Hagalaz’ Runedance * Volven (cd 2000 well of urd)
This is the second full-length of this Northern folkband. Further there have been a 7″ (97) and quite recently a mcd that has already been released in these pages. “Volven” opens with the same track as the Lichttauffe compilation (see review elsewhere) and this mostly sets the style for the cd. The music is mostly pretty tranquil folky music with “shamanistic drumming”, flutes, ‘Viking choirs’ (on the background), traditional sounding instruments and most prominently Andrea Haugen’s vocals. This time Andrea invited a whole group of (session) musicians and a wide range of instruments which surely did a lot of good to the sound of Hagalaz’ Runedance. The cd contains nice rhythmical tracks, atmospheric ones and only one with a modern sound (dance beats, electric guitar) which had better been left out.
All in all a very nice cd though. <12/8/00><4>