01. Hertan02. Birna03. Ljos til Jord04. Dvaledraumar05. Jord til Ljos06. Himinndotter07. Hibjørnen08. Skuggehesten09. Tretale10. LyfjabergNorway’s WARDRUNA took a bite out of pop culture when its music was featured on History Channel’s popular historical fiction series “Vikings”. Any quick snippet of their music may seem out of place in metal, however, it makes sense because of the folk experience that runs parallel with that metal sub-section that’s obsessed with old-world Europe and Scandinavia. The metal connection is obvious and genuine considering that the band’s driving force, Einar Selvik, was a former drummer of the notorious Norwegian black metal band GORGOROTH. What’s more, that band’s infamous frontman Gaahl previously sang for WARDRUNA. At any rate, Selvik continues to lead the mysterious entity with WARDRUNA’s seventh album, “Birna”. In short, the effort continues along their tried-and-true trajectory that still blazes a unique path while boasting a passion and grand undeniable, minimalist expression.Einar Selvik didn’t necessarily drift away from metal over the years. It’s more the case that he focused his energy upon conceptual substance, Norwegian heritage and his countrymen’s appreciation for nature that’s so inextricably linked to the work of so many artists from his nation. Selvik is yet again joined by Lindy-Fay Hella in addition to numerous guest contributors. While the exclusively old-world instrumentation lends itself to a timeless quality that’s likely to be appreciated many years from now, there is a certain modernity in its cinematic presentation, most specifically the contemporary, crystal-clear production aesthetic. The album unfolds, as with their previous releases, like a soundtrack for a deep, truly artistic film, and to be sure, there are no “hit songs” on “Birna”.”Birna”, translating to “she-bear” in old Norse, is essentially about the guardian of the forest and nature, pressured into an extended hibernation and forced out of her habitation by the hand of modern society. The album is essentially a wake-up call, an expression of the shepherd’s awakening, desperately needed to save the slowly dying forest. The bear archetype is a vehicle to deliver the message that preservation of nature is crucial, a commonsense truth that transcends any one culture or political inclination. Appropriately, the sounds of the pulse of the guardian bear’s beating heart introduce the epic 10-song release that runs around 70 minutes, pulsing from opener “Hertan” with a massive choir and appearing throughout the album along with various musical motifs.One can cherry-pick key moments or songs, but “Birna”, as with virtually all of WARDRUNA’s releases, makes most sense holistically. Twisted vocals lay atop booming horns and thunderous beats on “Ljos til Jord”, resounding like the morale-boosting instruments that were fundamental in ancient battles. You can almost picture an invading army kicking up a dirt storm as they furiously march through a forest. Pounding percussion provides the foundation upon which menacing singing and harrowing string work lead the attack on “Skuggehesten”, one of the album’s heaviest tracks.Despite all of its glory, such a grandiose endeavor — one that exceeds an hour — is almost inevitably doomed by design. “Dvaledraumar”, a 15-minute-long marathon, is plagued with meandering unresolving sections. A more concise representation and greater application of self-editing would have served the release better. By and large, however, “Birna” is yet another bold celebration of the band’s culture in a way that can be appreciated by metalheads and far beyond.[embedded content]