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Rating: "Wolves evolves once again". This is the phrase that can summarize the latest release from Ulver, the seventh piece in a long and acclaimed career.
Having set aside black metal and folk over 10 years ago, and the industrial/jazz/trip-hop concentrate influenced by Coil that characterized their recent releases, what will be the new sound coordinates the trio has oriented toward? 'Shadows of the Sun' is an intimate and collected album (in this sense, the mood isn't far from 'Kveldssanger'): on one hand, certain ambient music is honored, while on the other hand, Garm and company's evergreen passion for a certain type of chamber music and soundtrack music is evident. The leader's vocal performance is particularly noteworthy: throughout the album, his voice remains in low and melancholic timbres, without any theatrical ambitions (as he had accustomed us to in the Arcturus of 'La Masquerade Infernale').
The group that immediately came to mind during the listening was Iceland's Sigur Rós (particularly the albums 'Ágætis Byrjun' and '()'). The central instrument is unmistakably the piano, while the rhythmic contributions from the drums are limited to a couple of tracks. There is also significant emphasis on electronics, particularly in the finales of some tracks, making the atmosphere more noisy and dynamic. ('Vigil' or 'Like Music'). Notable is undoubtedly the central part of 'Let The Children Go', which opens up to ethnic and oriental suggestions, or the splendid cover of 'Solitude' by Black Sabbath, deconstructed and performed in a version with strong smooth jazz crepuscular shades (enriched by an extremely effective trumpet in the background), capable of literally taking your breath away.
A last but necessary mention must go to the string quartet that accompanies the group for a good part of the album, making songs like the opener 'Eos' (in my opinion the pinnacle of the work) truly unique. A reflective and hypnotic work, further demonstration of the undisputed genius behind the moniker Ulver.
RATING = 8
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By mementomori
"Shadows of the Sun asserts itself from the first notes as the most elegant, refined and balanced album that the Wolves have been able to create since they decided to embrace the avant-garde paradigm."
"Every single moment must be religiously savored, there is no dispersion in Shadows of the Sun, generous with ideas and nuances, often appreciable only after several listens."
