Wardruna is beyond any doubt the main source of inspiration for much of the music reviewed here, as well as an all-time personal favorite. This particular release is seminal in the sense that no Nordic Folk album (that I know of) had hitherto managed to conjure such a unique atmosphere. The artwork, variations of which are used on the two subsequent albums, features the band's own
bind rune. Indeed, the
Runaljod trilogy is about the runes of the
Elder Futhark and a possible interpretation of their meanings. As stated by
Wardruna founder Einar "Kvitrafn" Selvik, such an interpretation is highly subjective and plenty of room is left for the listener to fill with their own meaning. Nevertheless, this is ancient-sounding music that draws heavily from Nature and Norse spirituality. Kvitrafn has sought skilled craftsmen that helped him to reconstruct forgotten instruments according to tradition. Throughout the course of the album, they are intricately woven with field recordings of trees, birds, fires, as well as ambient droning pads and cavernous animal skin percussions. Shamanic chants by Kvitrafn himself, Gaahl and Lindy Fay Hella alternate subtly between beautiful, grim and ethereal as they evoke pagan beliefs and natural forces. The listener is shrouded in mist while the runes act as a vessel for reconnecting with the timeless. At this point, it is worth mentioning that the music of
Wardruna is featured in the television series
Vikings and here is how Kvitrafn envisions his project:
"It’s not trying to be vikings again, […] it’s more about sowing new seeds and strengthening old roots."
I will conclude by saying that the first opus in the
Runaljod trilogy is perhaps the more minimal and darker one in tone. This is a feeling that the album title seems to confirm,
Ginnungagap apparently being about the void before creation… A fitting starting place indeed.
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