ALBUM REVIEW: Kvitravn – First Flight Of The White Raven – Wardruna

On March 26th 2021 WARDRUNA took to the stage (albeit virtually) and performed a spell-binding set that captivated the world. For some this would have been their first experience of hearing the raw power of WARDRUNA in a live environment. Commemorating the momentous release of their stunning album Kvitravn and recorded in the depths of the pandemic where tours and live shows were strictly prohibited, Kvitravn: – First Flight Of The White Raven (FFWR) captures a special night for the band as their music was broadcast globally online. The performance itself was spiritual and mesmerising, a fully immersive audio-visual experience that shook you to your core in the best way possible. Including songs from Kvitravn and favourites from across their discography, WARDRUNA help you experience the present moment whilst connecting your soul to something much more ancient and primal.

WARDRUNA are a band that have created a rich, polyphonic and dramatic musical landscape that many people from all over the world have been drawn to. These people may wander different paths and come from different cultures but everyone is always touched by the deep, emotive and healing nature of the music. Einar Selvik’s encyclopaedic knowledge of Norse tradition is illuminated through intrinsically detailed and impeccably crafted musicianship, which has enabled the band to honour the magnificent, dramatic history, spirituality and art in ancient Nordic culture without gimmick.

FFWR was the first time the band had reunited to play in over a year, and this rekindling of their connection is evident in the performance. The album captures the very visceral and powerful energy that WARDRUNA create with their music, and it also gives you a whole new appreciation and perspective on their unique musicianship. The phenomenal aspect of this album is that it feels like the band are performing solely for you. With the absence of an audience it creates a very special kind of intimacy, where you can bond with the songs in a way unlike anything else across all emotional and spiritual levels. Alongside the intensity and magical power that each song carries, you can feel each track tapping into your ancient soul and working its way around your subconscious to make you feel an energy that you’ve never felt before.

FFWR is an authentic and unique experience; to be able to exquisitely capture the incredibly special nature of a WARDRUNA performance so vividly is remarkable. Due to the carefully considered setlist, the songs effortlessly flow into one another, creating a sense of connection across the performance as a whole and WARDRUNA‘s discography. The latter is not something that a lot of bands can do. The album is without the trappings and confines of modern production, with the band prioritising and focusing on the true energy of the live performance. With this in mind the record has a very human and ethereal energy, with small moments of hesitation, the power of passion and the rush of adrenaline all being audible.

Opening the performance with Kvitravn, you are transported on the wings of a white raven and taken to the snow capped mountains of the far north as the cawing echoes in your ears. The steady beat entrances you and the primal energy starts to rise. Skugge is one of the darker WARDRUNA songs on the album, and starts to bring in a deep-rooted intensity that transcends the performance. Solringen takes you out of the mountains and into the the forest-laden valleys with mighty glacial rivers that empty out into magnificent fjords. The summery nature of the song gently carries you down stream and into the next song Bjarkan. Meaning “birch”, here you find yourself surrounded by birdsong and ancient trees.

Raido opens the listener to a mysterious ancient world before the sombre and stirring acoustic track Voluspá hauntingly recounts the birth of the world, the inevitable destruction and consequent rebirth. Isa gradually begins to increase the album’s intensity again, with the cold beauty of ice being elegantly captured in Lindy-Fay Hella’s unique vocal tones. The shortened version of UruR continues to build the spiritual energy with the sound of the bronze Lurs before leading into the chilling wolf howls of Grá, a song that discusses our tentative relationship with nature. Vindavlarljod recounts the Norns spinning our fate; its dark and brooding nature starts to build towards the album’s finale alongside Rotlaust Tre Fell and Fehu. Finally the album closes with the ever-stirring Helvegen, as the protagonist of the song walks through the passages to the underworld.

It always a difficult task summing up the power, presence and spirituality a WARDRUNA album holds. Kvitravn – First Flight Of The White Raven is a distinctly unique live album that yet again demonstrates the power of nature and tradition still have in the modern world in an intense, beautiful way.

Rating: 9/10

Kvitravn – First Flight Of The White Raven is set for release on June 10th via Music For Nations.

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