MP3: Wardruna - Algir - Togntale
Wardruna is a near-perfect combination of nearly every one of my musical obsessions. Scandinavian, obviously. Dark and foreboding? Most definitely. Strong elements of traditional folk? Oh hell yes. And how about a well-defined and pronounced spiritual component? Yup. The only quality I think it might be lacking from my shortlist would be a certain level of emotional purity and singlemindedness, but that often doesn't meld well with the spiritual, so I let it slide. Otherwise, this is definitely one of my favorite new releases of 2009 by a longshot. Listeners expecting the peppy polka-folk of groups like Detektivbyrån or Katzenjammer might be put off at first by the overwhelmingly dark and primitive atmosphere, but trust me - it's well worth it. Reach further back, connect with your ancient heathen roots!
For more on Wardruna and their concept, read this: [click here]
Wardruna - Algir - Togntale