After three long years the wait is finally over! Wardruna has landed on American soil once again, touring with new material from their 2021 release Kvitravn (Sony/By Norse Recordings). Wardruna, modern ambassadors of ancient Norse music, culture and lore tour with a full load of historical and traditional instruments including deer-hide framed drums, Lur, Tagelharpe, Kraviklyra, Tungehorn, and Jaw-Harp… just to name a few. This, combined with the stunningly unique venues they play worldwide ensures a live performance unlike any other.
This is the fourth time I’ve seen Wardruna, so I guess you could say this review is going to be a bit biased as I consider myself a huge fan. The first two times I saw them were in their homeland of Norway, and the second two in my homeland of New York. Each setting lent something new to Wardruna’s performance, and this year at Kings Theatre was no different. Whenever this band tours they make sure they’re playing the most unique, historically and culturally interesting venues possible. They’re certainly aware of how the atmosphere of the venue plays into, and compliments their music.
Kings Theatre and its gorgeous entry-way had a packed house, filled with history buffs, metalheads and self proclaimed “modern Vikings” alike. The lights were dimmed and everyone rushed to their seats for the start of the performance. … you could sense the urgency in the air as no one wanted to miss a single second of Wardruna’s set.
They opened with “Kvitravn”, the title track from their latest release, (translates to White Raven for all of my fellow English speakers out there). Wardruna always has a hold over their audience, whether it be live, in a video game or on a well known TV show, the energy and power behind their sound takes ahold immediately. They followed up with “Skugge” (Shadow), another release from their new album, and went into “Solringen” from their 2013 Runaljod – Yggdrasil album.
The sound engineering was perfect at Kings Theater, each instrument was uniquely cared and considered for when played. It’s obvious that each of those ancient instruments require individual thought when preparing a show like this, and the sound engineers certainly did their job well. The same compliment should be extended to the lighting design, its simplicity kept the show feeling as ethereal as the songs Wardruna played. Perfectly complimenting each other were the simple backdrops with earthy textures and hues, shadows creating larger than life projections that fill the space fabulously. Creating a sense of awe in a way jaw-dropping architecture, rose windows and stained glass would for Church-goers. I use a Church analogy because this is what going to see Wardruna feels like- going to Church. Being in a room with likeminded people, sharing that one experience through ancient tongues, sounds and culture, is one of the most cleansing experiences a modern Pagan such as myself can experience in today’s world.
I’ve never been to a Wardruna show where front man Einar Selvik was so talkative. This was something that really surprised and excited me as I always hope that people coming to New York enjoy it on some level, even if it’s not their usual cup of tea. Hearing him talk so excitedly to the crowd for such a duration made me feel like they were truly happy to be there, playing for us for the first time in years. The standing ovation was long and loud, in true New York fashion, fists in the air, people whistling, yelling, cheering, begging for one more song. … And it worked. We were treated with an encore of “Helvegen” before the rest of the band retired for the night. Then, much to my delight Einar stayed on stage and talked some more! It was clear the crowd loves to hear him talk just as much as sing, we were all hanging on his every word. The audience was treated with a solo rendition of “Snake Pit Poetry” to close off the night. The perfect end to a magical evening.
I’d like to wrap this all up now but would like to sum up- 10/10 would always do again. I will never miss a Wardruna show, as it truly does feel cleansing, healing and like my version of being closer to a higher energy. I am so honored that I was able to shoot this show, it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I saw them at SALT in Oslo back in 2017. So thank you Wardruna, Kings Theater and Ghost Cult for putting me on this one. I’ll never be able to explain how much this meant to me, but hopefully the photos do the show some justice!
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JAMIE SHERWOOD