Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nattens Madrigal is essential to the true Black Metal fan, December 30, 2004
I, like others who have reviewed this album, was shocked when I first heard the raw noise that was Hymn I..but yet intrigued at the same time. I took a chance (I was previewing at the local shop) and went ahead and shelled out the $$$ for it. I put it on in the stereo at home and started playing video games or reading or whatever and just kinda let it drift to background noise..thats until the chaotic raw noise gave way to a very nice acoustic interlude...so I stop whatever it was I was doing and just stared at the stereo in amazement...thats when I was utterly blown away by the melody that erupted from the speakers when the distortion kicked back in and I knew right at that moment in Hymn I that I had an amazing album in my collection!
as another few ppl have mentioned, the produiction is intentionally raw for the fact they recorded live in the woods with an 8 track recorder, hence accounting for the sudden stops at the end of songs. the more I got used to it, the more I realized that its actually better than alot of supposedly "kvlt" black metal in the fact you can hear all the instruments quite well..which is kinda rare for this genre of music, needless to say. Ulver is absolutly amazing, and you're really missing out if you dont have at least the first 3 albums in your collection!! Every album had something different to offer...but you cant really say that about the electronic recordings they have since released.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
why isn't this considered a classic?!?, July 9, 2002
Of all the albums that make an attempt at creating the "old" black metal feeling, this is surely one of the best. right up there with anything by mayhem or darkthrone.i can't express how much i enjoy this album. once you get past the production, it's absolutly excellent, raw black metal. the songwriting is excellent and i'll contend that the production makes this album BETTER. look, it's easy to say that you're trying to play raw black metal, have garbage production and produce a garbage set of songs. this isn't the case here - the songs are very good. a final note about the production: it's extremely high pitched with almost no bottom end and is physically painful to listen to at times. you get used to it. although it's so odd (bad) you can actually hear how the songs are played, and it works. also, if you turn the treble down and the bass way up, it evens it out a bit. listen to the album 10 times and you're used to it. in addition, the cover art is excellent and all the lyrics are written in english and norwegian inside the liner notes. this is a must have album - give it time & you will be rewarded.
honestly, if i had to keep only five black metal cd's, this would be one.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is black metal for the ears of the interested., November 30, 2004
What do I mean with the title of my piece on this album? Simply put, if you've been led to believe this album is a sure fire hit with anyone who digs black metal, I'm afraid you're mistaken. This one has turned off many ears, including the likes of black metal fans. Personally, I can't see why.
Upon getting the album spinning, the first thing you'll hear is a very noisy Hymn 1. This is the essence of old school BM, my friend, and it's been captured to a T. The following 7 Hymns are equally noisy, and chaotic.
Here's where my point comes in. For someone who hears this one with an unmatured ear, it's easy to associate it with the likes of... well, we all have our bands we dislike for their perceived lack of talent.
To make sure Ulver is one of those bands for you, start off at least sampling each song clip provided by Amazon.com. If you like what you hear, or are intrigued enough to shell out the cost of the album, good for you.
What can you expect when you get your hands on this gem? A very consistant sound, yes, but I guaruntee every song will shine with it's own distict features. I know, because whenever I pop it in, I make sure I have at least 50 minutes so I can listen to the album from beginning to end. I love every song for one reason or another, whether it's the dramatic way the album opens up (Hymn 1), or the catchy, never slowing Hymn 6. And wrapping things up, Hymn 8, a solid closer.
Speaking of Hymn 8, I thought I'd point out one aspect of genius about this album aside from the more popular, "The Production is bad on purpose, therefore makes the album." Most of the songs seem to be cut off, or will fade out, while the riffing is still at full speed. Some of it is the "Bad Production," and some of it is to keep the album rolling, I assume. But, unlike all the songs prior to it, that end abruptly, or even prematurely, Hymn 8 will have a very distict, metal worthy ending, that really solidifies the album as one big work of art.
So, in closing, whether you like it or not, that's up to you. Whether you fully embrace the album for what it's worth? Hey, that's still up to you.
Enjoy.
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