1) Falconer was Ste… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists bearing the name Falconer:
1) Falconer was Stefan Weinerhall's (former guitarist of Mithotyn) Swedish power metal project, with strong folk influences, aimed at being similar to Mithotyn, but (in contrast to typical harsh vocal-ed folk metal/viking metal) with clean vocals.
Created in May 1999, the project initially started unnamed. Their self-titled debut album Falconer was released in March 2001. Since then, they've released eight other albums: Chapters from a Vale Forlorn (2002), The Sceptre of Deception (2003), Grime vs Grandeur (2005), Northwind (2006), Among Beggars and Thieves (2008), Armod (2011),Black Moon Rising (2014) and From a Dying ember (2020).
Vocalist Mathias Blad, who performed on the first two albums and on the third album as a guest vocalist on a few songs, returned for the recording process of the 5th album, Northwind. On albums The Sceptre of Deception and Grime vs Grandeur vocals were performed by Karl Kristoffer Göbel. With the addition of the new singer, Falconer's music also changed and became faster and more aggressive. Many fans thought that with these two albums and a new singer's style FALCONER moved too far away from their folk influences, which was their trademark from the very beginning, so eventually the decision was made to have Mathias Blad back on vocals. Mathias' unique, melancholic, mid-range vocals, atypical for metal in general, was also one of the Falconer's trademarks that most fans considered to be irreplaceable. With Mathias back on vocals, their album Northwind (2006) also marked the return of more folk influenced music, in the vein of the first two albums.
They disbanded in 2020 after their final album was released.
Discogrpahy:
Falconer (2001)
Chapters from a Vale Forlorn (2002)
The Sceptre of Deception (2003)
Grime vs. Grandeur (2005)
Northwind (2006)
Among Beggars and Thieves (2008)
Armod (2011)
Black Moon Rising (2014)
From a Dying Ember (2020)
FInal line-up:
Mathias Blad – vocals (1999-2002, 2005–2020), keyboards (1999-2002)
Stefan Weinerhall – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (1999–2020), keyboards (2002–2020), bass (1999-2002)
Karsten Larsson – drums (1999–2020)
Jimmy Hedlund – lead guitar, backing vocals (2004–2020)
Magnus Linhardt – bass (2004–2020)
Former members:
Kristoffer Göbel – vocals (2002-2005)
Anders Johansson – guitars (2002-2004)
Peder Johansson – bass (2002-2003)
2) Falconer is the studio name of Andy Falconer, an audio engineer from London (UK) who is best known for his work with The Orb from 1991 until 1994. He has released one album (Falconer, 1993) and countless remixes.
Northwind
Falconer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
as I face the horizon
Carry me safe ashore
as you did my brethren of yore
Over rivers and seas
cross valleys and heaths,
to the edge of the world and back
Father up in the sky
let the ravens fly,
to soar aside our ship of oak as
wild oceans we ride
In the prow I stand
hungry for dry land
A homeward hammerheart
Northwind embrace me
as I face the horizon
Carry me safe ashore
as you did my brethren of yore
Through the days and nights
through triumphant fights,
we have roamed these far away lands with
no peace in sight
Mother north of old
let me taste your cold
Sooth my weary head with visions
that your nature holds
We're sailing dark waters
come raven come and be our guide
We're sons of the north star
so blow wind blow, onwards we will ride
The lyrics of Falconer's song "Northwind" are a toast to the power and beauty of nature, specifically the wind that guides sailors across treacherous seas. The song creates a vivid picture of a journey across the North Atlantic, with the singer facing the horizon and pleading with the Northwind to carry him safely to shore, just as it has done for his ancestors.
The first verse sets the scene for the journey, with references to rivers, seas, valleys, and heaths, as the singer reminisces about his ancestors' travels to the edge of the world and back. The second verse adds a sense of urgency to the journey, with the singer standing in the prow of the ship, hungering for dry land. He calls upon the Northwind once more to guide him home.
The chorus repeats the plea for the Northwind's embrace, and the second half of the song focuses on the power of the wind and the natural world. The singer invokes the father in the sky and the mother of the north, asking to be soothed by the cold and the visions that nature holds. He acknowledges the danger of sailing dark waters but assures that he and his companions are sons of the north star and will ride onwards.
Overall, "Northwind" is a powerful tribute to the natural forces that shape our world and the courage it takes to navigate them. It is an anthem to the sailors who came before us and to the power of the human spirit that drives us forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Northwind embrace me
I ask the Northwind to take me under its embrace.
as I face the horizon
I face the vast, endless horizon ahead of me.
Carry me safe ashore
Guide me safely to the land, as you have done with my ancestors in the past.
as you did my brethren of yore
The Northwind has guided my ancestors in their journey, and I ask for it to do the same for me.
Over rivers and seas
Our journey has taken us over vast bodies of water.
cross valleys and heaths,
We have crossed numerous valleys and fields.
to the edge of the world and back
Our journey has taken us to the far reaches of the world.
our journey did lead
Our journey has led us through many experiences.
Father up in the sky
I call upon the sky god, my deity.
let the ravens fly,
I ask for the ravens, who are messengers of the gods, to join us on our journey.
to soar aside our ship of oak as
I ask for the ravens to fly beside us as we sail on our sturdy oak ship.
wild oceans we ride
We sail through tumultuous and unpredictable oceans.
In the prow I stand
I am standing at the front of the ship.
hungry for dry land
I am eager to step onto a stable and dry surface after being on the water for so long.
A homeward hammerheart
My heart is set on returning home.
Through the days and nights
Our journey has taken us through countless days and nights.
through triumphant fights,
We have fought and overcome many battles.
we have roamed these far away lands with
Our travels have taken us through distant lands.
no peace in sight
Despite our journey, we have yet to find peace.
Mother north of old
I address the spirit of the north, my ancestral mother figure.
let me taste your cold
I ask to experience the cold climate of the north, which is familiar and comforting to me.
Sooth my weary head with visions
I request solace and peace of mind through the visions of the north.
that your nature holds
I seek comfort and understanding from the natural features of the north.
We're sailing dark waters
Our journey has led us through treacherous and dangerous waters.
come raven come and be our guide
I ask for the raven to guide us through the dark waters.
We're sons of the north star
We are descendants of the north star, and its guiding light is within us.
so blow wind blow, onwards we will ride
I ask for the Northwind to blow, so that we may continue on our journey.
Contributed by Ava P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.