Kvitravn — First Flight of the White Raven (ByNorse / Sony / Columbia Germany) is a special release for Norwegian dark folk outfit Wardruna; it follows in the footsteps of 2021’s studio release Kvitravn (“white raven”) and documents a live-streamed lockdown concert that took place in the same year. The live album’s setlist contains only four tracks from Kvitravn itself, with the remainder of the 74-minute record comprising pieces from Wardruna’s earlier output.
Wardruna in many ways epitomise metal-adjacent Nordic dark folk, and all of those classic ingredients are here on this record: lush pad-like textures, layered female harmony vocals, a myriad of acoustic percussion, various string and wind instruments, field-recorded sounds from nature, dark and booming lead vocals (from founder Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik), and just a subtle hint of harsh and heavy textures.
Atmosphere is king throughout Kvitravn — First Flight of the White Raven. Many of the songs begin with recordings of sounds such as birdsong or falling rain, and there is a feeling of being caught up up in some kind of primal woodland ritual — esoteric yet somehow eerily familiar. What Wardruna manage to achieve, as exemplified perfectly here, is to invoke a feeling that is somehow both mournful and euphoric at the same time.
This isn’t about anger and pain, nor is it about ecstasy or love; rather it seems to hold a mirror up to the realities of humanity’s place in the natural world with both the brutality and beauty thereof laid bare. At times the music veers almost towards what was called “new age” about thirty years ago, but there is always a sense of foreboding and menace that keeps it from disappearing down a hippyish rabbit hole. It’s like what might happen if Enya got into black metal.
Without any applause in between songs (there having been no live audience) and with a wonderful sound recording and mix quality, it can be difficult to distinguish these recordings from studio productions. There is, however, a sense of the seductive urgency that comes with live performance — a surging force that drives the music forward with even more vitality than you might hear on the band’s studio releases.
There are also very occasional rough moments that betray the lack of overdubs — sometimes Selvik’s vocals don’t quite hit the low notes, for example. There are also some truly outstanding moments that are unique to these versions of the tracks, especially towards the end of the set — the demonic and terrifying climax of ‘Rotlaust Tre Fell’, and the slightly off-kilter but beautifully emotive vocal harmonies throughout ‘Fehu’ and the triumphant growls of ‘Helvegen’, for example. Moments like that, although not as frequent as one might like, make Kvitravn — First Flight of the White Raven a valuable record in its own right.
Kvitravn — First Flight of the White Raven can be seen in some ways as a “best of” or introductory compilation with re-recorded versions of the tracks. Devoted fans will appreciate the subtle differences that these live versions of their favourite tracks offer, but casual listeners might not be able to tell much difference, with the production being so clear and lush. The event documented also arguably loses some of its immediacy, intimacy and importance when the livestreaming element is taken away. However, Kvitravn — First Flight of the White Raven puts many of Wardruna’s best songs together, keeps us captivated over seventy-four minutes, and is awash with gloriously powerful ritualistic atmospherics.
Buy the album here: https://www.wardruna.com
7 / 10
DUNCAN EVANS