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LA RECENSIONE
November 1994.
The world of music encounters "Bergtatt," the debut album of a Norwegian band reportedly devoted to Black Metal, Ulver ("Wolves"). The impact that this work had on the scene remains indelible.
If half of today's groups playing (or at least claiming to play...) Black Metal with acoustic and Folk influences hadn't had Bergtatt as a model, they would never have been born. An elegant blend of parts pulled in the typical Norwegian Black Metal and touches with a Folk flavor, and thus the first chapter of a legendary trilogy.
Strengthened by the success (especially from critics) achieved with "Bergtatt," Ulver, instead of proposing a fusion of the two essences of their music, decided to separate them completely. From the Folk and acoustic soul of Ulver (from the Black soul will be born the raw and ferocious masterpiece "Nattens Madrigal") comes this incredible "Kveldssanger" ("Evening Songs"), a true musical jewel. Composed of 13 tracks, almost all instrumental, entirely acoustic and centered on themes concerning daily life in rural Norway, "Kveldssanger" is something indescribable and absolutely unique.
The arpeggios of the acoustics and the deep voice of Garm, here and there accompanied by soft choirs, managed to recreate in just 35 minutes, for the one writing to you, an aura of absolute ecstasy. It is impossible to resist such an alluring and astonishing sound. There is no longer Metal, nor Folk, nor any other definition capable of encapsulating what "Kveldssanger" represents in its unreachability, thus perhaps for this reason, it is a useful experience to overcome easy prejudices and grasp the disarming beauty of the Evening Songs.
And then it becomes easy to close your eyes and let yourself be carried away by the notes. This is music that truly leads to fantasies so arcane, but which derive from the daily life of known and precious landscapes. Like rain in a forest, or the sun rising over the mountains. The notes are only instruments for a greater purpose: complete ecstasy and union with music in its most
minimalist and primitive essence. Let's take "Ord," the second track for example: in just 17 seconds, an incredible amount of artistic facets are concentrated. A music that seems to come from remote eras but is at the same time an everyday music, great for dark moments, or just to relax. In this now melancholic canvas, as in the opener "Ostenfor Sol og Vestenfor Maane," now ethereal, as in "Hiertets Vee" or "A Cappella," now dark as in the concluding "Ulvsblakk" one finds themselves enraptured, amazed, confused.
A record for everyone and for no one, representing an alternative (in the deepest sense of the word) to usual music, as here we truly leave behind any definition to enter the undefined, into a dimension suspended in nothingness.
A final tip: listen to "Kveldssanger" at sunset, lying on your bed and when no one is home. Isolate yourself from everything else and let yourself be lulled...
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Summary by Bot
Ulver's Kveldssanger is a remarkable acoustic album that departs from their black metal roots to embrace Norwegian folk themes in a unique, minimalist style. Nearly all instrumental, the album evokes deep emotions and a sense of wonder inspired by rural Norway. Its delicate arpeggios and Garm's deep voice create a captivating, ethereal atmosphere. The reviewer highlights the album's timeless quality and suggests a solitary listening experience at sunset for full effect.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Ulver
Ulver is a Norwegian band formed in 1993, widely noted (in these reviews and beyond) for moving from early black metal and folk/acoustic music into electronics, ambient and other experimental directions. Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg is repeatedly cited as the central voice and identity across their transformations.24 Reviews
Other reviews
By Ulven1992
"Kveldssanger represents the first veer away from black metal, embracing a folkloric and neofolk soul."
"A timeless nocturnal neofolk jewel, in which the music truly becomes a part of us, either for what it conveys or for its immediacy."
By LKQ
This masterpiece is deeply melancholic and nostalgic, inspired not only by Norwegian folklore but also by Romanticism.
Kveldssanger should be listened to in complete silence, so as not to disturb the nature and atmospheres of the landscapes described by the beautiful notes.
