We’ve been waiting for this for a LONG time. A few years ago, the Quietus attended the By:Larm Festival in wintry Oslo and had our minds blown by Wardruna, the Nordic folk metal group who use field recordings and self-built traditional instruments to create a potent sound that evokes the ancient runic languages of pre-Christian Scandinavia. Their debut album Gap Var Ginnunga was a Quietus favourite, and their follow-up Yggdrasil builds mightily on these forest and mountains atmospherics.
The album is part of an ongoing trilogy under the name "Runaljod", with Wardruna explaining that this "is a musical rendition of the 24 runes in what is often referred to as the elder futhark. Some of the recordings are done outdoors in places or under circumstances of significance to each rune. Wardruna primarily use old and historical instruments such as primitive deer-hide frame drums, Kraviklyra, tagelharpe, mouth harp, goat horn, lur and more. Non-traditional instruments and other sources of sound like trees, rocks, water and torches are also used."
Wardruna are Einar Kvitrafn Selvik, Kristian Espedal (aka Mr Gay Bergen, Gaahl) and Lindy-Fay Hella, along with collaborators Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Iceland’s leading rímur singer Steindór Andersen. Wardruna will play their debut UK gig on October 24th 2013 at the Southbank Centre, promoted by Kililive – details here. Says Einar of the gig: "I am very glad to finally be performing in the UK and that one of the finest concert halls in England will house Wardruna. It has always been very important to me that our concerts are made within the right aesthetic conditions, where the places we play and our musical expression complement each other. Then we are in a much better position to create special moments both for us and for the audience." Support will come from Steindór Andersen and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson.
