“They could have trod some of the more aggressive ritualistic paths that endear them to metal, prog and folk fans… instead there’s an airier touch on a record of extraordinary scope”: Wardruna explore the nature of the bear on Birna

Wardruna – birna.

Can a project as rooted in the past as Wardruna truly be considered progressive? The Norwegian group utilise recreated Viking-era and Stone Age instruments to explore ancient cultural and mythological themes. This is a place where experimental archaeology meets pure creativity.

There are sounds and instruments that distant ancestors might have been familiar with, but arranged and expressed in a way that might never have been heard until the band spearheaded a burgeoning movement of Norse-inspired folk – and certainly not by modern ears.