Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter (1996)^{Release ID: 2745}

Heavily influenced by other Swedish bands, but still a very good melodic black metal album.

Vinterland are one of those bands that released one heavily praised album before disappearing off the scene entirely. A couple of members have in recent years appeared in other bands such as The Black and Tyrant, but until the recent announcement that Vinterland are now officially reformed, Welcome My Last Chapter was (and still is as the time of this review) the only recording fans have to enjoy. Interestingly, the album was originally called Wings of Sorrow, but the confusion caused by having Welcome My Last Chapter written at the bottom of the album cover caused the band to change its name. I’d come across the band’s name and positive reviews of the album many times before I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. The answer is melodic black metal very much in the vein of Swedish country mates Dissection. I can hear other Swedish bands such as Mork Gryning (particularly on Still the Night is Awake) and even Katatonia, but Dissection is clearly the biggest influence. The question is always going to be “can Vinterland compare to the lofty heights of The Somberlain or Storm of the Light’s Bane”? They come close for sure, but they just fell short in my opinion.

Vinterland do have a lot to offer though and certainly shouldn’t be considered a second-rate Dissection with nothing worthy of your attention. The melodies are great throughout the album, the production is strong, and they inject piano and acoustic sections successfully and seamlessly to keep things both interesting and atmospheric. The vocals are pretty standard black metal fare but are perfectly adequate for this style of music. If anything, Vinterland come across as a bit more brutal than Dissection when they get going, but I think this is more to do with the drum sound than the material itself. The blast beats and double bass kicking are very powerful and wouldn’t be out of place on a death metal album. I think the drums are one of the weak points of Welcome My Last Chapter. Strange, considering how good they are in general, but I swear the drummer screws up and loses time at regular intervals. It doesn’t ruin the experience of the album but it’s certainly distracting.

Dan Swanö apparently handles keyboard as a guest musician, but really doesn’t have a big role to play. The symphonic aspect is pushed to the background and the only time they really step up is on the instrumental So Far Beyond, which is performed by Jonas Hermansson instead. It’s strange to find such a creative and excellent musician in such a secondary role, but in the end, Vinterland is all about cool, icy melodies and there are plenty to be enjoyed here. Whether the band are ripping through tracks like Our Dawn of Glory, Still the Night is Awake and A Vinter Breeze, or slowing things down such as on As I Behold the Dying Sun and Vinterskogen, there are multitudes of beautiful yet dark melodies that will make you come back for more. After all the hype I’ve read over time regarding Welcome My Last Chapter, it was always going to be tough for it to live up to it. After spending a couple of weeks letting it get under my skin, I can honestly say that it doesn’t disappoint. With a bit more time I might increase my rating but for now it’s a solid 4 and a big recommendation for any fans of melodic black metal.

I really enjoyed this album. I listened to this before in expectations of reviewing it and never got around to putting my thoughts in then life distracted me, now I listen again and remember why I had a hard time writing a review. You ever have a meal where afterwards your full and satisfied but have to be reminded what you ate and all it was is some chips and a sandwich? Like it hit everything you needed that day in giving you substance, and you can be like that was a good sandwich, but what kind of sandwich was it? What were the chips? Oh actually it was French fries. Hopefully that makes sense to you, because that's how I feel here. I've listened to it, and I immediately go that was a good time, with some black metal riffs and melodies but I can't recall any specific moments or riffs but as a whole I'm already looking forward to the next cold rainy day like it is here today and listening again. Even the last time I listened, I still remembered going that was really good but I could've swore this was an album that I had already reviewed and talked about but can't recall what I said so here I am doing it immediately after I listened again and all I can think of is the pleasant trance that I was in to get my mind off of other dumb things going in my life right now. A solid good time, maybe after another bunch of relistens I will come back to this review and really be swayed one way or another in a definitive thought direction. I will say, the album cover is a bit misleading to me as I keep thinking this is a folk/black metal record and there really isn't any of that here so that could add to my disconnect to what this album really is. 

Almost inevitably, if you're coming to this album you have already had your fill of Sacramentum and Dissection.  Chronologically in terms of release years, by the time Vinterland dropped their debut we had already had The Somberlain and Storm of the Light's Bane show us how melodic black metal could be done and Far Away From The Sun was only two months behind this release.  That having been said Welcome My Last Chapter punches well against those titles.  Whilst not being anything particularly new, extrovert or alternative to the melodic end of the black metal spectrum, it underpinned the resplendent edge to the sub-genre nicely.

Engineered and mixed by Dan Swanö, the Swede's debut album oozes class and sophstication alongside the more familiar harsh, cold assault more associated with the genre.  Swanö also contributes most of the keyboard work (alongside the largely unknown Jonas Hermansson) which adds a real depth to proceedings alongside the rich tone of the guitar.  The drumming is a tad wet sounding for my taste but the bass is sat perfectly in the mix, twanging and rumbling along nicely with the flow of the record.

Vocally, D.F. Bragman does a sterling job of providing the ghastly delivery required that further adds to the mystery of sound.  This album has some legs on the aforementioned more obvious classics of the era in that if feels almost devilishly melancholic in the more down tempo sections.  It almost seems to brood between the faster passages, dwelling, revelling almost in its own misery.  As a result the atmospheric impact of the record is memorable and lasting.

The melodies here are delicious and structured perfectly.  Sweeping melancholic riffs and desolate acoustic strings sit effortlessly alongside each other, playing equal amounts of importance in the success of this record, lifting it up to the lofty heights of recognition that really should ensure that this album is recognised alongside (not as an afterthought behind) the more familiar titles mentioned.