Taking their name from the Old Norse word for poet, Skáld are a French folk group built around a shared love for Norse mythology and traditional Norse music and instrumentation. Using medieval instruments such as lyres, talharpa, jouhikko, shamanic drums, and horns, while utilizing chants, polyphonic and sometime guttural singing, and lyrics based on Norse runic texts, the group brings ancient Viking culture into the present. Founded in 2017 by French producer Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet, a respected presence in the folk/medieval music scene, the ensemble is built around the unique vocal and instrumental abilities of Justine Galmiche, Pierrick Valence, and Mattjö Haussy. Drawing from the epics La Völuspá and Gylfaginning -- both of which are contained in the Edda, the collective name for a series of famous medieval Icelandic poems -- the group issued their evocative debut album, Vikings Chant, in 2019 via Universal/Decca. ~ James Christopher Monger