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Primal. Magical. Transformational. These are just a few ways to describe an evening spent listening to Wardruna at the Meridian Hall in Toronto on October 20th. The stage was decked with a simple, plain backdrop and blank panels, two flanking each side of the stage, made of a perforated fabric. Over the course of the performance, images and colours projected against them created the most spectacular atmosphere for the show, transporting the audience to a new location for each song. Somehow this seemingly plain setup became the backdrop for what was a truly immersive experience.
The show began with the title track off of their latest album, Kvitravn. The haunting notes of the tagelharpa filling the space, with frontman Einar Selvik's rumbling baritone joining in, inviting the audience to start their journey. He stood still, in the glow of a solitary spotlight, but his presence was staggeringly large.

Following up with Skugge (Shadow), the shadows of the band members were fittingly projected larger than life onto the backdrop. The stage became a lush, green forest for Bjarkan (named for the Birch rune), a blood-red wash of colour for Tyr (the god of war), an icy and barren landscape for Isa (Ice). During Rotlaust Tre Fell the arms of the performers became the branches of Yggdrasil, and all the nines worlds of the Norse cosmos could be felt swirling around it.

Songbird Lindy-Fay Hella, with her arms outstretched, by turns twirling, then stamping, was all the while weaving patterns with both her voice and her movements, just like the songs wove patterns of notes, creating what can only be described as some kind of ancient and ritual tapestry, covering us all.

Why do these songs sound like memory? How is it that so many bits and pieces of many languages and cultures can be heard in the lamentations and bending of sound by these stunningly gifted artists? Witnessing Wardruna live was more than watching a performance, it was an unforgettable experience, a ritual for the senses.
 
Photos courtesy of Misha Krutiy. For an entire gallery click here.