Description
Product Description
Content Introduction Born from the frozen lands of Scandinavia, mystical forests and lakes, and majestic fjords, V?durna, the standard-bearer of dark ambient/neo-folk, finally makes his Japanese debut with his 3rd album, "Runarjod Ragnarok"! Black metal, goth, folk/trad, world music?the mysterious melodies and primitive energy that engulf all of these are sure to stir the souls of all who hear them! V?durna, based in Bergen, Norway, was formed in 2003. At the time, Einar Selvik, also known as Kvitrahun, was the drummer for the black metal band Gorgoros, and it all started when he awakened to his own roots and was inspired by indigenous ancient songs and legends. What caught his attention was the ancient writing system of runes. He decided to express their meaning and origins through music. When Einar started Wardruna, he approached Gorgoros' singer, G?r (Kristian Eyvind Espeder), and female singer Lindy-Fai Hella. However, he didn't want to simply and impulsively pursue music, so he first began studying runes, and started researching Norse mythology, Viking history, and the instruments of that era. He said that he had very little knowledge or information about the various ancient instruments, let alone how to play them, so it required considerable effort and patience. In the end, it took about seven years to realize the initial concept, and it wasn't until 2009 that Einar, who had left Gorgoros in 2004, finally completed their debut album, 'RUNALJOD - GAP VAR GINNUNGA'. Incidentally, the band name WARDRUNA means "guardian of mystery" in Old Norwegian. What's interesting is that 'RUNALJOD - GAP VAR GINNUNGA' was the first of a trilogy. Einar had meticulously planned this from the beginning, depicting a grand cycle of "creation," "growth," and "end of the world" across three albums. Furthermore, he selected eight runes from the 24 letters of the Germanic alphabet for each album, attempting to express the meaning and truth each letter possesses. In other words, he aimed to form one grand system across the three works. Then, in 2013, their second album, "RUNALJOD - YGGDRASIL," was released, followed by their third album, "Runaljod Ragnarok," in 2016. This grand challenge, unlike anything anyone had ever attempted before, finally came to fruition after more than 12 years?despite Gaar's departure in 2015. What made them famous was the History Channel's historical drama, "Vikings." With the use of that music and Ainar's own appearance in the main story, Vadurna, who had previously been a very underground presence, became widely known, and incredibly, "Runaryod Ragnarok" reached No. 1 in the "World Albums" category of Billboard magazine. The music there is spiritual, primitive, and emotional. Ancient rhythms awaken the soul, chants in Old Norse and other languages ??evoke daydreams, and the sounds of ancient instruments and strings stimulate awakening. These are surely the kinds of things that were played and sung in the Viking age. Many of the ancient instruments, such as the klavikrila (harp), buckehorn (horn), tagerharpa (bowed string instrument), and ruhr (brass instrument), are played by Ainar himself. Furthermore, V?durna's music is completed by using stones, wood, and even ice as percussion instruments, employing guest musicians such as the Hardingfele (a unique Norwegian violin), and recording the sounds of flowing water and rustling wind in the midst of nature. Lindy-Fai's vocals, which sometimes envelop the listener like a priestess and at other times like an earth goddess, are also a major attraction. Deeply exploring the ancient wisdom and reason of Scandinavia, praising all things in the universe and the universe, approaching the blessings of nature and the principles of humanity, and reviving all of this in the modern age through music?step into V?durna's unique sonic world! ! [Includes Japan-exclusive bonus tracks/Japanese liner notes included/Lyrics with translation] [Members] Einar Selvik (Vocals/Tagerharpa/Klavikrila/Horn/Ruhl/Drums) Lindy-Fay Hella (Vocals) Eiliff Gundersen (Ruhl/Horn/Flute/Ice Percussion) Arne Samvol (Vocals) HC Dalgaard (Vocals) Hjel Braten (Vocals) [Track Listing (tentative)] 01. Tyr 02. UrnR 03. Isa 04. MannaR - Drivande 05. MannaR - Liv 06. Raido 07. Pertho 08. Odal 09. Wunjo 10. Runaljod [Japan-only bonus track] 11. Snake Pit Poetry - Skaldic Mode Media reviews and more: Verdurna, the leading figure of dark ambient/neo-folk from Scandinavia, makes his Japanese debut with his 3rd album. (C)RS