Review by Ben for Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter (1996)

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.