Reviews

Markus Karlsson
"A rather standard intro nowadays opens up this album, and then guess what? It explodes in a inferno of brutal guitars and blistering drums. Aha you might say, standard Death/Black Metal and yes you're partly right, but this is much better then the usual shit I hear in this genre. There are some lack of fantasy in the band, but the material is very good and the performance great. They have added some keyboard here and there, but not enough to break any barriers. The third track is a piano/keyboard tune with nice harmonies to relax to before it explodes again. Overall is this an interesting album from a promising band, but they have to do something new and much more original to become great. Perhaps by adding more keyboards? As usual the production is great in the Unisound studios. I must say that it grows with each listening so I really loved this after a while."
5.5/6 points

The Metal Observer
Rating: 9.5/10 (read the review)

Rock Hard
"[...] Although VINTERLAND won't revolutionize Black/Death Metal with this album they will fully satisfy Dissection fans. I would even go one step further and claim that "Welcome My Last Chapter" can easily compete with "Storm Of The Light's Bane" when it comes to the amount of the two bands' ideas! The only reason why it will be harder for VINTERLAND than for Jon Nödtveidt & Company is that their album was released later which is why you could accuse them of not being very original if you were shallow. But those who try to suck up the material more intensely will realize that VINTERLAND already lay more emphasis on variation. Sometimes they push the pedal to the metal, another time atmospheric, very melodic passages are dominating, like on "Vinterskogen" or they only use a piano ("So Far Beyond... (The Great Vastforest)") whose warm melodies create a nice contrast to the album's generally rather frosty sound. Furthermore with "Wings Of Sorrow" there's a true mid-tempo hymn on the record. Great! So let's hope that "Welcome My Last Chapter" will not be the last chapter of these highly talented newcomers!" - Frank Stöver
9/10 points

Review at http://www.blackmetal.co.uk/
EXCERPT: "I can't even begin to describe what this CD means to me. This is melodic black metal at its perfection. I wouldn't even go as far as to call the tracks "songs" - they mix into a long stream of pure hate and sorrow. [...]"

Metal Archives
User votes: 97% (4 reviews, August 18th 2006)

Review by Chuckus:

This is a brillant album which while its not neccessary a concept album it does have a theme of Night, Forests, Glory runnning through it.
The style on music played is more a melodic black metal style. Superior to melodic death bands but containing elements of black metal too. The first track is a ripsnorter, which opens with acoustic and blasts into fast paced melodic death with great lifts and only a few vocals lines. This band reminds me a little known Sinaporean band Enhorted.
The vocals have a raspy black metal style, in a good way, and the music is fast, melodic, epic, masterful, grandous. It has marvellous moments and really transports you to a different place with its brilliant BRILLIANT guitar riffs, with Our Dawn of Glory being the best song.
Its a great change of pace and really has its own genre. More than swedish melodic death, more than norweigan black metal....just unqiue.

www.zenial.nl
User votes: 9.3 / 10 (104 votes, August 18th 2006)

User comments:

"This is my favourite album EVER!!! Ok, this is just my opinion, but I've never listen to music _SO_ passionfully played. All the 9 anthem's by vinterland have one thing in common: SORROW. All their song emerge from pain, and they use these feeling to create THE best Black Metal album I've ever heard. The riffs are simple, yet very beautiful and melodic. This album is simply TRUE." - empio

"Can't say nothing else that if you like Dissection with a taste of more melody & thrusting power, try Vinterland. This is in my top 5 albums of all time." - demaniac

"Brilliant fucking cd. One of my favorites. Though I'm mostly into alot of raw material...this album was very depressing and cold and really caught my attention. 10/10" - MysticismBlack

"An excellent album. I have been knowing it for 6 years, and it is still among my favourites. A typical Swedish black metal, but not that kind of average. Deep feelings and a great mood!" - Sjelsommerfugl