Ulver Album: “Kveldssanger”

There is not a singular album that can describe the "Ulver sound". The Norwegian band is quite possibly the most amorphous band I have ever encountered, commanding sounds from extreme black-metal to pop-influenced electronica. 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"

This is a very relaxing cd, with only acoustic songs celebrating Norwegian folklore. The atmosphere is one of beauty, the singing is in Norwegian and fits the music perfectly, and the (often short) acoustic songs are beautiful to listen to. This cd has nothing to do with the rest Ulver has to offer (besides Bergtatt), for they made a trilogy celebrating Norwegian folklore and history (nattens Madrigal, Bergtatt, Kveldssanger), but they now make a completely different kind of music, also atmospheric but electronic and avantgarde, more like softer parts of Arcturus. But it is still a pleasure listening to this cd; it's one of the better acoustic cd's coming from the dark metalgenre and people who know Empyrium for instance should like this as well.

The mad thing about this album is that is a one of a kind. The idea itself is very simple: Put one haunting male vocal over some simple arpeggios on nylon stringed guitar. 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.

This album is pure excellence.Though not black metal in sound,this album conjures up an atmosphere that practically all black metal bands would kill for.Kveldssanger is dark,but at the same time very tranquil.There is such a feeling of sorrow on this album,It has to be heard to be believed.I had previously bought Nattens Madrigal and Bergtatt from Ulver,and I was expecting this to be perhaps a cross between the two albums I already owned.Upon first listen,I thought I had bought the wrong CD,but as I accepted the album for what it is,it just occured to me that this album fits perfectly with Ulver's black metal trilogy.To black metallers reading this review,give this one a chance!!!This album paints the mental picture of Norwegian woods on a cold frosty night better than anything I've ever heard before.Though I still prefer Nattens Madrigal to Kveldssanger,they are two completely different entities musically.I recommend buying Bergtatt,Kveldssanger,and Nattens Madrigal at once,because you really have to own these three to get the Ulver experience IMO.I am disregarding the electronic releases of Ulver because they have nothing to do with the black metal trilogy and are therefore irrelevant.

I can't honestly claim to have heard tons of black metal music, as whenever I take a listen to any of it, I get bored: having read the superb 'Lords of Chaos' book, I was hoping black metal would be atmospheric, Eurocentric, original and awe-inspiring. Apart from Ulver's 'Kveldssanger', most black metal appears to be adolescent, often amateurishly played and tediously 'rebellious'.

'Kveldssanger' however is really rebellious. After all, it's all played on acoustic instruments for a start, something I've been waiting to hear in metal music since the seventies. Consequently, it will shock and appall the more mindless metal fans, but for any fan of rock music with a more open mind the Nordic chants, moody guitar pickings and chilly ambience of this original and refreshing record points the way forward for metal by looking backwards - after all, it was European folk songs that were the basis of rock music as much as african polyrythms (which quite honestly only appear in jazz of all popular musics). I strongly recommend 'Kveldssanger'. If there are any other albums out there that stretch the boundaries of the bm genre this way, I'd love to hear about them...