Album Review: Wardruna - Kvitravn - First Flight Of The White Raven
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
Wardruna are one of many bands who during the various lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 performed a live stream concert as a way of being able to perform their music live in front of an audience - that audience being global and watching from home. Like many of these artists, Wardruna are now releasing a physical copy of this live stream performance entitled First Flight Of The White Raven.
This was the first performance by Wardruna following the release of their 2021 album Kvitravn and the first disc of this release is said album reissued with the First Flight Of The White Raven performance being the second disc. There is also a specially mastered edition of the live performance released on vinyl for all those audiophiles. The thirteen song setlist itself is a mix of new material from the then newly released Kvitravn plus a scattering of fan favourites from Wardruna’s prior four albums. Kvitravn and Skugge start off this performance and the sound quality and performances are absolutely incredible with the atmosphere, melancholy and emotion of these incredible Nordic folk songs pouring out of the speakers.
The vocals by Einar Solberg are passionate and emotion driven such as in the stripped back Voluspá whilst the accompanying vocals by Lindy Fay-Hella are nothing short of astounding with her performance in Bjarkan and Isa being nothing short of breathtaking. The musicians involved in the performance bring their A game with pounding tribal drumming and an array of traditional folk instruments bringing these songs to life such as the spine tingling Vindavlarljod, the aggressive Rotlaust Tre Fell and of course Wardruna’s most famous composition the incredible Helvegen.
Whilst my main criticism of most live stream performances has been the lack of audience interaction making the performance feel a bit cold and more like a band rehearsing it actually works in Wardruna’s favour and the lack of applause and cheers helps maintain the atmosphere conveyed in the music. This release is a prelude to Wardruna live dates coming this year and if the performance on First Flight Of The White Raven is an indicator of a Wardruna live show then I really need to get myself to a show. Spine tingling, rousing and epic folk music performed at an exceptional level.
