Customer Reviews

Bergtatt

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Authenticity" is more crucial in Black Metal than any other style of music, with the only possible exception being some of the more extreme factions of hardcore punk. With that in mind, it would be difficult to be more authentic than Norway's Ulver. Instead of their church-burning contemporaries, Ulver chooses to subvert Christianity by creating music that hearkens back to a more primitive, pagan time.
Bergtatt was their first album. Sonically it resembles their masterful third album, Nattens Madrigal, more than their other releases. The story follows a young maiden as she is "taken into the mountain" (Berg=mountain, tatt=taken). Unfortunately, no English translation is available, but the "Fairytale in 5 Chapters" goes as follows:

Capitel 1
The first chapter deals with the protagonist, in this case a young maiden, being led astray in the forest. The music here is mostly in a major key, with singer Garm harmonizing beautifully with himself in descending cadences.

Capitel 2
Chapter 2, in Garm's words, is "a description of her emotions as the veil of night mercilessly is being let down upon her." It starts off with a pretty minor acoustic guitar/flute piece that wouldn't have sounded out-of-place on their next release, Kveldssanger. Instead of resolving to the tonal center on the eighth repitition, chaos erupts. Garm's tortured screams are accompanied at times with occasional Gregorian chant-esque passages that are similar to those found on the first track, particularly when the track slows to a more moderate tempo.

Capitel 3
This chapter has our heroine attempting to flee from the presence of the subterranean forces. Another blast of pure Black Metal; this song evokes terrifying images as a thunderclap erupts under the descending tension/resolution of the chordal structure. Midway through, the piece fades into an acoustic interlude followed by an almost Musique Concrète rendering of the sounds of running through the forest accompanied by spiraling piano arpeggios. Then back to the "grind", as it were, for the remainder of the song.

Capitel 4
In Chapter 4, the maiden is "bewitched by an alluring and seductive voice." This is the album's most gothic sounding piece, with a repetitive acoustic guitar phrase provoding the framework for Garm's low chanting. The maiden responds, as if in a trance. At this point, the spirits recognize that it's easier to "tempt a fly with honey rather than a flyswatter", which results in...

Capitel 5
The last chapter, in which our heroine is "spirited off into the mountain." This song contains elements of all of the other 4: the furious blast-beats, the acoustic interludes, the mid-tempo victorious viking-metal passages, the alternations between harsh screaming and beautiful (en)chanting harmonies.

A wonderful album, a wonderful story.

The inspiring career of Ulver begins here, with the first installment to the "black metal trilogie." Although I'm sure few people (read: no one) expected Ulver to eventually tackle experimental electronic music, it would have been obvious from the outset that this was a very special band with a promising musical journey ahead of them. This is probably the most beautiful metal album I have heard. Actually it's difficult to think of anything with a metal disposition that comes close. And it is beautiful without any tacky symphonic pretenses or lame synths.

"Chapter I" begins with a hammering drum roll, then enters the evocative, melodic riffing and Garm's haunting, multitracked voice. It feels weird calling a man's voice "beautiful" but Garm's chanted vocals, in an archaic tongue (which adds to the album's seductive mystique), here make me shiver like few others. It is immediately apparent that the production is subdued and gentle, rather than abrasive and trebly. The metal of this album possesses a accomplishes a rare feat of atmosphere, due to the complementing distant sound of the production. A brief middle section of twin interlocking acoustic guitars emerges, then it switches back to the electric-guitar-based melodious stream of riffing and indelible vocal themes. "Chapter II" opens with acoustic guitar and flutes which shifts to the first sheer black metal passage, impelled forward by driving blastbeats and a maelstrom of fierce yet melodic riffs. Also, we are introduced to the antipode of Garm's celestial chant, which is his chilling, diabolical scream. It ends with an enchanting, harmonious a capella section.

"Chapter III" is mostly stormy melodic black metal mixed with feral screams and chants. The middle of the song has the sounds of a woman running and breathing heavily with burnished piano runs in the background (probably has something to do with the story -- and I'm assuming _Bergtatt_ IS a story given the chapters and song titles and all...) The fourth chapter has two acoustic guitar chords as well some sparse, wooden sounding percussion on every fourth beat which are repeated for the entire duration. The surrounding sounds are varied, however: deep, chanted male vocals; brief glittering acoustic guitar solos; haunting soprano vocals. The band's mindfulness of texture is amazing.

Then the finale, the fifth song, propelled at first by blastbeats, dense and soaring tremolo picking, and Garm's tormented scream. Then the metal is cut out, replaced by a rapid, plucked steel-string acoustic guitar figure with ravishing nylon-string sprinkled over it. This then vanishes as abruptly as it appeared, replaced by the epic, climactic, tense main riff and kinetic drumming that anchors the middle section. Devillish vocals again appear, snarling. The final, symphonic (without sounding cheesy or gimmicky) buildup with soaring, sustained guitar is astoundingly magnificent. The metal fades out, leaving a gorgeous, classical sounding coda on acoustic guitar which ends the disc. You realize at this point that the album is barely longer than 30 minutes, but it is so perfect and amazing you'd be a fool to care.

Of the "trilogie," _Nattens Madrigal_ is the most definitive black metal album, and _Kveldssanger_ is just achingly gorgeous although it technically isn't black metal (it's all Norwegian folk songs, y'know). But in the end I would have to say the mix in _Bergtatt_ is the most compelling. Very highly recommended, even to those who normally shy away from black metal. This album proves that a good artist can make gorgeous music even in a form that is typically vile and evil. The black metal purist may not like it but it's his loss.

Ulver, my first real foray into black metal, is probably the most beautiful (dark) metal band I have known since Opeth. Much like their Swedish contemporaries, this Norwegian band largely utilize melodies, acoustic guitars (and other forms of transition between heavier songs and parts thereof), and clean vocals to further differentiate themselves from the annals of heavy metal norms. However, Ulver does more than just sound melodic or have a shining moment here or there; they create (no, EMBRACE) a trait that far surpasses any gimmick, theme, or talent in most other bands: atmosphere.

When you listen to this album's five tracks, you are carried deep into the mountains of Norway. You hear the crickets chirping in the shrubbery nearby. You smell the thick green odours of the trees about you. You feel the wind, cool and fresh, flowing through the trees to gently embrace you in its primal movement. The allure of the mountainside by dusk beckons you deeper into the forest...

...much like the unfortunate protagonist in the story this album narrates. For the whole of this story, read d_didonato's marvelous review. It is a rather eerie story, yet it perfectly fits hand-in-hand with the beautifully archaic atmosphere created by the five amazing musicians that made up the original Ulver lineup.

Håvard "Haavard" Jørgensens is the lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitarist. His heavier riffs, along with fellow guitarist (only for rhythm, however) Aismal, flow with such languid lucidity, it is like the fall of a gentle rain storm or the trickling of a wild river; far from a headbanger's delight. The opening riffs to "Capitel I" are a perfect example of this. As well, Håvard's acoustic guitar (like during the breakdown near the end of "Capitel I," the intro to "Capitel II," (paired with ethereal, beautiful flute, performed by ), and the outro to "V," is supremely beautiful. Finger-picking in a Norse folk style, the acoustic breakdowns are highly reminiscent of Opeth, yet somehow even more archaic and at once lulling and cryptically sinister. Haavard's leads are also very beautiful; again, in "Capitel I," there are not one, but three solos (two during the bridge, and a fantastic one during the outro) that perfectly, PERFECTLY, complement the song's subtle beauty.

Erik Olivier Lancelot, better known as AiwarikiaR, is the drummer on this album, as well as the man responsible for the utterly beautiful flutes (which are highly effective during the pre-outro to "Capitel I," the intro to "Capitel II," and on other parts). His drumming is fast, thunderous, yet hardly threatening or overly heavy. With much usage of double-bass pedals, AiwarikiaR creates the perfect amount of heaviness to not contrast, but to heighten, the melodies that are present in every song. He also makes great use of his snare drums and the crashing of cymbals during the heavier moments. Hugh Steven James Mingray, AKA Skoll, plays the bass, which again is a great addition to the blend of heavy melodies. For the most part, he cannot clearly be heard (the production is purposely foggy, as I shall get into momentarily), but there are moments in which he shines through (like during some of the sweeping shifts in the riffs of "Capitel II," and during a majority of "Capitel III"), and he clearly knows what he's doing; he is far more than the average metal bassist.

And then there's Krisoffer Rygg, AKA Garm, on vocals and the principle songwriter/lyricist and the heart and soul of Ulver. Speaking of heart and soul, Ulver has a great fascination with wolves. "Ulver" literally means "wolf" in Norwegian; as well, a couple of the band member's names are taken directly from Nordic mythology: Garm is the blood-stained wolf which guards the underworld; Skoll is the wolf which eventually devours the sun during Ragnarok, the apocalyptic end of the world (and the marking of the rebirth of mankind). Cool, huh? But back to Garm...

Garm has a whole range of voices that he uses highly effectively. To further anchor themselves in black metal, yes, Garm has harsher vocals which sound tortured, tattered, and not from beyond the grave, but rather from forces outside of our known world. However, Garm does SO much more than this! For the most part, you see, he sings with one of the most beautiful voices any male human has ever been gifted with, along with Mikael Åkerfeldt and James LaBrie. Haunting, distant, and with mixed times of sorrow, despair, loneliness, and often lighter emotions (especially a beckoning cry of allure), Garm proves that you don't have to understand a language (Ulver sings completely in Norwegian, a very bold act) in order to FEEL the mood.

Finally, there's the album overall. What can I say that I haven't already? PLENTY! However, I won't spoil it all for you. There are so many moments to moan "Ooh..." and "Ahhh..." to with this album. The atmosphere is so thick, so real, you'll forget that you are not in a forest, but only listening to this album. There are even non-musical touches which further heighten this: the crash of thunder on "Capitel II." A brief brush of rain and wind at the end of "Capitel V." The full minute or so of hearing a woman's hurried breathing as she rushes through the woods, her feet crunching twigs and leaves underfoot, as a twisting, eerie (but of course, beautiful) piano is played in the background (by Steinar Johnsen, AKA Sverd) during the middle section of "Capitel III." And the most powerful aspect of this album, I think, is the slightly dim production, which is PERFECT; it's like the final touch of mist in the audio portrait that BERGTATT paints).

A pure masterpiece in only about half an hour, BERGTATT is one of the most unique, moving, and atmospheric albums you will ever hear. Buy this album, and be lost (and blissfully possessed) in the forests forever.

If black metal could ever be described as beautiful, then this is it. Even when they speed things up, Ulver still retain a sense of delicate melody. First off, Garm's vocals are simply wondorful, combining an emotional black metal rasp with haunting clean vocals. That they are sung in an older dialect of Norweigen adds to their mysteriousness. Then there are the lush acoustic guitars that can be found throughout the mix. Those of you who enjoyed the acoustic guitars of other metal bands that don't fall under the black metal label (Agalloch and Opeth are the two I have in mind, though I'm sure there are others), would do well to look into this album.

What I can't beleive is that Ulver aren't more popular (though their adventures with pure Nordic folk music and electronic music may be somewhat responsible for that). Make no mistake, when this band want to speed things up and get heavy, they do so. But throughout it all there is still melody, still some acoustic guitars, still some clean vocals and even a flute from time to time.

Of course, those of you looking for a 'true/extreme' black metal release may wish to look into Mayhem or Darkthrone. But those of you looking for an album that still embraces the grim underground sound of black metal but executes it in way far beyond what most other bands were doing at the time would be well advised to buy this incredible album.

There are very few things to say about this album, mainly because the feeling of the music is not formatted properly for words. It is relatively short, clocking at only 34 minutes; its recording is good, although not quite up to par with modern ultra-digital production; and it is hard to find if you know not where to look. Any miniscule idiosyncracy put aside, this disc is a half-hour trip to a place of legendary scenes and indescribable emotion through sounds of fairy-tale instrumentals with beautiful vocal accompaniment and excellent black metal dynamics. Invigorating, relaxing, pummeling, epic, tear-jerking, gut wrenching - Bergtatt is an unparalleled piece of music, eclipsing the soul and leaving anything else behind. Do whatever it takes to acquire this forested, mountainous, wintry soundscape known as Bergtatt.

Since Bergtatt Ulver have expanded their sound to include everything from Scandinavian folk to electronica. I love and appreciate all of their work, but Bergtatt remains my favorite. Everything good about black metal is distilled and spread throughout these 5 songs.

There are abrasive and grim passages littered with blastbeats and screeches (although nothing as harsh as Nattens Madrigal), hypnotic melodic vocals, traces of acoustic folk, and the entire thing is pure atmosphere, BM's strongest quality and foremost criterion. Garm's ethereal voice compliments Ulver's melodic riffs so well. Songs like Evelen Follows Behind Vase are glassy and beautiful without layered keyboards or orchestras. Bergtatt is melodic black metal without the frills.

I am by no means an expert on all things grim... however, this album is recommended to ANY fan of black metal or metal in general. Great atmospheric music!

Along with some Agalloch and Weakling this is probably the best black metal album I've heard. There are a number of reasons for this, but the point I find myself considering most often is the fantastically idiosyncratic nature of this album, both stylistically and sonically.
'Blackened folk-metal' is actually quite an apt description here, although it doesn't quite tell the whole story.
The music is composed of, and oscillates wildly between a number of different moods. We have harsh, exceeptionally fast black metal passages, with guitars that do buzz, but more often create highly melodic, eerie riffs. We also have delicate acoustic passages that foreshadow some of what Opeth would do, but on _Bergtatt_ these passages are more bleak, haunting and somehow grating, despite their great beauty. On top of this we have certain sections with chanted, almost lullaby like folkish vocals which engender a fascintaing, trancelike atmosphere, and some atmopsheric, droning areas with minimal metallic bluster.
If I have characterised the album as somehting of a twisted, multi-sectioned landscape then I have probably achieved the most effective interpretation I could have hoped for, as _Bergtatt_ evokes, for me, blasted, windswept hillsides and parched, desert geography. I also refrain from describing the album track by track as it functions very well as a whole, with sections and ideas linking across the tracks rather than segregation (track 4 does vary from the template slightly). Overall, this is a very special album because it touches on so many ideas and posesses such great beauty (often to be found in the most unexpected places).
In fact, _Bergtatt_ barely sounds like a black metal album, or at least the ideal of a black metal album as a noisy, disastrous and destructive musical form. Progressive, entrancing, unique, clever and very, very rewarding.

Kristoffer Rygg, or Garm, was but a lad when he formed Ulver in Norway during the early 90's, a time when Black Metal was beginning to flourish relentlessly and distastefully. By the time -Bergtatt- was ready to be recorded, Kris had the entire concept of the album ready; visioned to be a temporary, yet complex, trilogy. By this time Kris was able to bring together four Norwegian boys - Aiwarikiar, Haarvard, Skoll, and Aismal - to help him achieve turning his ideas into reality.

-Bergtatt- is the debut effort by Ulver which tells of a maiden, filled with purity and hope, who ventures into the nearby mountainside. As the listener progresses through the album, she begins to lose everything she once was. The tainted mountainside takes hold of her, more and more with each passing track until the last wane of Garm's chilling voice.

Kris's voice takes the part of two beings. The majority is comprised by Kris's clean vocals, which never miss any note whatsoever and can hold itself for quite a good amount of seconds. This voice is akin to Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt, but on a higher scale. This side represents the damsel, I guess, full of light and innocence. As she is lured into the mountainside, we encounter Kris's, well...Garm's voice. As one would know, Black Metal truly has vocals that aren't pleasing to the ear, and Garm's really lives up to this. His voice is that of demon, bred for manipulation and torture. His shrieks meet up with Per Ohlin's and Ihsahn's of all levels. To put it to rest, if you enjoy Black Metal, then you will love them.

While not solidly Black Metal, I would compare early Ulver to Agalloch easily. The music is primarily focused on slow, doomy tunes while Garm layers it with mixed vocals, the same as John Haughm with Agalloch. Five tracks are more than enough, as this is a three part trilogy which can only be completed by reuniting this with the other two. Early Ulver is an unmatched pleasure to listen to, so I don't have to ask you to pick this and the other two up.

Nothing, and i mean nothing is better than this cd. The first day i got it, i had listened to it 4 times in 5 hours. I can't get over how dramatic it sounds. I take the whole cd as a story, with each song depicting a certain event in the storyline. Trust me, i dont need to tell you how the story works, you will easily discover it on your own. The music is EXTREMELY melodic black metal. There are only a few songs with actual growling in it, but that would not bother anyone listening to it. His clean vocalization is stunning. The drums make the music a lot more heavy than it would have been if not for that style. The use of folk-like acoustics and flute help make this album the inspiration for beautiful imagery and fantasy daydreams (or dreams, depending on when your listening to it). Nothing before has given me more emotion and feeling than this cd. Though it is well known for its beauty and epic verses, it still maintains its heavy visage. IF YOU DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR LIFE THAT BENEFITS YOU, BUY THIS CD!

im just going to start out by saying that ulver was blessed with an incredible song writing gift. they sure know how to structure a song to make it sound most incredible minute after minute. i've heard "kvelds" and "natten's" but this one is an absolute must own if you have an ear for truely epic music, spin chillingly arousing riffs, and thunderous battery (or drums, for the slow person). now, don't get me wrong, both those albums are masterpieces in their oun unique ways, but if you were drawn in by those, you will Love Bergtatt.

BUY IT !

i love this album so much that it's hard for me not to listen to it. believe it or not, they actually use the flute in a few of their clean passages and they pull it of! everything is done extremely tastefully without any added preservatives, if you catch my drift. maybe your looking at it and saying,"but their's only five songs," and i see where your coming from, but what's more important, five amazing songs or ten or eleven "ok"songs.

i know you will do the right thing.
thank you for your time.