Elusive is one way to describe Oslo, Norway's Ulver. Early material released by the band seemed to emanate "wolves" from which their name is derived; during 1993 through 1997, Ulver heavily focused their efforts on progressively fusing black metal and gothic folk. Their debut LP Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler (Spellbound - A Faerietale in 5 Chapters) in 1994 was met with universal acclaim among metal publications but seemed of little interest to genuine music aficionados. Nineteen ninety-five's Kveldssanger dropped the metal entirely in favor of a full album of gothic folk, but in 1997 Ulver returned in full form with Nattens Madrigal - Aatte Hymne til Ulven i Manden (Madrigal of the Night - Eight Hymns to the Wolf in Man), a more raw and bleaker affair than their debut.
Something happened, though, a year later. It is best exemplified by their evolutionary double disc Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, which was nothing like any of their previous work. Becoming tired of the black metal scene, the band, specifically their leading member and vocalist, Kristoffer Rygg, incorporated progressive rock, spoken word, ambient, and industrial music and rolled them all into this hefty package. The metal community was quick to proclaim Ulver as sellouts as many stark and engrossed fans of any specific genre will do.
But to call Ulver discouraged from this initial response would be incorrect, however, as 1999 and 2000 showcased Ulver's transformation completely on the Metamorphosis EP and the full-length Perdition City. The latter album is a complete homage to electronic music, complete with trip hop and jazz overtones. The opener, "Lost in Moments," is not only radically different from anything on their early albums, but it's also quite different from anything on William Blake as well, employing no guitars at all.
During the next four years, Ulver concentrated on their newfound interest in electronic music and developed a series of EPs and short film scores beginning with Silence Teaches You How to Sing and Silencing the Singing in 2001. These EPs represent Ulver's most experimental work. Each album employs long ambient passages accompanied by electronics of various frequencies (that being subtle or heavy drone).
At this point, fans of Ulver's early metal recordings were either lost forever or affixed permanently with their courageous maneuvers. In 2002 and 2003, Ulver dabbled in the film industry, recording the Lyckantropen Themes album for the short film Lyckantropen by Swedish director Steve Ericsson. With such little focus on dialogue, the band's electronic music dominated the conflicted mood of the film. Their following project comprised of a writing a score for Stein Elvestad's Norewegian short film, Svidd neger. This time the soundtrack was more spacious, utilizing orchestral sections where Lyckantropen Themes did not.
Blood Inside, in my opinion, Ulver's best release, was dramatically unveiled in July 2005. In a way, the album continues what the band began on their William Blake double album in 1998. Much of Blood Inside seeks to heighten and challenge our perceptions of modern music. It is progressive in the true sense of the word, reaching everything from doom metal to pleasant ambient/neo-classical passages which erupt into electronic noise. Despite that, overall, Blood Inside seems more straightforward than any of their other work as found in several of the song arrangements. One of the more interesting notes about the record is the melody and structure of "It is Not Sound," which is largely influenced by Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor." The surreal biblically-influenced mixed media video is available on YouTube.
Appropriately, last autumn (2007) saw the release of Shadows of the Sun on The End records. The album shifts from its predecessor to entire low-key ambience yet still maintains a progressive connection to Blood Inside. As a declaration of its large appeal, a sticker on the shrinkwrap declares it will interest fans of Guapo, King Crimson, Univers Zero, Coil, Nick Cave, and David Sylvian. Additionally, track seven on Shadows of the Sun is a cover of the Black Sabbath song "Solitude" from the Master of Reality album. Ulver's recreation is fairly similar but removes the guitar and flute, amplifies the bass and includes trumpet. It's almost difficult to distinguish this cover from the other eight originals as it is integrated so well.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects to arise out of my experience with Ulver is to never judge a band too quickly upon first listen. The first album I encountered was Nattens Madrigal, and it almost entirely repelled me at the time with its poor (or classic black metal) production and grittiness. Compare it to the bombastic and vivid Blood Inside I experienced a couple of months later, I couldn't believe I was listening the same band. Some artists pride their entire career perfecting a distinct sound; Ulver has done nearly the opposite leaping across genre boundaries with every release. They may have lost several metal-exclusive fans since 1998, but they have gained a well-respected reputation by many others consistently seeking innovation.
Image: http://www.myspace.com/ulver1
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