Skald

I thought the Wardruna project was finished, and this album coming out of nowhere has disappointed many fans who think the project should have been closed. In a way it is, though, since what's happening here is a skald (a composer and reciter of poems honoring heroes and their deeds) singing of the epic events that occurred in the Runaljod cycle all those many many years ago. Understood in that context, this album makes sense. The vinyl LP insert makes this apology: “Skald was recorded live in the studio with the intention of capturing the uncompromising energy of a live performance rather than aiming for a flawless and polished expression. It sets out to give voice to the ancient craft that once lay at the heart of the Norse oral traditions, presented as it takes shape in the hands of a humble contemporary skald today.”