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Ulver - Madrigal of the Night (Nattens Madrigal) Audio CD

A fair review of the Ulver "Madrigal of the Night (Nattens Madrigal)" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Ulver reviews here, or go back to the Ulver tabs.

Ulver Band: Ulver
Title: Madrigal of the Night (Nattens Madrigal)
Rating:
Release Date: 1997-04-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks:

A Black Metal masterpiece!
Some people say they can't hear the drums or bass much. This album first annoyed me with the tin canned sound but after a while if you listen closely you will hear everything. I agree that the drums could sound better and probably not hurt the atmosphere but the bass guitar is very clear. I can hear the bass here more than on most metal albums. Overall I think it sounds very good and the way they wanted it to. This is dark, dark metal and the sound captures the atmosphere. Some people say it was recorded in a forest on a 4 or 8 track. Unless I hear it from Ulver themselves I do not believe it. I think it was produced this way on purpose to make the album that much darker sounding. Every song is good and it gets more dramatic sounding the further along. My only gripe is that most of the songs fade out and one just suddenly cuts off. I have never been a fan of songs ending this way, but the final piece ends in a proper and majestic way that kinda ties the rest of the album together. This is a sonic tour-de-force which will always be remembered as a true dark metal masterpiece I think.


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.


You can see a complete list of all Ulver discography, or go back to the Ulver tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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