Early Ulver

[Eoin McLove]

I had the 'Vargnatt' demo (Kyrck reissue) on in the car this morning.  I only picked it up a few months ago and I love it.  I'm familiar with the early Ulver stuff from listening to it occasionally online but only recently had the urge to check it out properly, which in my case means buying a physical copy and spending some quality time with it.  I also picked up the recent Century Media reissue of 'Bergtatt' on vinyl,  which I also like a lot, but it's a much slicker affair.  They polished off many of the rough edges from the demo,  the warts and all,  and it is a fine album but there is something about the naiivety striving for greatness that you can hear on the demo material that makes it a little more special.  I even don't mind Garm's attempts at operatic singing.  They are ludicrous and funny and thankfully don't last long,  so I'm more than happy to live with them.  'Kveldsanger' and 'Nattens Madrigal' are next in my Ulver hit- list.  Again,  I'm somewhat familiar with both but I'm looking forward to giving them some proper attention. 

[Ducky]

Bergtatt is my personal fave as there's a lot of different stuff happening, it's a really nice and dynamic sounding record.

NM is one of the few vicious black metal albums I really love. It has that razor-sharp guitar tone but there's still a low end to it.

Never got on with Kveldssanger. I don't mind a folky interlude, but not a whole album of it.

[Blizzard Beast]

Loved their early stuff  with 8 Hymns being the last cd I enjoyed from them properly before they went exploring the industrial Depeche Mode type route,which isnt bad either mind.

[Eoin McLove]

Yeah,  some of the later stuff is cool.  I have no problem with it at all.  I just tend to veer more toward that early 90s style these days. It's remarkable how eclectic their sound was,  even on the demo.  They were pushing the edges of that sound considerably right from the beginning.  Another album that I've grown fond of recently is 'Min Tid Skall Komme' by Fleurety. I think it has a similar boldness to it,  even if they seem to have been drawing more from jazz than folk.  The results aren't a million miles from Ulver.

I think it was the Dold Vorde Ens Navn album that made me interested in properly exploring the early Ulver stuff.

[Carnage]

I can't abide their early stuff, but then I'm not a black metal fan so it's not for me anyway. Lyckantropen Themes and Perdition City I loved, but their other more recent material seems a bit bland to me.

[Blizzard Beast]

Yeah,  some of the later stuff is cool.  I have no problem with it at all.  I just tend to veer more toward that early 90s style these days. It's remarkable how eclectic their sound was,  even on the demo.  They were pushing the edges of that sound considerably right from the beginning.  Another album that I've grown fond of recently is 'Min Tid Skall Komme' by Fleurety. I think it has a similar boldness to it,  even if they seem to have been drawing more from jazz than folk.  The results aren't a million miles from Ulver.

I think it was the Dold Vorde Ens Navn album that made me interested in properly exploring the early Ulver stuff.

I have the Fleurity 7' also and the vocals were nuts on that.
Ved Buens Ende - written in waters, Artcurus Asperia hymns and Ulver had some cool stuff going on in the 90's which was different to the Emperor,Satyricon,Immortal black metal.

[Eoin McLove]

Yep,  love all that stuff mentioned.  The Fleurety 7" is mental sounding.  The vocals are something else!

[Shane]

 

[Eoin McLove]

I recognise the Primordial contingent.  I'm guessing the other two are Ulvers?

[Thorn]

Cool photo Shane, Metal points shower upon you.

[Snare]

That has to be Marcus at the back Shane?

[Kurt Cocaine]

That has to be Marcus at the back Shane?

Was he on the aul Poppers?

[Shane]

 

[Snare]

Hehehe, class!

I never got around to checking Ulver out myself, mist take a chance some time.

[Eoin McLove]

What's the story with the photos? The bottom one looks like London.