Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) and Einar Selvik (Wardruna) are releasing their new collaboration album titled Hugsjá later this week on 20th April via By Norse Records. The piece will debut at this weeks’ Roadburn Festival. The duo have shared a new video discussing the project and the debut of the title track below. Continue reading
Though his musical output with Wardruna, his work on the score of History Channel’s hit show Vikings, his many collaborations with other bands and his solo work Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik has helped keep traditional Norse music alive. With Wardruna’s “Rune Trilogy” and most recently through his solo EP release Snake Pit Poetry (By Norse), Selvik continues to explore these ancient themes, but still relevant to our modern world through lyrics and instrumentation. By keeping some piece of this art in both worlds, he is also creating something new and fresh in the world of heavy music. Ghost Cult’s Keefy caught up with Einar before Wardruna’s New York City début at the prestigious Town Hall venue. He spoke of Wardruna fans, touring with fickle centuries-old instruments, his solo music, creating music for and appearing on Vikings and the next Wardruna album! Thanks to Heather Wilkerson for her Vi
deography and live photos from the show. Continue reading
Einar Selvik of Wardruna has once again provided the soundtrack for the History Channel television series Vikings. Inspired by tales of Norsemen of Medieval Scandinavia, and Selvik’s original Norse inspired music and instrumentation lends historical authenticity and context to the episodes. We’re looking forward to Wardruna’s 2018 tour of the USA. Continue reading
Nearly a year after selling out their two concerts in the Tivoli, Wardruna is back for another sold-out show, and this time they brought a supporting band from the ByNorse label.Continue reading
In light of their most recent album, Runaljod – Ragnarok, Wardruna went on a European tour, playing two sold-out shows at Tivoli Vreedenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Ghost Cult journalists Suzanne A. Maathuis and Lorraine Lysen went to Utrecht on Sunday the 30th of November to find out more about the latest album and some of the academic background of the project from Einar Selvik of Wardruna. He is also participating in this weekend’s New York By Norse event in partnership with Enslaved’s 25th year celebration. Einar talked with us about songwriting, the Rune Trilogy, Norse history and lore, the next Wardruna album, and much more.Continue reading
Wardruna recently went on tour to promote their latest album, Ragnarok (By Norse), the last in the Runaljod trilogy. After selling out the seated hall for Tuesday night, an extra show was planned for Saturday night in one of the standing venues of the building. Having sold out this evening as well, the band was greeted warmly by over a thousand enthusiasts. Continue reading
Wardruna who’s highly anticipated new album Runaljod – Ragnarok releases on October 21st via By Norse Records. You can watch the video below: Continue reading
Iconic Norwegian doom rock powerhouse Sahg have returned with their new album Memento Mori, out today via Indie Recordings. Ghost Cult is proud to bring you the exclusive album stream below: Continue reading
The brainchild of Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) and Einar Selvik (Wardruna), Skuggsjá was a project created to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Norwegian Constitution, and ‘A Piece For Mind and Mirror’ (Season of Mist) is the result.
Of course, as everyone outside of Norway is well aware, the country’s two hundredth anniversary was actually back in 2014, and that was when Bjørnson and Selvik were initially approached to perform a collaborative piece at the Eidsivablot Festival in Eidsvoll, Norway (where else?). Going by the name Skuggsjá (which translates into ‘mirror’ or ‘reflection’), the pair decided the project deserved pursuing further. They performed together again at Roadburn Festival in 2015, with them secretly slipping into studios in and around Norway over the year to record material whenever possible.
Joined by the likes of Grutle Kjellson and Cato Bekkevold (Enslaved), Lindy-Fay Hella (Wardruna), and folk musicians Eilif Gundersen and Olav L Mjelva, the band have attempted to contextualise their brand of ‘harder’ music in the country’s two hundred years of history, looking at the cultural traditions and ideals of the nation and how relevant aspects of the past connect with the present. So, nice and easy then.
The band use traditional instruments (most of them handmade by Selvik himself, the multi-instrumentalist even going so far as to skin the hides of animals to make drums) such as the Birch-bark lure, Hardanger fiddle, bone-flute, Goat-horn, Kravik lyre, and Tagelharpa as well as all the usual instruments associated with the more contemporary genre of Black Metal. There are some modern electronics in there too, while the lyrics are a combination of early Scandinavian, Norwegian, and Norse.
This isn’t an album to be dissected track by track, but rather one that should be enjoyed as a whole, ideally listened to in a single sitting and free from distraction in order to fully absorb its magic. While relaxing during its more atmospheric parts, it’s easy to allow yourself to be transported to the edge of a cold Norwegian shoreline, looking out to sea as longboats silhouetted against the moonlit horizon move silently inshore, shrouded in a thick, ethereal fog. Er… well, anyway. It all sounds very, very Norwegian.
The heavier sections, most noticeable during ‘Rop Frå Røynda – Mælt Frå Minne’ and the ten and a half minute Bathory-esque ‘Skuggsjá‘, complement those instrumental, occasionally narrated parts perfectly, dropping in at the right moments, hitting you hard and never outstaying their welcome. Sometimes though, like with songs such as opener ‘Ull Kjem’, or closer ‘Ull Gjekk’, it’s the traditional instruments and different vocal styles, rather than the distorted guitars or blastbeats, which create the greatest, most lasting impact.
None more Norse.
8.5/10
GARY ALCOCK
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Besides all the amazing headlining acts at this year’s Roadburn Festival, there are also so many bands in the smaller venues that it would be remiss of me not to mention some of my favourites. Scott H Biram was the first of these, shaking up the Stage01 with music a mixture of amazing Blues, Punk, and Heavy Metal, in a one-man and mostly acoustic format. With an instrumentarium of four battered Gibsons and an electric plank, Biram kept the audience entertained with stories and anecdotes and his wonderfully collection of songs. On Friday Einar Selvik gave a presentation about the origin of and ideas behind Wardruna, as well as the way he approaches making the music. He also demonstrated a number of the instruments he uses. The presentation was at the same time informative and endearing, and knowing how much effort goes into the music makes it sound even better.
Possibly my favourite show of the entire festival was Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L. Playing the Jouhikko (bowed lyre) and electric cigar boxes, this eclectic trio makes some astounding Finnish-language blues music. Pekko explained all the sing titles and subjects to us: “This is a song about a woman accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. It is a happy song!” The live rendition of ‘Anna Orjan Ulvoa Kuuta (Let Your Slave Bark at the Moon)’ was certainly the most spectacular blues performance I have ever seen. Another show I really enjoyed was the Experimental Black metal by the Belgian act Briqueville. They played the entire shows in black hooded robes and golden plague masks, which gave an atmosphere as if you were present at a ritual of a dark cult, especially when the black robes were backlit by red light. The music is dark and moody, very melodic, and the sound is very well balanced and satisfying. They only have an EP out so far, but if they keep up this level of work in their upcoming album I think they can go far.
WORDS BY LORRAINE LYSEN