Falconer was a Swedish power metal band from Mjölby, formed in 1999 by the former guitarist of Mithotyn, Stefan Weinerhall. Falconer carry on many of the traditions set by Weinerhall's previous band and play a fusion style of power metal that utilizes folk instrumentation and melody to create a more medieval sound.
Biography
Origins
When the band Mithotyn dissolved in 1999, Stefan Weinerhall planned to form a folk-influenced melodic metal band similar to his previous project, but with a focus on clean singing rather than harsh vocals. A demo was recorded using a drum machine and Swedish actor/singer Mathias Blad agreed to do vocals as a session member. After shopping the demo to labels, drummer Karsten Larsson was added to the lineup and Mathias joined as a permanent member. Eventually, the band signed to Metal Blade Records. In November 2000, the band entered the Los Angered Recording with Andy LaRocque and Jacob Hansen behind the knobs. Their debut album Falconer was recorded in three weeks and was released in March in Europe and May in the United States. The album was met with critical success, and demand for live performances led to the addition of session members. Falconer returned to Los Angered in November 2001. Nine tracks and one bonus track were recorded and mixed during the 24 days. In addition, the band licensed the album to Soundholic for Japanese distribution. The new album Chapters From a Vale Forlorn was released on February 7 in Japan and on March 11 in Europe and in the US.
Line-up changes
The band added Anders Johansson of Swedish band Vrävarna and Peder Johansson on second guitar and bass, respectively, as live session members, and performed at Wacken Open Air, Rock Machina, and Bang Your Head Festival during the summer. Following these appearances, demand for live performances from the band increased considerably, and vocalist Mathias Blad, who could not commit to touring due to his acting career, agreed to amicably leave the band. In November 2002, Kristoffer Göbel, vocalist of Destiny, was added to replace Blad. At the same time, the live musicians joined the band permanently. During the spring, the band wrote and rehearsed new material. Falconer returned to Los Angered to record The Sceptre of Deception, a concept album that, according to the band, is a mix between the two previous albums, but with some more unexpected turns in the music. The album featured multiple guest appearances, including backing vocals from former vocalist Mathias Blad and future Amaranthe vocalist Elize Ryd, as well as lead guitars from Andy LaRocque on the track "Hear Me Pray." It was released on October 6, 2003. Following the release of the album, internal difficulties brought on by problems with scheduling rehearsals arose within the band and both Anders and Peder Johansson were removed from the line-up. They were eventually replaced with Jimmy Hedlund and Magnus Linhardt, respectively. With this new line-up in place, Falconer recorded Grime vs. Grandeur, a record that departed quite significantly from their established sound by replacing the folk melodies, themes, and lyrics with more traditional heavy metal arrangements. The album received a generally muted response from fans as the band were seen to have lost their somewhat unusual identity.
In November 2005, Kristoffer Göbel announced via the Falconer that he had been fired and it was soon confirmed that Mathias Blad had been re-hired in an effort to return to the band's original sound. Recordings took place over the course of 2006, and a new album entitled Northwind was released in September of that year. In an announcement on the official website on 21 April 2007, Stefan announced that Falconer had extended their deal with Metal Blade for four more albums. The album Among Beggars And Thieves was released in September 2008. Armod was released on June 3, 2011. The album's songs are all in Swedish. According to Weinerhall, "The album is embracing the Swedish folk music to a greater extent than before making it sound slightly more down to earth. The music spans from acoustic songs with cello, flute and fiddle to songs with blast beats and really heavy riffing." The newest album, Black Moon Rising, was announced on December 15, 2013. It was revealed to be completed on March 16, 2014 and the album art and track listing were revealed one month later, on April 16, 2014. In 2020 the band announced what would be their final album release prior to ultimately disbanding the band: From a Dying Ember. The band wanted to make this final album "as good as we possibly could and really concentrate on having all Falconer elements present"
