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All Music Guide:
Falkenbach is the one-man black metal project of multi-instrumentalist Vratyas Vakyas (formerly guitarist with Crimson Gates), who is based in Düsseldorf, Germany, but reportedly hails from Iceland, and subscribes to the genre's more epic style, rife with keyboards, Viking themes, and folk music tendencies (a possible reason for making up those unconfirmed Icelandic roots). Active under the Falkenbach alias since 1995, when no less than three demos suddenly emerged (Laeknishendr, Skinn Av Sverdhi Sol Valtiva, Asynja), Vakyas recorded two albums in 1996's ...En Their Medh Riki Fara and 1997's ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri, before turning his attention to his record label Skaldic Art Productions. He finally revived Falkenbach in 2003 and actually drafted other musicians (vocalist Tyrann, guitarist Hagalaz, and drummer Bolthorn) to help out with third album Ok Nefna Tysbar Ty, but he was back to his solo ways by the release of its follow-up, Heralding the Fireblade, in 2005.
Wikipedia:
Falkenbach is a Viking metal group from Germany that is currently signed to Prophecy Productions. The name means "Falconbrook" in German. The one permanent member is Vratyas Vakyas.
History
The band formed in 1989, when it recorded the Havamal demo, and has recorded a total of seven demos; however, only five are known. Three more were released by 1995: Skinn Av Sverði Söl Valtiva (Old Norse, "The Sun Shines on the Swords of Slaughter-Gods"), Læknishendr (Old Norse, "Healing Hands"), and Ásynja (Old Norse, "Goddess"). Of all of these except Læknishendr, only nine copies were released. The Havamal demo is allegedly clean folk music, but since then the sound has become more raw and influenced by black metal influence and matured into an epic metal sound.
Most of Falkenbach’s lyrics are in English, but some are in Old Norse, Latin, and Old German. Most, if not all of the lyrics in Old Norse are actually taken from heathen literature: for example, the chorus lines in the song "Donar’s Oak" are actually verses four and five of Grímnismál, a poem of the Elder Edda. (Hávamál, after which the first demo is named, is another such poem.)
In 1995, recording of the debut album Fireblade began, but due to equipment troubles, production was stopped shortly before mixing began. Fireblade was not released, and in December of the same year, recording began for ...En Their Medh Riki Fara... (Old Norse, "...And in Glory Will They Go..."). The recording for this actual debut album was completed in March 1996.
After Magni Blandinn Ok Megentiri (Old Norse, "Mixed with Strength and Proud Pomp") was released, Vratyas stopped recording music so he could focus more on his record label Skaldic Art Productions.
In 2003, Vratyas returned to the studio with three other musicians and close friends to record Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty (Old Norse, "And Name Twice Týr"). The next and most recent Falkenbach album, Heralding – The Fireblade, was recorded in August–September 2005, using the same session musicians he had used for Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty. It includes material originally intended for the never released Fireblade album and re-working of demo tracks.
In 2006 Skaldic Arts Productions released a tribute album called "An Homage to Falkenbach." It consists of two parts, each limited to 500 units. The work contains 16 covers by various bands such as Eluveitie, Vinterriket, and Hildr Valkyrie.
Vratyas Vakyas (whose name roughly translates to the searching wanderer), the sole member of Falkenbach, currently lives in Düsseldorf, Germany.
