WARDRUNA: Birna (PAGAN/VIKING METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Notwithstanding the indisputable qualities of its predecessors, in whose stylistic and spiritual continuity it was an integral part, the fact is that “Kvitravn” undoubtedly enabled Wardruna to reach an important stage in its career, both commercially and artistically, opening up an ever-wider audience and completing the slow mutation of its art. Offering him a successor was therefore no easy task. More than ever, the Norwegians took their time - four years - to elaborate and refine this eagerly-awaited new creation.

The cover, as spare as ever, creates an obvious link between “Birna” and “Kvitravn”. The plumage of the raven is followed by the fur of the bear, the Old Norse name for this sixth album. Through this animal, the work is as much a tribute to the guardian of the forests as a melancholy meditation on the destruction of nature. Driven from her habitat by the all-consuming expansion of human activity, the bear is gradually dying, and her domain with her. Calling for its return, as suggested by the heartbeat and ritual dimension of the introductory 'Hertan', which sounds like a shamanic incantation, “Birna” can be seen as a metaphor for an endangered nature, strong and majestic yet fragile.

In this respect, the opus continues the theme begun by “Kvitravn”, whose musical furrow it also digs, sketching out a more global and coherent whole. The track that gives the album its name, and has provided a beautiful video clip as a first extract, confirms the connection between the two discs, which are further cemented by identical sonic perfection. The work on instrumentation and backing vocals is impressive (magnificent Lindy-Fay Hella), illustrating once again the mastery Wardruna and Einar Selvik have achieved over the years.

Yet “Birna” is not a rehash of its predecessor. More organic (the pulsating 'Ljos Til Jord'), it is above all less immediate, more difficult to access. After the first three tracks, the menu descends into a dark, enigmatic woodland, sometimes bordering on tribal, nocturnal ambient. At 15 minutes, 'Dvaledraumar' initially seems unnecessarily long. Its immense treasures (particularly the master of the house's vocals) are nevertheless revealed in short bursts, a slow breath of infinite sadness. Similarly, the second half of the album can disappoint. While 'Jord Til Los', the percussive 'Himinndotter' and the haunting (and already familiar) 'Lyljaberg' easily catch the ear with their often hypnotic flatness, this is less the case with 'Hibjornen', 'Skuggehesten' and 'Tretale', ritualistic and skeletal pulsations that are nonetheless chiselled like twilight goldsmiths.

Taking the pulse of an increasingly vulnerable nature, the successor to “Kvitravn” must therefore be approached in its trippy, spiritual entirety, a beautiful, heart-rending work of total art. If it takes many listens to be tamed, the fact is that “Birna” is yet another success to be credited to Wardruna, who, without losing their cold yet bewitching touch, always know how to surprise us. - Official website

WARDRUNA

BIRNA

SONY MUSIC

PAGAN/VIKING METAL