A very BIG thank you to Stefan and the band

[Pendragon]

... for listening to your fans.

This is really coming as a big surprise to me, as I already had resigned form the idea of ever getting back 'my falconer'.

I am a great fan of the Blad-area, as you might already have guessed ;-) I tried to give 'the new guy' a chance and went to the falconer concert in 2004 in munich, which was a total letdown after the very touching and amazing Wacken show in 2002. I know and knew that Mathias is not very 'Metal', which is sad, but in the end it is the music that counts. And here Mathias is simply perfect for falconer!
So in 2004 Kristoffer was mostly just singing bad and I thought that maybe he would improve and become at least a good front guy for the live shows.
But then at the Night of Power, which I drove some 400km for, he had not improved a bit. He just became more arrogant! I could go on for a long time about what I did not like, but luckily that does not need bother me any longer.

Some of you will probably disagree, but for me this is simply a GREAT day and I look forward to getting my hands and ears on new falconer-material.

And to the 'Blad-does-not-want-to-tour-critics': As much as I love live-events I much rather have one more album of 'chapters'-quality and never see them live than have them ply every saturday on my doorstep with Kristoffer. I know Stefan was (hopefully he is no longer) one of those critics, at least he told me so in 2004, and I understood him at the time. Maybe it even could have worked out with another singer, but Mathias is not voice easily replaced.

Disclaimer: When I complement the good quality of the first two releases I do NOT mean the drum sound and the overall production, but the great emotions the songs carry.  

kind regards from a snowy munch
Pendragon

[madking]

I have never posted here before and after the past 2 albums had given up much hope for Falconer ever regaining what they could've been.

But to hear that Mathias is back in is an amazing second chance for this band.  His magic was a huge part of Falconer's appeal - and you now have one fan of old paying attention again.

-madking

[<Horus-Nikopol>]

It's great that Mathias is finally back. It will bring back Falconer in all their awesomeness.

Kriss is a great guy, a great singer, and I will always remember him as a part of Falconer.

That's all I have to say.

Egyptian Greetings,

The Dude with the Bird Head

[The Great Deceiver]

... for listening to your fans.

This is really coming as a big surprise to me, as I already had resigned form the idea of ever getting back 'my falconer'.

I am a great fan of the Blad-area, as you might already have guessed ;-) I tried to give 'the new guy' a chance and went to the falconer concert in 2004 in munich, which was a total letdown after the very touching and amazing Wacken show in 2002. I know and knew that Mathias is not very 'Metal', which is sad, but in the end it is the music that counts. And here Mathias is simply perfect for falconer!
So in 2004 Kristoffer was mostly just singing bad and I thought that maybe he would improve and become at least a good front guy for the live shows.
But then at the Night of Power, which I drove some 400km for, he had not improved a bit. He just became more arrogant! I could go on for a long time about what I did not like, but luckily that does not need bother me any longer.

Some of you will probably disagree, but for me this is simply a GREAT day and I look forward to getting my hands and ears on new falconer-material.

And to the 'Blad-does-not-want-to-tour-critics': As much as I love live-events I much rather have one more album of 'chapters'-quality and never see them live than have them ply every saturday on my doorstep with Kristoffer. I know Stefan was (hopefully he is no longer) one of those critics, at least he told me so in 2004, and I understood him at the time. Maybe it even could have worked out with another singer, but Mathias is not voice easily replaced.

Disclaimer: When I complement the good quality of the first two releases I do NOT mean the drum sound and the overall production, but the great emotions the songs carry.  

kind regards from a snowy munch
Pendragon

Bullshit. Music, especially metal, shouldn't be about pleasing the fans. It's about doing what you as an individual musician and as a band feel that you truly want to play. I think Grime v Grandeur was the band together playing what they wanted and it was brilliant. Fuck the naysayers, they just want old Falconer. And now I guess we have it, but at what cost? Lost a great frontman, a great singer, and a great guy overall. So yeah, I guess I'm looking forward to the return of old Falconer, but to me it seems forced and I can already see what all the whiny critics will say when the next album comes out...

[jakob_hasse]

... for listening to your fans.

This is really coming as a big surprise to me, as I already had resigned form the idea of ever getting back 'my falconer'.

I am a great fan of the Blad-area, as you might already have guessed ;-) I tried to give 'the new guy' a chance and went to the falconer concert in 2004 in munich, which was a total letdown after the very touching and amazing Wacken show in 2002. I know and knew that Mathias is not very 'Metal', which is sad, but in the end it is the music that counts. And here Mathias is simply perfect for falconer!
So in 2004 Kristoffer was mostly just singing bad and I thought that maybe he would improve and become at least a good front guy for the live shows.
But then at the Night of Power, which I drove some 400km for, he had not improved a bit. He just became more arrogant! I could go on for a long time about what I did not like, but luckily that does not need bother me any longer.

Some of you will probably disagree, but for me this is simply a GREAT day and I look forward to getting my hands and ears on new falconer-material.

And to the 'Blad-does-not-want-to-tour-critics': As much as I love live-events I much rather have one more album of 'chapters'-quality and never see them live than have them ply every saturday on my doorstep with Kristoffer. I know Stefan was (hopefully he is no longer) one of those critics, at least he told me so in 2004, and I understood him at the time. Maybe it even could have worked out with another singer, but Mathias is not voice easily replaced.

Disclaimer: When I complement the good quality of the first two releases I do NOT mean the drum sound and the overall production, but the great emotions the songs carry.  

kind regards from a snowy munch
Pendragon

Bullshit. Music, especially metal, shouldn't be about pleasing the fans. It's about doing what you as an individual musician and as a band feel that you truly want to play. I think Grime v Grandeur was the band together playing what they wanted and it was brilliant. Fuck the naysayers, they just want old Falconer. And now I guess we have it, but at what cost? Lost a great frontman, a great singer, and a great guy overall. So yeah, I guess I'm looking forward to the return of old Falconer, but to me it seems forced and I can already see what all the whiny critics will say when the next album comes out...

The return of Mathias is great news and I look forward to hearing the true Falconer again.
And yes, I do agree, music has nothing to do with following your fans' every wish, but it surely doesnt hurt to get feedback, ever heard of that?


 

[perkon]

... for listening to your fans.

This is really coming as a big surprise to me, as I already had resigned form the idea of ever getting back 'my falconer'.

I am a great fan of the Blad-area, as you might already have guessed ;-) I tried to give 'the new guy' a chance and went to the falconer concert in 2004 in munich, which was a total letdown after the very touching and amazing Wacken show in 2002. I know and knew that Mathias is not very 'Metal', which is sad, but in the end it is the music that counts. And here Mathias is simply perfect for falconer!
So in 2004 Kristoffer was mostly just singing bad and I thought that maybe he would improve and become at least a good front guy for the live shows.
But then at the Night of Power, which I drove some 400km for, he had not improved a bit. He just became more arrogant! I could go on for a long time about what I did not like, but luckily that does not need bother me any longer.

Some of you will probably disagree, but for me this is simply a GREAT day and I look forward to getting my hands and ears on new falconer-material.

And to the 'Blad-does-not-want-to-tour-critics': As much as I love live-events I much rather have one more album of 'chapters'-quality and never see them live than have them ply every saturday on my doorstep with Kristoffer. I know Stefan was (hopefully he is no longer) one of those critics, at least he told me so in 2004, and I understood him at the time. Maybe it even could have worked out with another singer, but Mathias is not voice easily replaced.

Disclaimer: When I complement the good quality of the first two releases I do NOT mean the drum sound and the overall production, but the great emotions the songs carry.  

kind regards from a snowy munch
Pendragon

Bullshit. Music, especially metal, shouldn't be about pleasing the fans. It's about doing what you as an individual musician and as a band feel that you truly want to play. I think Grime v Grandeur was the band together playing what they wanted and it was brilliant. Fuck the naysayers, they just want old Falconer. And now I guess we have it, but at what cost? Lost a great frontman, a great singer, and a great guy overall. So yeah, I guess I'm looking forward to the return of old Falconer, but to me it seems forced and I can already see what all the whiny critics will say when the next album comes out...

The return of Mathias is great news and I look forward to hearing the true Falconer again.
And yes, I do agree, music has nothing to do with following your fans' every wish, but it surely doesnt hurt to get feedback, ever heard of that?


 

Absolutely agree with you, guys!! It's a great pleasure for every Falconer fans to welcome back Mathias!!!!!!  BIG,BIG THANKS TO STEFAN AND MATHIAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, I can't wait the new album....
No problem with Kris I think, and I respect him totally, but he (and everybody) has to understand that MATHIAS IS A TRUE AND BEST FALCONER SINGER!!!! It's not even a question for me!!  :D  :D  :D

[Radagast]

I think it was Ronnie James Dio who I heard say "sometimes you have to make an album for the fans, but then sometimes you have to make one for yourself as well."

I think this applies in reverse here. Clearly after "Sceptre" Stefan was unsatified with what he had written (despite most Falconer fans disagreeing) and decided he wanted to step away from the folk-influenced music he had been writing, With Kriss in the band he could now write more straight-up Metal songs and together they wrote an album in this vein.

I think the general disappointment that greeted this offering has made the band realise that, proud as they were of the album, you have to show some recognition to the fans who put you in the position to write it in the first place.

While I am delighted to have Mathias back in the band, my smpathy for Kriss won't go away. I think Falconer were more than capable of producing an excellent album in their old style with him in their ranks.

[<Horus-Nikopol>]

I totally agree.
You cannot blame Falconer for anything they have done so far (except maybe firing Kriss?). They made two of the best metal albums ever with an exceptionally good singer. They parted with him for professional reasons and hired yet another great singer. They made another very good album and then reached a point where they wanted to do something different.
They did that with GvG, and that album has every right to exist, because it embodies what the band wanted to do at the time, and as artists they had every right to do that. Just as Kriss had every right to be in the band and let his influence work. Falconer were not a worse band than before when they did GvG, but they simply ended up too far away from what the fans wanted to hear.
Of course one might say "a musician can do whatever he wants, fuck the fans", but with that attitude you might as well stay in the garage with your band. If you want to sell records, you need people who like your music. Metal is not just business, very true, but you cannot sell cds when your fanbase no longer likes your music.
As happy as I am that Mathias is back, I must agree that firing Kriss was not necessary. Not to mention nice. Listen to Sceptre for God's sake! He can handle the old style! Pledge for Freedom anyone??

Well, that's another 2 cents from
The Bloke with the Falcon Head

[Prab]

The fact is, that the Falconer guys are still doing what they want.
I never had the impression that Stefan is guy who would do something totally for someone elses sake although he personally would be so much against it, no matter in which case.
So I'm pretty sure that the decision to fire Kriss and to invite Mathias back was definitely based on the personal consent of Stefan and Karsten, the founding members, and of course Magnus and Jimmy.

It is not a beautiful thing to see as a fan, that a bandmember the community had already embraced (after being sceptic at first) is fired. I totally agree.

But on the same note I'd like to ask: Hey guys, Mathias Blad is going to return!

There is a quote by our <Horus-Nikopol> that says

The greatest christmas present in the history of metal!

and I totally agree with Birdie!
This needs to be quoted over and over AND over again because it is EXACTLY what this feels like!


I really hope that Kriss still checks on the these forums to see that we, the fans, loved, enjoyed and really accepted him as the singer of Falconer (the majority at least!).
The goodbye is very very hard, but he will remembered forever and Sceptre and GvG will never vanish from my CD collection nor ear nor mind! Ever!
I totally regret that I wasn't able to see them live in 2003 :( I regret that so much!

But right now we've got to look forwards to whats to come!

There is definitely a lot of pressure on Falconer now that they've anounced the return of the original voice of the Falcon, Mathias Blad.
I'm so damn sure that no matter how the new album will sound there will be a lot of "critics" or even "fans" who will be just fucking around and naysaying. That's always the case!
But this time around the old fans will be very very curious about the outcome too and everybody is awaiting another "Falconer" or "Chapters" album.

Well, I'm sure that Stefan and the guys are going to do things as they've done them so far - the way it suits them and especially their music the best!
I am confident about that!

[<Horus-Nikopol>]

Thorns always come with the rose...

That's probably the easiest way to sum up how I feel about this change!

[The Black Knight]

I agree with you, Prab (and of course Birdhead and Radagast).

There is a bit of a turmoil of feelings at the moment, but the fact still remains:
Mathias is back, and that's totally wonderful!

It would be nice now to get some posts from Stefan and Kriss (and the rest of the boys as well)!

[<Horus-Nikopol>]

Yeah, we're definitely missing out on some more clarifying words from the band!

[Anonymous]

Yeah awesome!!! LOL!!1! Falconer's finally doing what we've all been crying about for the last couple years! Whatever I don't care. In my eyes this band can do no wrong, but I have some serious doubts about this next album. I hope it will be good because it really is good, not just because it is back to the old ways. When a band will just change on a whim based on a few critics' response it makes me wonder the reason they are in the business. Metal is not about money or selling albums, it never has been. This change was made for one reason: to sell more albums because this is what they think most people want. Fine, do whatever...
And yeah, dick. I have heard of feedback. But you obviously don't know the difference between considering feedback and allowing it to govern your band. It's about integrity.

[ultra-violence]

Whoa, I thought Mathias back in the band was not even an option.  I am thrilled.

Thanks should also go out to Kriss, who did a great job on Sceptre.  It's unfortunate he has to be ousted through no fault of his own, but the shoes he had to fill were way too big for almost any vocalist out there.  I hope he finds success with another band.

BUT GOD DAMN.  Mathias and Falconer back together.  Awesome.  With Mathias back and a return to the folk sound, it is bound to be spectacular.  My only hope is that it's not just Mathias' soaring vocals that returns for the next album, but also those amazing riffs from Stefan that were present in the first three and not so much last album.  This is great.

Thank you Stefan.

[The Black Knight]

It's definately totally awesome. It's a dream come true.

I just hope, from the bottom of my heart, that Stefan and the rest of Falconer do what they want and not just what somebody else (and I don't talk about the fans) wants them to do.