Tra

It begins slowly, like a far off storm approaching, a distant droning. Female voices begin, chanting in a language unknown to you. Slowly at first, very building... in tempo, in volume. A wail joins them. It is short . . . did you hear it? . . . yes, there it is again. The chant continues, faster, stronger. Then, suddenly horns, slightly unworldly, strange strings, winds, primal drums . . . bizarre noises carry a tune. The chant disappears to be replaced by this strange music at once haunting, chilling, yet strangely exhilarating. The sounds begin to swirl like a dervish, swirling upward, outward. More and more frenzied yet under control, tight, filled with tension, brimming with power. The chant returns, even stronger now it joins up with the music. Voices, horns, wailing winds . . . is it anger? Is it joy? You don't know, but it is strong, whatever it is is intense and beautiful. You begin to accept and revel in it, let it begin to life you with it . . . then suddenly - gone! All gone, only a brief echo remains of all the energy that once was there.

. . . and that is just the first song.

I could go into such depth on every one of their songs, for their songs have that much depth, that much energy.

How to describe Hedningarna's Tra in a nutshell? Well, try to imagine playing the songbook of Arlo Guthrie or the Irish Rovers with the intensity of Metallica or the Sex Pistols. Can't imagine that? Can't blame you. You have to experience it.

Now, let me make it totally clear - all of the intensity and volume that Hedningarna brings to their music does not in any way detract from the folk purity of their music. It's still folk music tried and true, its just folk elevated to a heretofore unimagined level. The intensity comes from the lyrics deep rooted in basic human emotions of love, freedom, need, and defiance. For example, the loudest and fiercest song on the album is a man singing that he will not cut down his trees simply because the rich man next door objects to them. All of the songs are pure emotion, human desire, strength, and frailty at its most pure and primordial.

The rest of the album . . . Yes. That first song described above was Tass on nainen (Here's a Woman). Min Skog (My Grove - the one about the trees) crashes instantly into incessant drums giving away exhausted to fierce fiddle then electric guitar then to defiant chanted vocals. Then comes Vargtimmen (Hour of the Wolf) with catchy percussion, high energy melody and impassioned vocals:

It is in the heart itself
Lies live, and deceit
How can I speak thereof
wisely, with gentleness?

Gorrlaus (The Steed) shows a softer more melodic side to Hedningarna, while still being a high energy riding song.

Relent, stallion with frothing mane calm, even out your pace

Skrautval is an instrumental driven by dual fiddles and hurdy-gurdy. Almost a jig, but much grander in sweep. Pornopolka (Porno Polka - yes, really) is a very fast and energetic reel that tells the tale of a woman casting a spell to cause a man to fall in love with her.

Raven is an amazing song. Beginning with what I can only describe as breathing as singing, the song offers up a didgeridoo style instrument, Jew's harp, percussion and a chanted vocal deeper than Barry White. The decided gothic tones mingle with grating string bass and other decidedly other worldly music
SaglaTen (Say What You Like) is my favorite on the album. It displays the energy of youth thumbing its nose at their uptight elders.

Old crones have knapsacks of dung and disapproving airs
A merry lass and a whipper-smapper lad are of the same kind

Yet, the pure passion of Sanna's vocals create something so primal and earnest it is sheer beauty. The final chorus climbs to an intensity of emotion so high the group put in a five second gap of silence after the song so you can catch your breath.

In Tuuli (Wind) Sami singer Wimme joins the group to joik an homage to the fierce winds of the north. The women sing a chorus of supplication to the king and queen of the winds.

Rise wind to a gale
Gusts growing to a tempest
Rage on through the years

Tappmarschen (Sorrow is a Lonely Bird) is a traditional song of loss of a loved one with fiddles, string bass and a solo female vocal. We are now decrescendoing.

Finally (whew) Tina Vieri (Tin Rolling) lets us down easy with a beautiful ballad that begins with simply the sound of a babbling brook. The tin in the title though are the nails that sealed the coffin of the singer's mother and the song, though beautiful is the wrenching cries of a woman mourning her dead mother (traditional folk music sure is dark folks). Still, the final two minutes of the song is haunting chorus fading into the distance closed out by the babbling brook again that flows for a full 40 seconds before fading into silence leaving you to contemplate the enormity of what you have just experienced.

Tra is a masterpiece. More than anything I wish there was more music like this. Pure unabashed emotion and a willingness to express all of human feeling in song. Most other music pails in comparison.

Hedningarna is (in my opinion) Nordic Roots Music at its unbridled best, and "Tra" (the Swedish word for wood) may well be the prime example of the band's furious elemental energy. Raw, wild, haunting, and at times powerfully erotic (check out track 7 - Raven), this band of Heathens will take you places you've never dreamed of.

Much more challenging than say, your garden-variety Celtic folk, its somewhat harsh tone is crafted by fusing traditional Scandinavian instrumentation with contrasting Swedish (male) and Finnish (female) voices - and creating a sound that is both ancient and post-modern. If you are looking for something unique, and are not afraid of surrendering your soul to the intoxicating beat of the shaman's drum, then by all means get yourself a copy. Terrific stuff!