Wardruna lift the spirits
ENDLESSLY SEEKING
TO connect to a primal spirit, even when livestreaming a performance across the world, Wardruna have that unique capability to transport you to another time, place and culture. It’s that evocative effect that few acts have achieved in recent times, and accounts for a how a Norwegian folk collective who occasionally hammer on logs have become such a revered and prevalent oddity.
Performed after the release of 2021’s stunning Kvitravn album, this audio version may lack the stage production and sheer intensity etched on the faces of Einar Selvik and the assembled band, but lacks none of the weight and mysterious, vibrant force that the 13 songs exert. While four are taken from the latest album, this is a set that takes in the band’s entire discography, traversing the many moods and themes that they encapsulate. As such, picking high points is a subjective experience. The rich choral wave of Kvitravn opens, leading into the enthralling, idiosyncratic call of Lindy-Fay Hella, joined for the performance by Katrine Stenbekk from Kalandra. The heart-rending Skugge breaks into its celebratory rustic stomp, while Raido subtly conjures its ever-increasing beauty from a mist of lamentation.