Music Review: Winglord

 

And when all hope was lost
Deep down in the midst of our being
A flame appeared, in the darkness
A beacon of light, shining – in white

Come!
And let us once more fight – as one
One Europe
Under one God
Fighting – as one sword

–Winglord, from “The Flame”

In an age where paint randomly splattered on a canvass is considered a painting, rap is considered music, incomprehensible gibberish is considered poetry, and a crucifix in a jar of urine is considered artistic expression, I am not accustomed to referring to contemporary artwork as “beautiful.”  However, this is exactly the adjective that comes to mind when describing Winglord’s two CDs, along with “inspiring” and “epic.”

Both Winglord and the folk metal genre are part of the primarily Northern European musical renaissance of the past two decades, which blends modern forms and instruments with heroic lyrics, European mythology, and nationalistic themes.  But while folk metal is, being metal, often loud, Winglord is neoclassical and is thus much easier to listen to for people who are not young and male.  Also, rather than using drums or electric guitars, Winglord’s songs are played on electric keyboards which are used to simulate other instruments.  Sometimes this is somewhat obvious, but overall I thought it well done.  I would bet that in ten more years, you will not be able to tell the difference between a recording of a violin and a recording of an electric keyboard simulating a violin.

Winglord released its first CD, Heroica, at the end of 2010, but unfortunately it was released only in CD form, and by the time I ran across an article on Alt Right talking about it – Heroica was sold out.  Their second CD, The Chosen One, was released this April along with a re-release of Heroica, and I quickly ordered a copy of both.  At that time, they were still only available in CD form, but they have since been released as MP3 downloads. At only $8.99 each, they are well worth buying, both to enjoy hearing and to support this band.

Of the ten tracks on Heroica and eleven tracks on The Chosen One, only four songs have lyrics, all of which are spoken rather than sung.  This leaves the listener largely dependent on the flow of the tracks, the title of the track, and the music itself to deduce the meaning of the song.  While this leaves room for multiple interpretations of the music, my impression is that both CDs are epic story arcs.

To suffer woes, which hope thinks infinite
To forgive wrongs, darker than Death or Night
To defy Power, which seems omnipotent
Neither to change, nor falter, nor repent
This is to be good, great, joyous, beautiful and free
This is alone Life, Joy, Empire and Victory

–Winglord, from “To Suffer Woes” (quoted from P.B. Shelley)

Heroica tells the story of an individual hero from his initial rise to greatness (“Intraverunt Principles,” “Hope & Glory”), his struggles and deeds (“Hird,” “For the Love of a Mother,” “Hammer Stone,” “Benighted”), his death (“The Death of Æneas,” “To Suffer Woes”), the peace of a noble life ended (“Contemplum”), and his triumphant entrance into the afterlife (“Island of the Blessed”).

Show yourself! Reveal your name!
And come forth, we have but little time now
Much was lost, and we must act swiftly
We seek the harvester, the reaper of truth and dignity
We seek a leader, a king
One who holds our future in his hands
A valiant hero

Are you the chosen one?

–Winglord, from “The Chosen One”

The Chosen One is much broader in scope and deals with an oppressed people searching for a savior to unite them and defeat their enemies (“The Flame,” “The Chosen One”); having found their leader, the people rally (“The World is Changing”), yet their enemies are not going down without a fight (“Muster the Minions”).  The leader defeats them (“Descend and Rise”) and takes his rightful place as king (“A New Reign”), leading to widespread celebration (“Dance of the Victorious”).  The people turn their minds to leisure and industry (“Hunting Party,” “Building the Ships”), leading to an age of peace and prosperity (“For Lord and Land”), and all this as part of the great European civilization (“Fanfare for Europe”).

We have claimed the mountains
Crossed the oceans
We have worshipped – beyond the stars
We defeated the invaders
Poiters and Vienna – Granada and Lepanto

On civilization, many nations
One common soil

Culture, science, law, faith
Beauty, justice, wisdom, transcendence
Virtue, art – civilization

–Winglord, from “Fanfare for Europe”

I hope you will take the time to listen to two of my favorite tracks from The Chosen One posted below and, if you like what you hear, that you will purchase your own copies of Winglord’s CDs to contribute, if only in a small way, towards restoring a healthy Western musical tradition.

 

 

 

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