Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Ulver

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Kalamazoo Michigan
    Posts
    9,578

    Ulver

    I know this band has been mentioned in the Norwegian prog thread, but don't think they have had their own thread. Wondering what people here think of this band?. I was first introduced to them with their live album a few years ago. I recently picked up their “Assassination Of Julius Ceaser” from last year and am really enjoying it. I am looking to explore more of their stuff. What say you all?

  2. #2
    They seem very worth getting into, I've heard Perdition City, which is a pseudo-Blade Runnery noirish electronic album which I quite dig. I would also like some recommendations because they seem to have a lot albums reaching into a bunch of different directions, and I honestly have no idea where to go next.
    A vie, a mort, et apres...

  3. #3
    I love Julius Caesar, Perdition City, William Blake's Heaven & Hell...

  4. #4
    They started out playing "norsefolk-blackmetal" in the early 90s, but weren't accepted into that community. And they soon proved to be a wholly different animal altogether. Still it remains fascinating to trace their entire discography from humble metallic beginnings unto what amounts to possibly the most eclectic and (sometimes) esoteric entity within Norwegian rock music this side of When (Lars Pedersen's main project). There's singer-songwriter's craft, post-rock, triphop, industrial, retro-psych, drone and sound collage, indie-folk, a kinda symphonic rock - you name it. Ulver are a great being to discover, although you'll probably not enjoy all of it - simply because you're not meant to by the ones in charge.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  5. #5
    Subterranean Tapir Hobo Chang Ba's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Frownland
    Posts
    2,395
    Ulver is a wonderful band. A brief rundown of their albums:

    Bergtatt is a progressive black metal album.
    Kveldssanger is an acoustic folk album.
    Nattens Madrigal is a (mostly) pure Norwegian black metal album.

    Themes From William Blake's..., Perdition City, A Quick Fix Of Melancholy, & Blood Inside are all experimental electronic albums with various rock/ambient/trip hop influences mixed together. Shadows Of The Sun is similar, but mostly losing the rock/trip hip influences. Messe I.X-VI.X is a hybrid of this style with classical motivations.
    Lyckantropen Themes, Svidd Neger & Riverhead are all soundtrack albums, which are experimental/minimalistic electronic albums (Teachings In Silence fits this category too, although not a soundtrack album).

    Wars Of The Roses is a gothic art-rock album, with more "mainstream" influences cracking into some songs, and thus the atmosphere is a bit different from the Themes-Shadows "era".

    ATGCLVLSSCAP is a mashup of a live album and a studio album, which combines more or less everything form their styles (aside from extreme metal and pop). The Norwegian National Opera is a more traditional live album representing the perfect cap from the Themes-Shadows "era".

    Terrestrials is a collaborative album with Sunn O))))), which if you like Sunn O))) is worth hearing.

    Childhood's End is a cover album of 60s psych-pop tunes. The Assassination Of... is a synthpop album.




    I'd say Themes From..., Perdition City, Blood Inside, and ATGCLVLSSCAP are all must hears. I also love their debut, Svidd Neger, and A Quick Fix... more than most.
    Please don't ask questions, just use google.

    Never let good music get in the way of making a profit.

    I'm only here to reglaze my bathtub.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    717
    I remember getting Nattens Madrigal and finding it utterly unlistenable. Not as in bad, but as in..."you're going to destroy your ears if you listen to this again" (is anyone able to get all the way through without your ears ringing afterwards). I later heard Blood Inside and could not believe it was the same band. Between them and Motorpsycho...what the hell's going on in Norway?
    Critter Jams "album of the week" blog: http://critterjams.wordpress.com

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Hobo Chang Ba View Post
    The Assassination Of... is a synthpop album.
    The best album Depeche Mode never did IMHO

    v

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    I know this band has been mentioned in the Norwegian prog thread, but don't think they have had their own thread. Wondering what people here think of this band?. I was first introduced to them with their live album a few years ago. I recently picked up their “Assassination Of Julius Ceaser” from last year and am really enjoying it. I am looking to explore more of their stuff. What say you all?
    Steve, I probably should've waited to reply until I was off my phone and could do a more proper reply

    Ulver is one of my favorite bands. If you like Caesar (it's a huge fave of mine), I'd suggest trying out War of the Roses. It isn't 100% similar but probably the next closest.

    Also probably safe bets for starters: Perdition City (one of my all time faves), Shadows of the Sun / Blood Inside, and maybe William Blake's Tales from Heaven + Hell (which is sort of a cross between Pink Floyd and NIN but works).

    The earliest albums are good if you like black metal but approach with fair caution. Similarly...Childhood's End is an interesting project but IMHO not very representative even for a band as shapeshifting as Ulver.

    Oh...the Live at the Norwegian Opera is an excellent live concert film and album.

    There are also several soundtracks and more experimental albums like the Silence EPs (if you saw the movie Sinister, this was actually some of the music used when the 'snuff' films play), the Lycantropen soundtrack, and Messe. I love the hell out of these but your appreciation will depend greatly on your interest in more abstract/ambient/electronica/symphonic stuff.

    Hope this helps!
    JB
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Kalamazoo Michigan
    Posts
    9,578
    Thanks for all of the replies. "Live At The Norwegian Opera" is the other album that I have by them besides "Caesar".

  10. #10
    Taker of Naps IncogNeato's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    NC-USA
    Posts
    836
    The only one I am familiar with is Perdition City, and I think it's fantastic!

  11. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    East Linton, Scotland
    Posts
    446
    I tried them out with Wars Of The Roses, and struggled a little with the lengthy tone poem that closes the album. I then tried Messe, which I really liked - great ambience and atmosphere.

    Childhood's End is kinda fun - I like the fact that they pulled back from the epic stuff and recycled pop psychedelic songs from the sixties through their own warped sound.

    The Bergtatt album is actually pretty good, although it can drag in places.

    Must get the Caesar album soon.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    They started out playing "norsefolk-blackmetal" in the early 90s, but weren't accepted into that community. And they soon proved to be a wholly different animal altogether. Still it remains fascinating to trace their entire discography from humble metallic beginnings unto what amounts to possibly the most eclectic and (sometimes) esoteric entity within Norwegian rock music this side of When (Lars Pedersen's main project). There's singer-songwriter's craft, post-rock, triphop, industrial, retro-psych, drone and sound collage, indie-folk, a kinda symphonic rock - you name it. Ulver are a great being to discover, although you'll probably not enjoy all of it - simply because you're not meant to by the ones in charge.
    BTW...I remember hearing about When back in the 90's the Jester Records was more active, but your post reminded me to go give them another listen. I like! Just ordered Black Death from Bandcamp, likely to explore more too. So, thanks for the tangential suggestion
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •