Terje Bakken
Encyclopedia
Terje "Valfar" Bakken was the lead singer and founder of the Norwegian
black
/folk metal
band Windir
. Windir was started as a one-man project, but it was expanded into a full band with the release of their 3rd album, 1184
. Valfar originally sang his lyrics in Sognamål, a dialect of Norwegian, but eventually switched to English in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience.
His second album, Arntor
, was the last Windir album that consisted solely of Valfar as the line-up.
Despite his vocal style, Valfar did not relate his music to black metal, probably because of how the scene acted and was stereotyped. He instead dubbed Windir's musical style as "Sognametal". Other bands that have a Sognametal sound are Cor Scorpii
, Vreid
, Feigd, Mistur, and Sigtyr.
.
He was buried at Stedje Church in Sogndal
on January 27, 2004.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
/folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band Windir
Windir
Windir was a black metal band from Sogndal, Norway. The band combined black metal with folk music and mythology. The band was formed in 1994 and released its debut album in 1997...
. Windir was started as a one-man project, but it was expanded into a full band with the release of their 3rd album, 1184
1184 (Windir Album)
1184 is an album by Windir released in 2001. Valfar composed this album with the band Ulcus. Departing from the sound of which Windir is normally known for, it nevertheless kept its folk elements, albeit with inspiration from electronic music...
. Valfar originally sang his lyrics in Sognamål, a dialect of Norwegian, but eventually switched to English in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience.
Biography
Valfar released two demos, "Sognariket", and "Det gamle riket".His second album, Arntor
Arntor
Arntor is the second full-length album by the Norwegian Viking / black / folk metal band Windir. It was released on October 11, 1999 through Head Not Found...
, was the last Windir album that consisted solely of Valfar as the line-up.
Despite his vocal style, Valfar did not relate his music to black metal, probably because of how the scene acted and was stereotyped. He instead dubbed Windir's musical style as "Sognametal". Other bands that have a Sognametal sound are Cor Scorpii
Cor Scorpii
Cor Scorpii is a Black metal band from Sogndal, Norway, founded in 2004 by Gaute Refsnes, the former keyboardist of Windir. Cor Scorpii is an alternative name of Antares, the 15th brightest star in the sky...
, Vreid
Vreid
Vreid is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 2004 after the break up of Windir following the death of lead singer and founder Valfar. The remaining members along with new guitarist Ese formed Vreid...
, Feigd, Mistur, and Sigtyr.
Death
On January 14, 2004, Valfar went for a walk towards his family's cabin at Fagereggi, but he never arrived. Three days later, authorities found his body at Reppastølen in the Sogndal Valley. Valfar had been caught in a snow storm and died from hypothermiaHypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
.
He was buried at Stedje Church in Sogndal
Sogndal
Sogndal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Sogndalsfjøra is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other main villages include Kaupanger, Kjørnes, and Fjærland...
on January 27, 2004.
Discography
- Sogneriket (demo, 1995)
- Det Gamle Riket (demo, 1995)
- SóknardalrSóknardalrSóknardalr is an album by Windir released in 1997. Sóknardalr is the old Norse name of Valfar's hometown: Sogndal. The lyrics are written in the Sogndal dialect and the song titles are written in nynorsk, the official written form in Sogndal....
(full-length, 1997) - ArntorArntorArntor is the second full-length album by the Norwegian Viking / black / folk metal band Windir. It was released on October 11, 1999 through Head Not Found...
(full-length, 1999) - 11841184 (Windir Album)1184 is an album by Windir released in 2001. Valfar composed this album with the band Ulcus. Departing from the sound of which Windir is normally known for, it nevertheless kept its folk elements, albeit with inspiration from electronic music...
(full-length, 2001) - LikferdLikferdLikferd is the fourth full-length album by the Norwegian Viking / black / folk metal band Windir, which was released in 2003. It was the last official album released by Windir before the death of Valfar.-Track listing:...
(full-length, 2003) - Valfar, ein WindirValfar, ein WindirValfar, ein Windir is a 2-disc compilation album by Windir released in 2004 . It contains some new recordings, tributes, live songs, and rerecordings. The money made with selling Valfar, ein Windir goes straight to Valfar's family...
(compilation, 2004)