The average metal head probably knows the Ambient/Folk project WARDRUNA because of the association of two of their vocalists - Einar Selvik and Ghaal - with GORGOROTH and the fact that Selvik composed music for the soundtrack of History Channel's show Vikings, which gave WARDRUNA's popularity a considerable boost. Metal heads obviously love WARDRUNA for its dark atmosphere and strong Folk influences shared with many bands - particularly Scandinavian bands like ENSLAVED (Selvik also has a side project with ENSLAVED's guitarist Ivar Bjørnson) or VINTERSORG. So far WARDRUNA has released three albums (two of them with Ghaal, who has left in 2016), all of which were at their core Ambient. The music drew heavily from Folk but was also very layered and atmospheric - the kind of music that lends itself well for the use as film scores I would say. This is the WARDRUNA that fans know and love.

Well "Skald" is a different beast altogether. Where previously WARDRUNA was drawing from the past and taped into its primordial power, on this album Selvik (who has gone solo on this project or at least is credited with all vocals and playing all the instruments) recreates music from the past almost like an ethno-musicologist - at least this is the impression that I get. How does the album stand on its own, regardless of expectations or the process that preceded its recording? To me this album is very enjoyable. The songs are purely acoustic, the instrumental component - what I assume to be mostly traditional mandolins and fiddles - is stripped down to the bare minimum and the melody is carried almost completely by the vocals.

And what a vocalist Selvik is - his resonant voice can be truly mesmerizing.

All songs are steeped in deep melancholy, although we find mellow songs like "Ormagardskvedi" or "Gravbakkjen", that remotely remind me bit of pop ballads by Icelandic artists or bands like Asgeir Trausti or SIGUR ROS. On the other spectrum we have "Vindavla" that is sorrowful, but at the same time the pulsating rhythm has a furious energy. WARDRUNA is pushing it a little bit with a 15 minute long, very repetitive vocal song "Sonatorrek". I'm guessing that this is a sort of imitation of some ancient genre of epic songs that was used for storytelling, but for an ordinary listener - who also may have no idea what it is about - this will be a bit too dry. But I understand and appreciate the decision to put this song on an album - it is a form of rebellion against modern music consumption.

For my money, this is a really good album, although I was expecting something else. It is surely not for everyone - one has to be in a certain state of mind to be receptive to this kind of music. But if you have a taste for this kind of archaic, maybe even sacral music, this release won't disappoint you.