It has now been exactly 20 years since Valfar (Terje Bakken) and with him his band Windir died an early death. His extraordinary and strange music still leaves hearts heavy today.
Vreid plays Windir at Hellfest 2023
Valfar
Valfar left his home on January 14, 2004 to walk to his parents’ cabin. The weather suddenly changed for the worse. He was found days later, killed by hypothermia. Windir decided it makes no sense to continue. There was one last show with Valfar’s brother on vocals, which you can watch on DVD from Valfar, ein Windir.
His unique work will never be forgotten. Countless times we listened to the second record Arntor, which Valfar mostly recorded on his own, playing guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer, vocals and accordion. He was never afraid to bring Norwegian metal to a new level, in the end of the 90s, by the sometimes excessive use of synthesizers and his accordion. But never selling out or forgetting his roots. He had his very own style, it is even said, that Valfar’s work is equally important to Norwegian metal, than the work of Quorthon.
His odd compositions are accompanied by his rare Norwegion dialect which is only spoken in the remote region he lived (and Google can’t translate). None of his lyrics contain black or viking metal stereotypes, he’d rather sing about thy myths and tales of his valley.
The following record 1148 features these prophetic lines:
werde ich weiter gehen,
weiter als jemals.
Um Kraft und Weisheit zu erreichen,
wie ein Gott vom anderen Ende.
Valfar’s Grave © Katie metcalfe
The members of Windir later formed Vreid, who play some old Windir songs, if you are very lucky. At Hellfest 2023 they dedicated a whole show to play 1148 from beginning to the very bitter end of Journey to the End.
So, if anything but now is the best time to get a good drink and listen to Windir!
