Country of origin:Sweden
Location:Kvicksund, Västmanland/Södermanland, Svealand
Status:Active
Formed in:1992

Genre:Melodic Black Metal
Lyrical themes:Night, Nature, Darkness
Current label:Temple of Darkness Records
Years active:1992-1997, 2011-present
Played their first reunion gig at Wave Gotik Treffen Fest in June 2011.

Compilation appearances:
- "A Winter Breeze" on Classics (No Fashion Records, 2003).

DISCOGRAPHY

MEMBERS

Andreas Jonsson Drums (1992-1998, 2011-present)
See also: Tyrant, ex-Porphyria, ex-NunFuckRitual, ex-The Black
Pehr Larsson Guitars, Guitars (acoustic), Vocals (backing) (1992-1996), Guitars (2011-present)
See also: ex-Harmony, ex-Torment, Alfahanne, ex-Maze of Torment, ex-Le Mans, ex-The Mortician Dead
D.F. Bragman Vocals, Guitars, Guitars (acoustic), Bass (1992-1998), Vocals, Guitars (2011-present)
See also: Tyrant, ex-Porphyria, ex-The Black, Iron Lamb, Karjalan Sissit, ex-Le Mans, ex-Trigger for Murder

REVIEWS

Welcome My Last Chapter
Vinterland
Type:Full-length
Release date:March 4th, 1996
Label:No Fashion Records
Format:CD

Pure black energy - 90%
we hope you die, February 16th, 2019

Vinterland’s sole full length LP ‘Welcome My Last Chapter’ (1996) is typical of Swedish melodic death/black metal of the time. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it exemplary, because the competition is pretty stiff in this regard. If you are at all familiar with the works of Sacramentum, Dawn, Dissection, and Kvist, then you know exactly what you’ll be getting with WMLC. If you are unfamiliar with these works, then this album is a real treat.

Fast paced tremolo strummed riffs are underpinned by crisp drums that seamlessly transition from blast beats to much slower tempos in an instant. The rhythm section is commanded by the guitars, which – through the interplay of riffs – sets the structure of each track, with the rhythm section augmenting each transition but following the will of each riff. In this sense this music is structurally closer to death metal, but many of the riffs themselves, along with the guitar tone and vocals, are more akin to black metal.

I mentioned on a review of Dissection's 'The Somberlain' that this music can become overwhelming if listened to at great length. There is such a dearth of ideas, usually all played at high speeds, that unless one concentrates on each and every riff meticulously, it can become a wash of noise. Some artists in this style (like Dissection) chose to break up the music with interludes or acoustic passages. Vinterland have opted for a mix of ambient interludes, piano passages, and the use of acoustic guitars overlaying the electric, adding more variation to the timbre and allowing the listener a respite from the relentless onslaught of tremolo strummed guitars.

Although this is a finely crafted album, packed with good ideas, it suffers from what I’m going to call finale fatigue. At a certain point in each track the riffs all begin to sound like the finale, but the music just keeps on going. Don’t get me wrong, they are well played and creative, but one feels that Vinterland’s pacing is just a little off. It is a shame that this was their only LP, as one gets the impression that a follow up could have been more streamlined, ironing out some of the cracks in this otherwise engaging music.

Vinterland may not be the most original in their field, but they showed much (sadly unrealised) potential on ‘Welcome My Last Chapter’, and there is just something highly addictive about melodic blackened death metal that it never fails to hit the spot if done well.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

Despondent melodic symphony. An unlikely classic. - 83%
ConorFynes, August 8th, 2015

With Welcome My Last Chapter, Vinterland joined the likes of Sacramentum in a small, but significant cabal of Swedish melodic black metal bands that arguably bested Jon Nödtveidt at his own game. That's not to say that Storm of the Light's Bane is somehow less deserving of praise than this, or Far Away from the Sun; rather, these bands reaffirmed how powerful Dissection's melodic archetype really was, not failing to add an exciting innovation of their own while they were at it.

In the case of Sacramentum (which arguably followed the formula more closely than Vinterland) they created a flat-out masterpiece the first time around, not only because they significantly amplified the speed and intensity compared to their primary influence, but because they had a similarly brilliant grasp of melody and songwriting tact. Much the same could be said for Vinterland. Welcome My Last Chapter is the only thing they ever released before vanishing, and while they supposedly regrouped a few years back, I don't think they'll need another album to be immortalized. They may not have given themselves enough time to properly emerge from beneath Dissection's influence, but that hasn't made Welcome My Last Chapter any worse for wear. With only a couple of demos behind them, Vinterland already had the biting musicianship, the thoughtful songwriting, and the confidence in style you rarely see on a debut.

Although I think Sacramentum were the tightest melody-makers, Vinterland went the farthest when it came to refreshing the Dissection template. Certain sections revel in Sacramentum's burstfire intensity, yes, but for Vinterland, that was just part of a bigger picture. Swedish melodic black metal is instantly distinctive when you hear it, but I think Welcome My Last Chapter was just as informed by the sounds of Viking-era Bathory as anything else. Fast, thunderous riff attacks are paired off with slower, anthemic sections, complete with the low-hummed chants and acoustic undertones I remember from Bathory's Twilight of the Gods. None of the ingredients on Welcome My Last Chapter are necessarily fresh innovations from Vinterland, but they way they mix them all together with such conviction has had the effect of making the album sound fresh twenty years after the fact.

Compared to their melodic compatriots, Vinterland seem less song-based, more compositional in the way they write music. My greatest surprise listening to the album was actually the way I didn't feel songs were distinct from one another. Welcome My Last Chapter doesn't quite feel like a start-to-finish symphony, but it's close. A track like the humbly short "Vinterskogen" sounds far too lavish and orchestrated to befit a four minute track, but seems better suited to interpretation as the climax following a build-up, one of several the album has to offer. Given the crowdedness of their contemporaries and those that came after them, I find Vinterland distinguish themselves much better when they're focusing on the soaring, synth-heavy orchestrations than more expected black metal fare. Again, Sacramentum (and, indeed, Dissection) cornered the market on the melodic front, but Vinterland simultaneously aspired to be much more than that.

Vinterland created a single piece of music, rather than a collection of songs, with Welcome My Last Chapter. If I have any impression towards it that sets it apart from its like-sounding kin, that would be it. That is the crux, not only for my admiration, but my frustration for the album. Vinterland fairly consistently prove their songwriting mantle here, making keyboards (performed here by Dan Swanö, notably) sound like a vital part of the music. Vinterland's folkish retreats, their shifts between fast and slow-- even their melodies and chord progressions-- start to sound like variations on a theme by the end of the album. I don't take issue with that at all. There's a gorgeous, despondent quality to Welcome My Last Chapter that many bands have sought, but few ever really found.

I don't think Vinterland fashioned a masterpiece with this one, but I do think it deserves recognition as a classic. Like the other best cuts of the Second, and early Third waves, there's a timeless quality to the music here that cannot be found short of inspiration. Each time I've listened to it, I stop to think what may have happened on a second or third album. It's some rare that a band has their shit all figured out on from the start, and speculating where they might have gone after this is one of the most frustrating 'what if' scenarios in this genre's history.

Lightning In A Bottle - 100%
metal_bryan, August 31st, 2012

If ever there was a perfect album, this one would have to be considered. I challenge anybody who doesn't like black metal to listen to this and not find something to enjoy. In fact, this album is alone responsible for finally opening my ears to black metal after over 10 years of derision. From the beautiful piano ballads like So Far Beyond to some of the most inspired mixtures of black/death/folk, this album blends together into a work of art from beginning to end. Even the production maintains that cold feeling of black metal without sounding like it was recorded in a metal shipping container. On top of the amazing songwriting, really the best that black metal (or blackened death metal) has to offer, there are these tortured and depressed vocals that fit the cold and desolate feel of the album perfectly. There are just layers upon layers of sound in the mix and nothing sounds out of place or over the top.

It's hard to really say much more which hasn't already been said by others. The similarities to early Dissection and other bands in that melodic black/death movement (Dawn, Sacramentum, etc) can't be ignored. The focus on melody is apparent and the majority of the album is more of an atmospheric/gloomy experience than typical black metal. There are a ton of memorable riffs, from the swaying folk leads of "Vinterskogen" to the blistering tremolos of "Our Dawn Of Glory," this album covers many territories and commands you to listen and love it. Bragman and Larsson make sure you know they're great guitarists and even better songwriters. No amount of great riffs can carry an album on their own though. Jonsson's drumming fills every range of the emotions and displays a wide array of technicality without overpowering the songs like more typical black metal drummers who focus too much on blasting and not enough on how they can compliment the riffs. There's nothing quite as satisfying as coming out of a blistering blast section into a good old death metal double-kick to headbang to your heart's content.

I'm very much proud to call this the best black metal album of all time and I highly doubt it could ever be topped. This album belongs in the collection of every true metal fan. It's a shame that it's not better known. Do anything you can to listen to it and pass it along to all of your friends. Vinterland deserve the recognition.

Welcome My Last Chapter - 99%
dismember_marcin, August 13th, 2012

I can truly say that “Welcome My Last Chapter” is one of my all time favourite albums and at the time of its release, around 1996, it probably was also one of the most listened albums by me. I bought the cassette version of it, which Mystic Production released in Poland and I loved everything in it – starting with the cover, band photos and the whole layout and finishing with amazing music. Truly Vinterland was an important band for me at that time and I can say that they were my favourite Swedish black metal band also… I preferred them over Dissection even (I don’t know if I still do though hehe) or Sacramentum or any other such band, which the Swedish metal scene has been spawning like crazy, thanks to the No Fashion / House of Kicks label. Anyway, as much as I liked “Welcome My Last Chapter” it was also quite sad that the band never went anywhere further with this album and never did its predecessor, soon splitting up, which is a shame of corpse. They should have definitely do something more, but at least I had my tape of “Welcome My Last Chapter” to listen to. For years I tried to buy the CD version of it also, but the prices were so ridiculous that I gave up. Temple of Darkness helped me with it, re-releasing it in new version. Although I was expecting the LP version to be released also as there were plans to do that, but since two years have passed and nothing was happening I got tired waiting for the vinyl and finally decided to purchase the re-release CD version of “Welcome My Last Chapter”. And I must say that Temple of Darkness did great job with this 15th year’s anniversary edition. It comes in a grey box and inside you’ll find the sticker, small poster with the band, a certificate, which will tell you that there are only 2000 copies made of this album and finally there’s also the CD. It comes with totally changed artwork and layout. Unfortunately the original front cover is gone, which is something I hate. It is stupid when they change the cover artwork… They should always keep the original one, and if they want to put a new one, then they should at least put the old one somewhere inside of the booklet. The re-release of “Welcome My Last Chapter” comes with new cover, with a new sign of Vinterland, which is a big V letter, shaped like the horns, which is OK, but I liked the original artwork more. What is good about the new layout is the collection of old Vinterland photos, taken between 1993 and 1996. It definitely is a great collection of old photos of the band, although those from the first press CD are also missing here hehe. What I don’t like about this re-issue is also the lack of the lyrics. I know that originally the booklet also didn’t have them, but something like a reissue definitely should! But that’s just my opinion. All in all Temple of Darkness did great job with this re-release. I hope that they’ll finally manage to release it on vinyl also!!!!!!

Now speaking of the music… to be honest, nowadays I know “Welcome My Last Chapter” by every detail and sound. You can wake me up in the night and I’ll tell you what band and sometimes even what song it is, I know exactly how the album is built and remember and can “sing” probably all the riffs from it. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to it in those 15 years, but it was a lot, but why I consider “Welcome My Last Chapter” to be one of my favourite albums of all times is the fact that despite all of this I still find a lot of joy and enthusiasm, when I listen to it. I definitely cannot say that this album started to bore me. You know, there are many other old albums from the past, which I also know deeply now because I have listened to them hundreds of times… like Grave’s “Soulless” for instance, I used to like this LP much, but because I know it so well nowadays then now when I pay it I feel almost tired and bored with it. Nothing like that happens, when “Welcome My Last Chapter” crushes the walls of my house. It definitely is one of the best, if not the best melodic black metal LP from Sweden from that time. Obviously it is deeply influenced by Dissection, mainly by their “The Somberlain” and as such there probably aren’t many stylistic differences between Vinterland and some other bands from this genre like Sacramentum, The Moaning, Throne of Ahaz, A Canorous Quintet and Allegiance. But despite that there’s a certain uniqueness and extremely good quality, what puts “Welcome My Last Chapter” above all the albums, which those other bands have ever released. The songwriting on “Welcome My Last Chapter” is just amazing. I have a feeling like Vinterland have composed some of the best tracks and riffs or melodies that have ever been created! Their ability to create a dark and cold atmosphere by playing those infectiously catchy and memorable riffs, harmonies and melodies is awesome, but Vinterland had also a lot of energy, ruthless aggression and passion, so when I listen to “Welcome My Last Chapter” I feel like they have balanced all those things in the most perfect way! Not even once I can say that the music becomes too melodic or too soft, even when VInterland plays some acoustic parts or pianos or whatever, and you must remember that they add those instruments quite often here. But that doesn’t make their album too mellow, as there always are fast and aggressive parts right next to those atmospheric ones. And there will even be many fragments, when Vinterland takes a lot of influences from the good old Bathory, creating even more epic playing and grand atmosphere.

As one of the finest examples for what the music of Vinterland is like I could probably mention “Our Dawn of Glory” here, which is an opening track. It offers exactly everything what makes Vinterland music so unique. It’s opened by a short acoustic and calm part, which quickly is bombarded by furious and extremely fast black metal violence. Later on Vinterland changes the tempo and type of riffing more than once, incorporating also those harmonic riffs and also some acoustic fillers. There’s everything you can desire and everything is amazingly well played. But “Our Dawn of Glory”, although a great opener, is not my favourite song from the album. However extremely difficult it is to pick up two or three most impressive tracks from “Welcome My Last Chapter”, such anthems of winter as “I’m Another in the Night”, “A Castle So Crystal Clear”, “Wings of Sorrow”, “As I Behold the Dying Sun” and even the instrumental passage of “So Far Beyond... (The Great Vastforest)” are all impressive and utterly perfect.

This re-release of “Welcome My Last Chapter” also has a bonus track. To be honest I hoped to get both Vinterland demos here, as they’re nowhere available and it would be amazing to have them on the CD, but there’s just one song extra and it is Mayhem’s “Freezing Moon” cover. Hmm, to be honest it is rather useless. It isn’t terrible or whatever, but very forgettable, maybe due to the very raw and primitive sound, which is far from the crystal clean, powerful and aggressive sound of the “Welcome My Last Chapter”. It almost doesn’t fit to the real album, so harsh is the sound of this cover. But who cares, this is pure black metal, right? And definitely this cover doesn’t spoil the joy of listening to the Vinterland’s music. It really is one of the best Swedish black metal albums in the history, one which definitely should stand right next to “The Somberlain”, “Secrets of the Black Art” and “Opus Nocturne”. It is the epitome of this style!
Standout tracks: “I’m Another in the Night”, “A Castle So Crystal Clear”, “Wings of Sorrow”, “As I Behold the Dying Sun”, “Our Dawn of Glory”

Some of the Best riffs in black metal - 80%
TikrasTamsusNaktis, April 9th, 2012

This album has become a cult album in the black metal scene without a doubt and for good reason. The band comes together and releases one amazing album and then silence up until now. Apparently, they are working on new material. Regardless, back to the past.

This album starts off amazingly enough. It begins with a slow melancholic guitar pattern for 4 beats, then instantly a shriek comes out of nowhere that would scare the first time listener and the assault of cold riffs begins. This album has good variation between fast and mid-paced black metal to keep everyone entertained. The riffs are phenomenal at all times. I seriously think this album has some of the best riffs I have heard in black metal. Riffs that stand out are the ones in "A Castle so Crystal Clear", "As I Behold the Dying Sun", and "Wings of Sorrow." These are just my personal favorites and all the other songs are excellent as well. The riffs certainly are of a cold, icy feeling, but there is a certain majesty to them that can be especially noticed in the song "Vinterskogen." The drumming on this album is rapid and keeps up with the vicious riffs. They are mixed quite well with nothing to really complain about. Surprisingly, the bass is rather audible on this album, especially more so on some songs. The vocals are excellent. They are a perfect, very loud scream that certainly sounds like they are trying to overpower the sound of the blizzard that the riffs are creating.

This album is an excellent addition to any lover of riffs. Actually anyone, as you don't even have to be a fan of black metal. If you love great kick ass melodic riffs, this album has them. It has a ton of them. Go out, find this and stay grim.

A true gem that needs recognition - 95%
Daemonlord, July 17th, 2011

Here's another one of those bands that released a single album of fantastic material, only to disappear into obscurity. Whether this was through bad management, poor decision making or sheer bad luck, the reason for their disappearance certainly wasn't down to their music being shitty. 'Welcome My Last Chapter' in my opinion at least, could easily stand toe to toe with Dissection or Sacramentum's best works, and come out of 12 rounds only to lose on a split decision. I had mixed feelings when I heard that they'd reformed recently to make new material, as it's just as possible that they could piss all over their legacy with a duff release as it was that they could release another classic. Today however, I'm concentrating on their only full length - and what a fantastic album it is.

The aforementioned Dissection and Sacramentum do share large similarities with Vinterland, by way of storming tremolo picked guitar melodies played at high speeds, topped with machine gun drumming and rasping vocals. There are also melancholic acoustic interludes, and a sparing usage of choral synthesizers and piano (played by Dan Swano) to add that extra bit of atmosphere for the slower sections, but it's the pairing of the fast and mid-paced work that really works the magic best on this release. The guitar melodies are of the highest quality, managing to be simultaneously beautiful and visceral in keeping with their lyrical topics (which range from the splendor of nature, to its bleak harshness). Unlike a lot of the watered down modern melodic black metal, this album begs to be listened to that one more time for its sheer inventiveness and magnitude, even eleven years after its original release it still sounds fresh and invigorating - no mean feat for any melodic black metal album.

This album is generally considered a classic by all those who've been touched by its sheer presence. So, if you're one of the unfortunates who have yet to discover this band first time around, you should really hunt this album down (it was out of print for a while, but was re-issued). Seek and enjoy.

Originally written for www.metalcrypt.com

A Year In Winter: Part III. - 80%
Perplexed_Sjel, November 10th, 2010

Sweden’s Vinterland are an oddity. They’re much loved on the underground and, after the release of their 1996 full-length debut, seemed to have the world at their feet. Could they have conquered all on the black metal scene? Possibly. However, after their debut, which is entitled ‘Welcome To My Last Chapter’, the Swedish trio fell off the face of the Earth rarely to be seen or heard from again. It was unfortunate that the band became masters of mystique and the occult because this debut album pointed to a bright future for the band especially since, at the time, the second wave had passed on and the dawn of a new era was upon us. If only Vinterland had stuck around, they could have dominated this so-called new era if ‘Welcome To My Last Chapter’ is anything to go by. In recent months, the band have come out of the shadows to reveal that they are still active and, apparently, in the process of writing new material but, given the fact that some fourteen years have passed since their debut, I have my doubts and reservations as to whether Vinterland can still cut it in the modern era.

Obviously, since this debut is still a product of the second wave style, Vinterland will probably have to adapt their style in order to sound as fresh as they did when they first burst onto the scene. Looking to songs like the instrumental ‘So Far Beyond... (The Great Vastforest)’, one can only hope Vinterland adopt a more modern sound if they’re to revive their legacy, one which was cut short for unknown reasons (or, at least unknown to me). Songs like the aforementioned, which features wonderfully ethereal synths and a lonesome piano seem to suggest that Vinterland should still have the craft and guile that led them to such success after their debut. However, times have changed, let us not forget. In this day and age, it’s more likely that a band will be lambasted for pining over the second wave, rather than revered for their loyalty to a scene which passed away many moons ago. Despite all this, there are things occurring on the debut which do suggest Vinterland could cut it in the modern era.

Although I wouldn’t necessarily call their music “ahead of its time”, there are features on it, such as the subtle semi-acoustics, which lead me to believe that this album is no where near as generic as much of the material which was produced around 1996, a time when bands were still clinging on to the memory of the second wave, a movement in black metal which had just come to an end, in my opinion, and which had left black metal in a rather precarious position, meaning she had to look for somewhere new to call her home in terms of what styles she could fuse her original sound with. In terms of this album itself, there are certainly aspects which I always felt could be improved, despite the reputation of the band suggesting they can do no wrong. Whilst many call Vinterland one of the coldest black metal bands in existence, I find a lot of warmth in the melodies of songs like ‘A Crystal So Clear’ and even in the clean introductory passage of songs like ‘As I Behold The Dying Sun’, a song which lyrically seems to point towards a very bleak and cold conclusion.

To me, the guitars display a lot of warmth whilst the rasped vocals and lyrical themes of darkness and night appear to suggest otherwise. When it comes to highly melodic black metal, I do tend to feel a wonderful juxtaposition within the structures of an album. As I said, the cold of the vocals, lyrics and tempos are positioned alongside rather warm and fuzzy melodies from the layers of guitar riffs. Unlike your typical depressive black metal affair, this atmospheric black metal classic actually harbours a lot of raw emotions, one’s that remind the listener of feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness and pain. The vocals have a lot to do with this becoming a factor of the music as they’re convincingly emotional without being over-the-top or overbearing. The vocals are a constant source of anguish to tap into and Vinterland use the vocals well to connect with the listener, though I wouldn’t consider them the pivotal aspect of the album, they are a consistent force and drive the feelings melancholy onwards and upwards and away from a juvenile conclusion.

Songs like ‘Vinterskogen’, although far too short, represent Vinterland’s ability to be able to be different and dynamic well. The song features some lush symphonies courtesy of the inclusion of subtle keyboards, an element of this album which I would have liked to have seen more from. The keyboards, with their subtle and sparse influence, create images of kingdoms of ice amidst the fiery warmth of the guitar melodies. The keyboards also, despite their infrequence in appearance, manage to construct a wonderful relationship with, in particular, the guitars. Together they’re formidable and I would have loved to have seen more from them in the wake of songs like ‘Still The Night Is Awake’, a sweet little track which features both working mesmerisingly together. Despite a few niggling doubts and concerns, this album still manages to deserve its classic status. I really do hope that Vinterland come back with at least one more effort as their legacy and their fans deserve that.

Wings of Sorrow - 89%
Noctir, January 30th, 2010

This album is a bit of a mystery. This is the one and only full-length album from Sweden's Vinterland. Prior to this, they'd only released a couple of demos. Upon releasing this album, they seem to have vanished. Such an occurrence, in itself, is not all that strange. However, when coupled with the fact that the material is of such high quality, it becomes difficult to understand how and why Vinterland became such an obscure band. Even more mysterious is that they seem to have been one of the few Black Metal bands to avoid getting raped by the typical Unisound/Hellspawn production demons, namely Dan Swanö. Not only does Vinterland share a similar sound to the mighty Dissection, in that they play cold and melodic Black Metal, but they also survived Swanö's unreliable skills as a producer, during the winter of 1995. Released in the autumn of 1996, on No Fashion, Welcome My Last Chapter offers one final mystery in that (as the story goes) the original title of the album was meant to be Wings of Sorrow. This makes sense, as it is also the title of the epic song that closes the record. For whatever reason, the other text was present on the cover and they changed this to the official title.

I first discovered this band during the freezing winter months and was, immediately, drawn to it. I had been seeking something else in the vein of early Dissection as well as Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun and Sorhin's I Det Glimrande Mörkrets Djup. This was soon recommended to me and I made haste in acquiring it. It was exactly what I was looking for, and more. It's amazing that it took so many years after its release for me to discover this gem.

"Our Dawn of Glory" begins with a clean/acoustic passage that creates a calm feeling, which is abruptly ended by the furious and razor sharp attack of the bitter cold guitar riffs and the unearthly screams. Everything is very clear and powerful, much like the sound on Storm of the Light's Bane, though the overall atmosphere is more somber, especially as it concerns the vocals. The opening moments are as intense as they are memorable. The drums simply beat the life right out of you and the frozen tremolo riffs carry your spirit far beyond on the cold winds of nothingness. The pace is very dynamic, with many twists and turns, and even some tasteful keyboard usage, handled by Dan Swanö. This song is defined as much by the blindingly fast and powerful parts as it is by the slower, more melancholy melodies. It's this structural contrast that lends so much to the epic nature of the song, and the entire record. The track then ends with a similar clean section to that which began things. This is definitely the way to begin an album.

Following this is "I'm An Other In the Night", which starts out with a mournful guitar melody and truly sorrowful vocals. The speed slowly builds up, until it erupts in a fury of hatred and misanthropy, fueled by the tremolo picking and blasting drums. There's some variation in the drumming that adds well to the overall dynamic and keeps things interesting. The vocals have an icy feeling to them, as they're not entirely clear. The bleak feeling becomes even more harsh, later in the song, as things slow down a bit. In this sense, the harshness is not defined by speed but by the feeling conveyed. As the acoustic guitar, briefly, joins the rest, there's some added sense of hopelessness. As the track progresses, the intensity builds and builds, until the pace suddenly slows down again, and the effect is similar to that of slicing open your flesh and the relief that you feel as you see the blood wash over your flesh and drip down onto the snow-covered ground.

"So Far Beyond... (The Great Vastforest)" continues from where the previous song left off, featuring a variety of nocturnal sounds, such as that of wolves howling at the full moon, accompanied by a somber piano piece. This creates a very calm and introspective atmosphere, though one that calls to mind unpleasant thoughts and desires of an ultimate ending to this feeble existence.

The instrumental interlude fades into "A Castle So Crystal Clear", which unleashes a dark and mournful feeling that is not too far removed from old Katatonia. The song is rather slow-paced, as the percussion dictates, despite the tremolo picking. This changes, after a couple minutes, and things pick up a little bit. There are some interesting down-picked parts that work well to add a new dimension to the sound, while the drumming keeps a blistering pace beneath.

"As I Behold the Dying Sun" starts with the sounds of falling rain, distant whispers and clean guitars all coming together to create a dark and sorrowful feeling. As the rest of the instruments come in, the tremolo riffs blend with the doomier parts to keep things interesting and dynamic. Again, the early moments possess a similar vibe to that of old Katatonia, before going back to the melodic and cold Black Metal sound that dominates most of the album.

The next song is "Vinterskogen", beginning with a slow and melancholy vibe. The cold and mournful melodies are accompanied by tortured screams and some eerie spoken word passage that adds to the mysterious feeling. The atmosphere is accentuated by simple utilization of the keyboards and acoustic guitar. The feeling is very calm, yet depressive and hopeless. The lead guitar melody, near the end, adds to the overall aura.

"Still the Night Is Awake" bursts forth with frostbitten tremolo riffs and more otherworldly screams. This one is fairly fast-paced, keeping the frozen intensity and the epic structure, despite the relatively short length. Later in the song, things slow down and the atmosphere becomes more majestic as the blizzard engulfs your spirit and carries you toward oblivion.

This is followed by "A Winter Breeze", which has a strange opening riff. It's not as cold as the majority of the album, though the bleak and hopeless feeling is more present than ever. The typical frozen riffs do weave throughout the song, as well as slower open-arpeggio riffs that add to the desolate feeling. The middle section of the song is reminiscent of early Burzum in structure and vibe. This one works as a good lead-in to the final track.

The album concludes with "Wings of Sorrow", which features slow and mournful riffs, a spoken word passage that is accompanied by tormented screams in the background and some acoustic bits as well. This is the longest song on the album, clocking in at just under nine minutes. It takes its time to build up, creating an atmosphere of cold nocturnal sorrow.

"Come, come please and grab my hands
And may the frozen winds caress my empty soul..."

Something about this part reminds me of the first Ophthalamia album, A Journey In Darkness. The vocals are even more unrestrained than on the previous songs, giving this one added passion and intensity of a different kind. The guitar melodies are memorable in a very haunting sense, sure to flow through your veins like ice water. The songwriting is absolutely brilliant and makes one wonder how and why this band faded into obscurity after this release, especially considering how many inferior bands were left standing. By the end of the song, the guitars and drums fade out as a somber piano outro ends this epic song.

"Let the wings of grief carry me to the kingdom far beyond all light"

This is an amazing album that should be sought after by anyone with a preference for cold and somber Black Metal, in the vein of Dissection, Burzum, Sacramentum, etc. My only disappointment comes from the fact that Vinterland only made one full-length and that it took me so long to get my hands on it. Buy this and let it carry you on frozen winds...

Freezing Black Metal - 92%
CHRISTI_NS_ANITY8, June 25th, 2008

There are almost 35 degrees outside my home in this moment and I’m quite sure I’m gonna die in few seconds. I had to find something with a great burden of coldness with icy sounds that could bring me virtually in another place where I can inhale the icy winds of a snow storm. In Italy the hot period is too humid as you could understand but the winter is quite cold and I already have nostalgic thoughts about it.

Anyway, I’ve chosen this album because to me it represents one of the coldest and evocative forms of black metal after the Immortal albums. This band is a true cult in the scene due to the release of a single album, this one. It’s an excellent piece of icy black metal full of scratchy, evocative and freezing riff and finally I start to fell myself a bit better. The songs are long, full of tempo changes and mostly melodic; we are talking about a strange form of black metal that is not completely violent or melodic, finding always a perfect balance between these two characteristics.

If “I’m Another In The Night” is faster with riffs ala Dissection but the following “So Far Beyond…” represents the most obscure and symphonic side of the band with an excellent, dramatic piano part. Even during the fastest songs we can find clean arpeggios to give the melody under the power and the iciness of the electric guitars sound. That is great because it gives the right atmosphere over the most violent side.

The majestic, grandiose keyboards with the arpeggios of a song like “A Castle So Crystal Clear” are awesome for the atmosphere of a song that is more similar to a march in the snow. When the blast beats enter, the riffs are faster but always with a foot in the classic melody. The lead guitars lines are essential in this sound to support the rhythmic open chords parts. The vocals are the classic suffered and evocative shrieks full of melancholy and despair and sometimes they reminded me a bit those by Forgotten Tomb.

The classic sensation of desperation and despair they are able to create in this music is great. The winter is recreated in each single form in these songs. The landscapes of ice, fog and storms are all in these songs. The epic feeling is great to fill the songs give the sensation of exaltation in front of such beautiful and sad panorama. If you’re searching for a band that could recreate the winter in music beside Immortal, try these ones and they will not disappoint you.

Now I’m feeling better and somehow I stopped sweating. Thanks Vinerland and I believe I’ll get back to you soon…

Amazing atmospheric black metal.. - 92%
Foundapathy, April 6th, 2008

Wow…that’s the first thing that comes to my mind after hearing Vinterland’s “Welcome to My Last Chapter”, the sheer intensity of the whole album is just immense and powerful. The blistering riffs, the ferocious vocals that may frighten even the biggest Black Metal fans (First time I heard “Our Dawn of Glory” the opening vocals scared the hell out of me). The blast beats of the drums are pretty impressive, especially in “So Far Beyond… (The Great Vast Forest)”, although the drumming is very similar to a lot of other Black Metal bands, there’s plenty of “boom, boom, boom” and other blast beats used to keep it varied. There’s even Acoustic thrown in to add to this great experience.

The album creates a great atmosphere of despair, lack of hope and depression; it uses the themes of death, weather types such as snow, winter and darkness in order to do this. The lyrics are stunning and are also very poetic:

“With fury I feel the night appear within
in the moonlight so cold, I was born
I was born”.

Repetition is used often in the songs in order to get their message across. The songs are also written like poetry using two verses per each stanza; this proves that this isn’t your typical Bible bashing Black Metal band.

Best songs include “A Castle So Crystal Clear”, “Our Dawn of Glory”, and “As I Behold the Dying Sun”.

Furthermore, I truly recommend this album if you like Black Metal with an edge or metal that is extreme.

An epitome of winter sorrow... - 100%
Kristenhat666, November 4th, 2006

Anyone who’s into Black metal would know it ‘s simply WINTER MUSIC. Whether it’s with fog, frost or snow, this season provides the ideal conditions to listen to such a superior music style. It’s a season of darkness and sorrow, and if you’re looking for the ultimate expression of the latter, look no further!

VINTERLAND’s “WELCOME MY LAST CHAPTER” is simply an epitome of sorrow and grief. I don’t want to repeat what was said in the previous reviews, so I’ll be as precise and concise as possible: WMLC redefines the term “BEAUTY”. In fact, it’s a profoundly sorrowful album with incredibly beautiful riffs and melodies, and although I’d love to be more specific, words fail me at this stage… All I can say is that this album is as honest as it gets as far as art reflecting the feelings of people is concerned, and the members of Vinterland definitely put themselves into it. And I, as a Black Metaller, really identify with the atmosphere that their first and only release successfully creates.

I will keep this review short, but one thing is certain: If you’re passionate about Black Metal and are about to wander through the falling snow across the wintry landscape, with your earphones soothing your senses with a musical expression of winter’s sorrowful majesty, then “WELCOME My LAST CHAPTER” should be the sound that you hear!

It's a shame they split up. - 99%
AsperaHiemsSymfonia8, September 12th, 2004

This album is pure brilliance. Sure, Vinterland's type of BM has been done before. But not in they way they do it. Imagine Stormblast-era Dimmu Borgir meets Burzum and Dissection. The result is Vinterland, a black metal band that manages to combine great production with intense melody and a depressive atmosphere. And it's just fucking brilliant.

Let me start out by saying that this is not another melodic black metal album that "troo kvltists" will automatically put on their shit-lists. There are almost no symphonics, keyboards, operatic/clean vocals, or pointless orchestral breaks. There are acoustics, yes, but they're intertwined with the black metal elements of WMLC perfectly. In other words, even fans of "kvlt blak metl" would enjoy this.

First, and most importantly, the riffs. They are fucking amazing! Welcome My Last Chapter contains some of the best riffs I've heard; they're beautiful, depressing and fucking awesome... all at the same time. It's literally too hard to explain just how great they are; I've heard lots of similar riffs from different bands, but Vinterland just have something going that is too difficult to put into words. You'll have to hear this for yourself.

Next, we come to the vocals, which only add to the brilliant atmosphere the riffs build up. The vocals are filled with pain and sorrow, much in the same way Dissection's vocals are. Perfectly fit for the music. The lyrics are equally great.

The drumming is the usual for black metal, but it fits perfectly. The bass isn't really audible, but this takes nothing away from the great riffs and vocals.

I recommend you give this album a listen, no matter your favourite genre of metal. Vinterland bring you straight into a dark Scandinavian forest in the middle of Winter. The album is all about atmosphere, and if that's what you're looking for, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed with WMLC. It's fucking black metal. Need I say more?

Highlights: Our Dawn of Glory, Wings of Sorrow, As I Behold the Dying Sun, A Castle So Crystal Clear