[.ca] Nattens Madrigal

hymns of glory:
this cd is a black metal work of art,the quality is not the best for reasons being it was recorded on an 8track recorder in the forest of norway.Eight blistering hymns of manic beauty classical guitar influence on some tracks a must have for b/m fans HAIL SATANAS

TITLE OF REVIEW:
Well, this is the only vltra-trve cvlt black metal album I own, but I like it.(Overall my exposure to black metal is fairly minimal. 3 Emperor albums, 1 a piece by Bathory, Dimmu Borgir, Enslaved and Immortal, plus what I hear on a local metal show) I intend on getting some more stuff like this at some point, though I don't know how much more I'll really need. Due to my general ignorance on the subject matter, I don't know how useful my review will be, but I'll give it a shot. Nattens Madrigal has got a surprisingly strong melodic element to it, so if you haven't heard any ultra-extreme black metal before this is probably a good one to pick up if you're curious.(Though, as I said before, I don't really know much other than what I've read about) Of course, lots of people may not be able to hear it through all the static and howling and blast-beating, but it's definitely there. However, if you haven't heard any black metal at all you probably ought to listen to some early Emperor first. If you like that than you can move on to this. Terrible though the production is, it isn't quite as bad as many make it out to be. The instruments are incredibly thin sounding, particularly the bass and drums, and there's a perpetual wall of static, but you can actually make them all out pretty well anyway.(Even the bass can be heard, which stands out far better than it does in most metal albums, as the guitars have no bass whatsoever) The guitar sound is just great. It's not really heavy, as they are so thin, they're just incredibly abrasive, hissing and shrieking horribly. Personally, I could never imagine why bands would insist on having such low production values before I heard some black metal, but it really does add to this album. Frankly, I'm not sure if this would work at all with decent production. The production here is so raw that it genuinely changes the nature of the sound, rather than just making it ill-defined or whatever. Even half decent production would completely change the atmosphere of this album, and the atmosphere is primarily what's enjoyalbe. The songwriting here is quite simplistic. There is virtually no variety, just near perpetual blast beats with near perpetual simple trem-picked riffing, somewhat more subdued bass work capped off by distant, truly bestial vocals. Garm is really a great black-metal screecher, the best I've heard. Lots of BM guys come off utterly ridiculous with silly goblin voices, but Garm barely sounds human, and I mean that in the best possible way. Although there isn't any variation there really aren't any throw away tracks either. And the emphaisis on melodic guitar work makes this album not quite as monotonous as lots of DM and BM stuff, which while techinically more varied than this doesn't have anything for you to remember, and thus becomes a complete blur. The best tracks are 1,3, and 6. 1 and 3 each have a particularly effecting and melodic main riff, which really makes them standout.(That and track 1 has the lone acoustic break, which is quite nice) Track 6 is particularly notable as it is the most emotionally dynamic track. The beginning and part of the end even sound happy, if you can believe such things. Of course, it's pretty tough to compare the tracks. I will say that, overall, the second half isn't quite as strong as the first, but it doesn't falter too much. And the mood does change somewhat. The second half is somewhat more subdued, with more of an endless blur and fewer specific riffs standing out.(which is part of the reason this half is weaker) Well, that's it. I'll admit that nothing on this album really blows me away, but it's all enjoyable enough, and I haven't heard anything else quite like it. Definitely a good purchase.

BLEEAAAAAARRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!:
Yep. That's about what Ulver's third album constitutes to. As you may already know, production here is so bad that it sounds like a screeching buzzsaw. Maybe after listening on several separate stereos and players, I can find one that can alter noise and uncover the drums over the constant buzzsaw guitar. Maybe then the cd can grow on me. The weird spook ambient tracks between songs add more character to this mess of noize. Now don't get me wrong. I love earsplitting noise. I have Merzbow's Venereology and I love it. But however, this is just bad production and so far (from what I know) only Halo can make that an art form. Now some people may enjoy this recording style, but if you are not the type for it, try this album at your own risk.

An unforgiving masterpiece; an "aural-gasm" if you will.:
I've never loved an album so much. Many say you should look past the bad production, but it shouldn't be cast aside at all. It adds to the album. It adds to the raw atmosphere, as if it were some separate instrument. If the production was of a much higher value, I think the album would lose it's aura. I'll be honest to say that it's unforgiving at first, but over time I've learned that music isn't about great production, but it's the actual music that counts, and Ulver has crafted quite a masterpiece. They knew exactly what they wanted to achieve, and how to achieve it. Garm's vocals are nothing short of amazing, especially on Hymn II: Wolf and the Devil. The guitar riffs and drum beats do a great job of adding to the atmosphere, especially on Hymn I: Wolf and Fear... It's very hard to even describe this album. Listen to it and decide for yourself. But I'll leave you with this... It's not just music, it's art.

"Eight hymns to the wolf in man.":
Ulver's first album, _Bergtatt_, presented two distinct sides of the band: their raw, melodic black metal side and their roots in Norwegian folk music. Their second album, _Kveldssanger_, delved purely into acoustic Norse folk. For equilibrium's sake, Ulver turns to ultra-grim black metal for their third release. Legend (well maybe not LEGEND...rumor, perhaps) has it this album was recorded on a 4-track in a forest somewhere, and it certainly sounds like it. On its technical merits, this is one of the worst-recorded official release I've ever heard. I don't find it PAINFUL like some reviewers, but it's definitely ugly. (If you want something really brutal and deadly, check out "Never Again" by John Zorn, on his excellent album _Kristallnacht_, and Merzbow's classic _1930_.) BUT, the overall aesthetic substantiates the sheer rawness and atmosphere conveyed. Telling of men, wolves, the moon, and the dark power of lycanthropy (all in archaic Danish, no less), this album exudes pure atmosphere such that there is a layer of frost blanketing the room upon its completion. This album would have not have been so great if it had been beautifully recorded. The whole album sounds like it is coming through a wintry tempest, with sound sharp and buzzing. Melodic tremolo picked guitars, withering frosty distortion, and screeching vocals dominate the mix. The tinny, blasting drums and pulsing bass sound like they were recorded far away from any microphones. Garm's vocals on this album are entirely screaming -- there is none of his eerie, ethereal chanting but perhaps it would not have suited this. His bloody, scraping voice sounds like a dying winter spirit. The riffs are ultra-melodic and beautiful, but very simple. The drumming is nearly non-stop black metal blastbeats. There is one brief twin acoustic guitar passage near the beginning, but mostly the album is a relentless metal gale. The only other respite from the metal is found with some short, nocturnal soundscapes between the songs. All of the songs are excellent in atmosphere, although there isn't much variety between them. My favorite songs are all of them, but if I could only choose one it would be "Wolf & the Devil". I honestly don't think I can explain why this album is so great. It just has a sound and mood unlike any I've heard before. A few words about Ulver's albums in general. The first three, the "black metal trilogy," are the most beautiful metal I have heard. Technically _Kveldssanger_ isn't a metal album but it fits the character of the other two. Ulver injects profound lyricism and beauty into a genre of music that is often violent and evil. Essential, and highly recommended, as is everything Ulver does. Electronic Ulver is completely different but remarkable and they just seem to keep getting more interesting. If you're new, get _Bergtatt_ for metal Ulver and _Perdition City_ for electronic Ulver.