Hugsjá

In 2014, Norway's Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik were commissioned to create an album to mark the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution. The result, Skuggsjá, was a meeting point between Bjørnson's progressive metal band, Enslaved, and Selvik's folk-rock group, Wardruna. With Hugsjá, Bjørnson and Selvik have further refined their collaborative efforts. This time they take the listener on a journey around Norway's coastal regions, drawing upon traditional instruments and folklore.

The title-track opens the album with the eerie sound of a bullroarer, before swelling around Selvik's distinctively impassioned vocals. Like the rest of the album, ‘Hugsjá’ evokes a truly ancient atmosphere – imagine the first series of Blackadder but with Vikings and less comedy. Bjørnson and Selvik provide the cutting metal edge, with Wardruna's relentless approach particularly in evidence – and therein lies my only real complaint about this album. Many of the tracks feel a bit too similar, especially considering its hour-long length. As effective as the formula might be, there are only so many times I can maintain my enthusiasm for a predictably thunderous Viking climax. This album is a truly impressive achievement, but it's hard to listen to Hugsjá for more than two or three tracks at a time.