Vintersorg’s classic album remastered! A real gem of epic Swedish Viking Metal!

 

As someone who listens to Metal albums on a daily basis, as well as being a Metal fan for well over 40 years, there are many great Metal albums out there. But sometimes an album comes along that changes how we look at Metal. We are not sure if that was Andreas “Vintersorg” Hedlund‘s intention when he wrote his debut full length, “Till Fjälls”, but that is exactly what this album did. His intention was to create a sound that was Black Metal based but also focusing more on clean vocals and adding more traditional Swedish folk elements to the that base. He inadvertently patented a new sound and sub-genre.

 

The album opens with, “Rundans,” which is basically an intro, being part acoustic and part electric. Keyboards take the place of what sounds like wind instruments. “For kung och fosterland,” follows as the first proper song, opening with speed and fury there are tremolo riffs and grim vocals but they lead to a much more melodic approach with the clean vocals taking over. Vintersorg sings here in a low baritone which became his trademark. But it is the way he used those melodies intertwined with the heavier more Black Metal oriented sounds was new and nothing like it existed before.

 

But what the real magic here is the entire package. Songs about that show how ancient paganism was so rooted in the actual forces of nature; while done so in his own language over top this epic Metal music that was all new.

 

From the cold of Norrland this album manages to take the cold and grim and add some warmth and emotion. This masterpiece was just the first in a string of absolutely brilliant albums from this incredible talented artist. After 27 years this album still resonated with me the same as it did when I first heard it. This is proof that great music is timeless.

 

For fans of: Falkenbach, Moonsorrow, Borknagar, Finntroll, Kampfar, Einherjer.

 

Side A:

1. Rundans / 2. För Kung Och Fosterland / 3. Vildmarkens Förtrollande Stämmor / 4. Till Fjälls / 5. Urberget, Äldst Av Troner

 

Side B:

6. Hednad I Ulvermånens Tecken / 7. Jökeln / 8. Isjungfrun / 9. Asatider / 10. Fångad Utav Nordens Själ