I'm not usually a fan of lo-fi production, but this album is truly amazing.
The lo-fi production does no harm to the music whatsoever. I'm usually not one to like lo-fi recordings, considering most bands just use lo-fi to seem "raw" and end up with a horrible sounding album, but this CD is a definite exception. Everything is still amazingly put together, the primitive sound of black metal is still present throughout, the vocals are some of the best, the atmosphere is incredibly riveting, and there's not one throw-away song on the album. This is some truly amazing black metal. . . one of the best CD's I've heard in awhile. Definitely worth your money. .
Buzzsaw Bees
My friend played the first song for me, and I could NOT stop listening to it. To me, this album sounds like a swarm of bees who went to Norway, and liked what they heard. This is coming from someone who, to this day, couldn't name more than 3 Death Metal bands.
It really sounds orchestral, and without the drums, it probably wouldn't be called DM. (OK, well, the singer's voice. . . . )
Whether or not it was recorded in the forest in the wintertime, that's DEFINITELY what it sounds like, and I can't call the production 'bad', (and it never really occured to me to think of it that way until reading these reviews), because you can tell that this is the way that the band WANTED the album to sound. (not everyone accepts people doing things their own way!)
There's NO other DM album that I listen to all the way through, and I have a few (mostly sent by the same friend that introduced me to this), but nothing else even comes CLOSE. Like a previous reviewer said, listen to the excerpts, and you'll know if it's for you or not.
I personally LOVE this CD. I mean LOVE.
A Different Shade of Black
None of the aforementioned acts can fathom the songwriting manna of ten seconds of this disc. Everyone seems to think that this album is a chunk of "True Black Metal", but that title is also said to be applicable to the likes of Mayhem, Darkthrone, Emperor, etc. The recording is very thin, but the music quality rips through. Brutally cold and deviously beautiful, the compositions really triumph over the production. Recommended for those who can get past the super-raw production into Ulver's chilling, jagged soundscape.
Best black metal album ever made
The production is PERFECT. I have owned this CD for a long time, and after all my years of searching for the best black metal, nothing has been able to top this. Yes, you heard me correctly; perfect. For those of you who are already familiar with the buzzing guitar sounds of bands like Darkthrone and Nachtmystium, this is very similar, but even better. It is not so faded away that it takes away from the guitar resonance, and the guitars are always up front, being the main focus of the music.
The music itself is relentless, very melodic, and raw. This is the only album that encapsulates absolutely every emotion a human being can feel; I feel ashamed even attempting to review it. Perhaps the best way I can describe this album is to say that it is the most despairing, yearning, angry, beautiful, and dark/depressing album one can dream about.
Most will not like this album however. I have yet to find a fan as crazy about it as I am; even among true Norwegian black metal fans. It is not a simplistic album, so if you decide to buy it, just be warned that it is very technical, melodic, and complex. You will not love it in only one listen, unless you are me.
Black Metal to Unleash the Beast of Destruction Within...
Its origins are often argued about, and the vocals were said to have been recorded in the vast Norwegian forests. Debated as Ulver's cheap shot parody of black metal, "Nattens Madrigal: Vatte Hymne til Ulven i Manden" (English translation: "The Madrigal of Night: Eight Hymns to the Wolf in Man") is a controversial release for the band and the genre of BM itself. Moreover, song titles are not given anywhere on the jewel case or inside the booklet, (There are actual titles for the songs, but you'll have to look for them yourself!) so this record as a whole is very mysterious and possesses the same type of atmosphere, especially with the calming ambient pieces between each song. Opinions often sway on Ulver's 3rd album, some praising it as a quality piece of mid-90's Norse black metal, while others dismiss it as "a bunch of worthless earsplitting noise". (To quote my brother. . . )
As it has been said, the production job of this album is incredibly "grim" and "kvlt". The guitars lack any low end whatsoever, and though while the bass is audible, it also seems rather thin in tone. Sounding like screeching buzzsaws, the guitars rip away with light-speed yet brilliant (and surprisingly catchy in many places) tremolo melodies while the bass builds the foundation of the sound and the drums blast relentlessly. However, the band is technically proficient and skilled, and everything here is perfectly executed. The drums are pretty much blastbeats the whole way through the album, but with so much variety in the melodies, the drums are not the focus of the music and never become irritating or boring, serving as a background pulse to the music. Garm's throat-shredding shrieks are driven to the front of the sound mix, and have a terrifying quality to them of venom and hatred. All of these elements come together to form a 40-minute symphony of hatred, power, strength, majesty, and the darkest fears of mankind through the impeccable guitar melodies and the dark lyrics, written in an archaic European tongue, adding to the mystery of the album. (Though English translations are given in the booklet, telling the story of a man who makes a pact with the devil in exchange for indulgence in his desires and immortality as a werewolf, and the internal struggles he faces. )
My personal favorite tracks include I, with its intriguing and beautiful acoustic break at the 1-minute mark, and the powerful melodies found in the dual guitars; III with its blazing emotions of hatred and majesty; IV, for its amazing riffs; and VIII for its epic closing mood, bringing the album to an abrupt but cathartic end.
I would recommend this album to fans of old-school melodic Norse BM, mainly Satyricon and Immortal. But for the curious, the raw and primal production adds to the atmosphere, and if you can unravel the chaos, you won't regret this purchase. A highly reccommended CD.
You can see a complete list of all Ulver discography, or go back to the Ulver tabs
|
