Album Rating: 3.8 | Sound Off

Ulver always sound like themselves & still do, but that doesn't mean they weren't influenced by Depeche Mode recently. Just like in the early 2000s they were influenced by Coil and The Future Sound of London; pretty sure they directly reference the latter with the song "The Future Sound of Music."

^^Well, my comment was about Depeche Mode, but it's really a general one, in the sense that I'm not a fan of the band's direction in the previous two albums (haven't listened to this one yet).

Ulver is the last band I would expect to go retro, and of all past trends, the '80s synthpop, a genre opposed to everything the Norwegians did from Themes... to War of Roses.

Album Rating: 3.8 | Sound Off

I understand, but the "band/artist's new direction sounds like (insert band here)" argument can overlook a band like Ulver’s original sound that is still there, even if they're pursuing a 80s synth kind of style. I do get that it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste.

I love this album. There isn't a ounce of fat on it and it's Ulver's most minimal album since Kveldssanger.

One needs to listen to the music, hold the album in hand, read the text, see the images then they'll feel the special atmosphere being created here.

Thankfully I'm to dumb to do all that. I only like music that is instantly awesome.

Saves a LOT of time.

Album Rating: 3.5

Closer is really good here, harrowing yet beautiful.

Album Rating: 3.0

Relistening now, opener was nice.

EDIT: So was Machine Guns

EDIT2: I like Little Boy too. But I knew that already. The guitar during the chorus is responsible for this.

EDIT3: A Thousand Cuts rules too.

The other tracks are kind of samey and maybe need some more time. Russian Girl is the worst here, don't like it at all. But I knew that already too.

Album Rating: 2.5

Doesn't suck, but on the initial listen it came off too tame. Hopefully, this is a grower.

Album Rating: 1.5

i just don't dig this direction. nothing wrong with it from a basic musical standpoint necessarily, all is technically correct, but it just feels dull and lacks any kind of style

oh hell yeah the passion of joan of arc. if you like the album cover check out that movie (1928). can't really tell if this cover is a still or a reproduction or whatever but yeaaaaaaaaahghhh renee falconetti

Album Rating: 3.0

Yeah I'm still unsure how the Joan pic and their description of the material (see below) relate to the music itself. Lyrically, perhaps, but musically I struggle to see the connection here.



''In the midst of the forest, the floor is littered with monstrous heads and mythical figures, frozen in torturous combat or threatened by wild beasts. A dragon fights a dog and a wolf. A lion sinks its teeth into the fire-breathing monster’s chest. This sacred grove, near Bomarzo in Lazio, Italy, reveals the nightmare vision of Vicino Orsini, a sixteenth century nobleman. It’s a forest of symbols, suggesting a civilisation overrun by the beasts, demons and monsters of the primordial world. Soon after Orsini’s death, trees began to close in on these many peculiar beings, and green moss would eventually seize them. Slowly, nature finished what he had started.''

tbqh I love love love joan of arc (movie) but renee falconetti's face is so easy to paste onto whatever art you like and it's just such an expressive face that it's like damn this is gonna be Profound (not to mention the inherent draw of JoA's own story). feel like i've seen a bunch of passion of joan of arc-related album covers and posters. not to mention the scene in the godard movie VIVRE SA VIE where the movie makes anna karina cry

Album Rating: 3.0

Yeah it has become such a strong symbol, for sure. Blurring the lines between pop culture and 'high end' culture, maybe?

now someone should slap the weirdo zealot from ORDET (1955) or Gertrud from GERTRUD (1964) on a cover #DreyerHive

but yah I think its an arthouse classic that crossed over/aged relatively well, still shocks people with its formal maneuvers, and falconetti is just incredible even though that acting "style" (bug-eyed, swinging for the fences) is no longer my favorite. great film, none better to choose to become iconic in this regard

and then there's the sense of the band/artists identifying with joan's spirit of rebellion. is ulver known as a "christian" group?

Album Rating: 3.0

Nah, they never embraced Satanic kitsch as much as their bm peers back in the day but they were coming from a similarly place. Read an interesting interview with Rygg in 2005 where he said he defined as a Satanist and despised Christianity, but didn't flex it because he thought it was such a simple ideology. Not sure where he's come since then, but the group have always had a theological slant to some degree without coming from a Christian standpoint if that figures?

Album Rating: 3.0

Yeah exactly. ''Nattens is a concept album about wolves, the night, the moon, and the dark side of mankind.'' and ''Bergtatt is notable in that its lyrical content deviates substantially from that of other second-wave black metal albums. While it is heavily rooted in Norwegian folklore, it features no anti-Christian themes, unlike the music of many of Ulver's contemporaries, particularly Burzum and Darkthrone.'' is a nice Wikipedia view on things.

Plus the themes from Themes From (...ha!) William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell of course.

lol tbh I had no idea they made a william blake-theme-(themed?) album, could be time I listen past nattens and bergtatt (marriage of heaven and hell is pretty primo shit, ulver knows how to pick em)

Album Rating: 3.0

it's just such an expressive face that it's like damn this is gonna be Profound



Indeed, this sentence is so true, because the cover art is just so compelling. So Joan of Arc is where this is from. Thanks for the info

Have a look at the lyrics sheet and it will give you a stronger impression of the atmosphere I believe the band were trying to create. The direction (musical and art) is supposed to be austere and monochromatic I think and a lot of people seem to be looking for something more bombastic which probably wasn't the intention.

Listen to the songs and you'll hear only beats, basslines, vocals and extremely reserved synth pads and surely that was the plan?

Do links work?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6pjrjq803xrwvbj/AABw7ZcNSNmqvPkp8YuJJShIa?dl=0

Album Rating: 3.0

Had no idea they had a new record out! thank you for the review.