Customer Reviews
music song from the throat of beauty
even though its not black metal to the extream its ulver in its own way. at first i only liked a few songs now after the 3rd time of actually sitting and listening to it i love it. it is beautifuly dark. and it puts u in a place of peace. if u are a ulver fan or a fan of peaceful dark music that puts u in the mountians on a cloudy foggy day. DO NOT MISS THIS!!!!!!!!!. one of the best works of ulver. i also recommend bergtatt, nattens madrigal, and shadows of the sun. i havnt heard the other albums but not to sure its for me.
class album - a once off
The idea itself is very simple: Put one haunting male vocal over some simple arpeggios on nylon stringed guitar. The mad thing about this album is that is a one of a kind. Add a tiny bit of echo to the voice, add another voice and every couple of tracks add a bit of flute or a solitary drum beat. On some tracks guitars are layered - with up to four guitars intertwining simple melodies in gradual succession.
But the wonder is if the idea is so simple how come noone has done anything to touch this. Some Isengard stuff comes close but Ulver are in class of their own on this album. It's a real concept album (make of this what you may), ideal for putting on and wandering about the house on a Saturday afternoon.
For me this album brings back memories of my teenage years - a not entirely happy time - and it may be a bit downbeat for some. However the difference between this album and many others that I listened to back then is that it still appeals to me in the same way. For better or worse I have not outgrown it.
Norwegian Folk Perfection
The Norwegian band is quite possibly the most amorphous band I have ever encountered, commanding sounds from extreme black-metal to pop-influenced electronica. There is not a singular album that can describe the "Ulver sound". But for my personal tastes, "Kveldssanger" is one of their most beautiful and haunting works they have crafted.
The album begins with "Østenfor Sol og vestenfor Maane", with a guitar, a bass, and an eerie baritone voice. Later joined by several harmonized voices and a cello, the piece is instantly frightening and unsettling, setting the tone for the rest of the album. The second track, "Ord" is literally 17 seconds long, and is the scariest a cappella you will ever hear, led by a low bass voice and harmonized Norwegian folk.
The album is ripe with this mood. Songs like "Høyfjeldsbilde" pride themselves on their catchy and pleasant guitar-work, always gravitating around a bleak, pastoral theme. However short, the songs are direct and very similar to folk-contemporaries Empyrium.
For the ultimate in doom, look no further than "A Cappella (Sielens Sang)", a song composed of only voices for a gloomy and foreboding 86 seconds. Although Garm's voice in this song isn't classically or operatically trained (à la Empyrium's "A Cappella"), it is still an impressive delivery and a tremendous feat of songwriting.
Kveldssanger is a treat. It was a blind buy, and a worthwhile one. If you are impressed or amused by the translation of Scandinavia's seemingly morose and depressing pasture into acoustic guitars and strings, then this album deserves a place in your collection.
See also: Empyrium - "Weiland", "Where At Night the Wood Grouse Plays", Estatic Fear - "A Sombre Dance".
. You can see a complete list of all Ulver discography, or go back to the Ulver tabs
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