Ulver
Blood Inside

THE REVIEW

The latest work by Ulver is that perfect (and usual) blend of darkness, mystery, and electronics to which we have been accustomed for some time. "Blood Inside" is the result of two years of research and experimentation, and while it will surely please die-hard fans, it might simultaneously win over a few new devotees of the genre. Not too many, however.

Constant references to the darker works of The Cure and Bauhaus create a decadent and mystical atmosphere: music, as they themselves suggested, to be listened to "in the dark with headphones on." Here, all the work done on previous albums emerges again, reworked, and while it may not be groundbreaking, it fully satisfies those who, like me, cannot stand the sterile repetition of "working formulas." This album also adds something new to their "language". Ulver has definitely landed on the shores of extreme ambient/electronics, and everything seems to work perfectly. It's difficult to provide further classifications for music that is at times dreamlike (on the positive side), at times so degraded that it pushes the listener to boredom (on the negative side). However, once you get used to it, even those unfamiliar with their sound can find it quite feasible to listen to and appreciate their misanthropic, mysterious, damnably morbid and fascinating sound. Considering that, as someone suggested, we have always been superficial listeners, it must be remembered that an album like this requires a great deal of attention. And several listens before being evaluated positively or negatively. And, let us not forget, an album that runs counter to the primordial black metal of the fantastic "Nattens Madrigal". Some might call it inconsistency, others artistic flair: the choice is yours, after listening to both. It's true, moreover, that some moments are stretched a bit too long ("Blinded by Blood"), but attention must be paid to the meticulously crafted passages worthy of the best King Crimson, as in "It is not Sound" and "In the Red". In the latter, in particular, they perform some passages reminiscent of jazz, but without flaunting unnecessary virtuosity in the context.

Their lyrics are loaded with mysticism and dark poetry, and certainly contribute to embellishing music, despite everything, destined for a few: their hermetic and mysterious verses accompany us from the first to the last track, on a journey from life to death. Having learned the lesson from Tangerine Dream (but not only), they prove to be keen connoisseurs of progressive rock, simultaneously displaying some jazz passages truly worthy of note.

With Ulver, experimental electronics acquires (even today) a complete sense: it makes one honestly wonder if it was such a bad thing that the "metallic" era of the band has finally come to an end...