kampen" which remind me more of an Otyg or early Vintersorg delivery, taken seriously but still a little dweeby along with that simple verse rhythm, so that's not my favorite stuff, but with the exception of that one track this is a godlike effort. Songs like "Saknet",  "Arntor, ein windir" and the epic Viking trance-inducing "Svartesmeden og Lundamyrstrollet" are among my favorite in their entire catalogue. I was never 'late' to the Windir party, they are a band I heard as soon as many other folks did, and initially liked, but in the last decade a lot of their albums have been growing on me with each new wintry season. Maybe that's tacky, and I'm an old fool, but this is when I really like to experience Valfar's music, and we've had a good coating of snow here in the New England area lately and it's just bringing out all the feels. Killer disc.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]