BLACK METAL

[ConcreteMascara]

MDF 2013 was the last year I went to the fest. so many amazing sets that year Antaeus like you mentioned, Bolt Thrower, Revenge, Cruciamentum and Deiphago. the Carcass set was so boring

My last year as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the Carcass set though. Unsurprisingly it was focused on "Heartwork" and to a lesser extent "Necroticism" and the new record, but I thought it still sounded good. Whereas Revenge and Deiphago were really boring to me, especially with the god awful mixing for Deiphago. But to each their own.

Enslaved - Blodhemn 1998 - GREAT.  Intense. Last top Enslaved album?  I wondered why it scored so low at Metallum.  Someone gave it a 23%.  Nut.  The drumming is more precise than Trym's, but that doesn't make it better.  Just that it is.  Could do without some of the solos, appreciate the Hawkwind electronics, and didn't notice until now the Iron Maiden influence in "Eit Auga Til Mimir".

All earlier Enslaved is pretty damn enjoyable. A lover of "Frost" myself. But I also really enjoy "Below the Lights", which is way more progressive metal or whatever than viking or black etc etc. but it's nice record to listen to while sitting around a campfire in the woods and evening drives.

[DSOL]

I not a big fan of Heartwork mixed with the weather being much more chilly than pervious years (had to buy a Beherit long sleeve because I didn't pack anything chilly weather clothes) made me just miserable during their set lol.

so far the lineup announced for next year is looking pretty decent

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

Enslaved - Blodhemn 1998 - GREAT.  Intense. Last top Enslaved album?  I wondered why it scored so low at Metallum.  Someone gave it a 23%.  Nut.  The drumming is more precise than Trym's, but that doesn't make it better.  Just that it is.  Could do without some of the solos, appreciate the Hawkwind electronics, and didn't notice until now the Iron Maiden influence in "Eit Auga Til Mimir".

I love it too. Although "Frost" is definitely my ultimate favourite in their discography and one of my favourite black metal albums as well. There are some good things on "Mardraum" but I can't hang with them afterwards.

[Zeno Marx]

I remembered being a big fan of Ulver's Bergtatt, but I hadn't played it in maybe 15 or more years.  One of those (greats) that slips through the cracks.  What a masterpiece.  Bona fide.  Now that I have a lot more experience with various types of music, like prog and Nordic folk; I can appreciate Bergtatt even more.  I feel this album could be akin to something like Captain Beyond.  In years to come, the clued will wonder how such a truly great album went unnoticed in its time and basically continues to go unnoticed.  Despite the black metal segments, I don't understand why this album isn't/couldn't/won't be relatively huge and well known across a handful of audiences.

[holy ghost]

I remembered being a big fan of Ulver's Bergtatt, but I hadn't played it in maybe 15 or more years.  One of those (greats) that slips through the cracks.  What a masterpiece.  Bona fide.  Now that I have a lot more experience with various types of music, like prog and Nordic folk; I can appreciate Bergtatt even more.  I feel this album could be akin to something like Captain Beyond.  In years to come, the clued will wonder how such a truly great album went unnoticed in its time and basically continues to go unnoticed.  Despite the black metal segments, I don't understand why this album isn't/couldn't/won't be relatively huge and well known across a handful of audiences.

Nattens Madrigal was HUGE for me in the late 90's and Bergtatt was a close second. I have truly lost any connection with contemporary black metal (although the 90's stuff I still really click with of course), but these seemingly always make their way into the rotation when I'm in the mood for black metal along with the early Emperor albums. I do recall thinking Bergtatt was a tad "soft" and "not grimm enough" in comparison to NM and yet it's aged perfectly for me. CM did reissues of the first three albums a few years ago and they really did a great job. I framed the Nattens Madrigal poster that accompanied it and it is the highlight of my record room.

[Zeno Marx]

I could never really get into Nattens.  I revisited it a few days ago and still feel the same.  After the masterwork of Bergtatt and the great beauty of Kveldssanger, that was a shift in direction I had no interest following.  I think I understand what they were doing there, but eh...novelty.

I do think --though I also find this reason for lack of interest completely asinine and ridiculous-- they made a real mistake and poor calculation in not originally releasing the first two on LP.  It was just still too anti-CD then, and black metalheads were every bit as obsessed with records as the punks.

[totalblack]

I could never really get into Nattens.  I revisited it a few days ago and still feel the same.  After the masterwork of Bergtatt and the great beauty of Kveldssanger, that was a shift in direction I had no interest following.  I think I understand what they were doing there, but eh...novelty.

I do think --though I also find this reason for lack of interest completely asinine and ridiculous-- they made a real mistake and poor calculation in not originally releasing the first two on LP.  It was just still too anti-CD then, and black metalheads were every bit as obsessed with records as the punks.

I remember reading somewhere that Nattens Madrigal was made as a reactionary record that they did to prove they could write better records than Darkthrone and the like ... which sort of explains the radical shift in sound to black metal by numbers and then into much stranger territory immediately following it. I was under the impression that the early records were regarded as classics and staples of the genre

[holy ghost]

I'm revisiting Bergtatt now and I definitely think it has aged better than Nattens Madrigal. Or is it a symptom of me being 38 and not 18? Or how about that I'm playing it on a nice grown up stereo vs a tape I dubbed of the CD with shit headphones? The variables are endless! This truly is a beautiful album, that mixes the folky acoustic bits really well with the endless riffing. There's a part in track III that sounds like a door slamming right in the middle of the song and that moment always reminds me of how "hypnotic" this record is because every time I zone out to the max and that one moment just sets me right back in to the album. It's sheer brilliance. The bass playing is absolutely stellar as well on this record, not too flashy but definitely more than just marking the root, it's an absolute highlight.

My love for Nattens Madrigal will never change. I remember the endless stupid commentary/myth-making about it being recorded in a forest at midnight or whatever inane bullshit people made up and the endless forum backlash..... still sounds great to me!!!

[Zeno Marx]

I remember reading somewhere that Nattens Madrigal was made as a reactionary record that they did to prove they could write better records than Darkthrone and the like ... which sort of explains the radical shift in sound to black metal by numbers and then into much stranger territory immediately following it.

That's interesting.  Never heard that.  I can't say I ever heard any folklore about Nattens, but that scene was never on my radar.  There's no reason I would have heard it, but now that we're talking, it sounds like fun.

I was under the impression that the early records were regarded as classics and staples of the genre

I really shouldn't make any declarations about black metal.  I probably couldn't be any further removed from it.  I hope I didn't come across as if I were.  What I was hoping to communicate was that they're both so well done that I would think they could appeal at a high level to audiences not of the black metal variety.  I would think the folkies would be genuinely impressed.  The proggers as well.  The goth metallers and Projektights too.  etc.  I'm probably kidding myself.  Ved Beuns Ende was pretty great, and they didn't get any deserved crosstalk.

[holy ghost]

I'll echo the above that these Ulver records suffered greatly at the hands of the CD (pic LP limited to 300) mentality of the 90's as the overall aesthetic of all three early records are absolutely stunning, the reissues look absolutely beautiful and really highlight the music within. I'm on to NM now and wow, did this album define my teen years in a lot of ways. It's so interesting to see the shift in perception towards production in black metal, this just does not really sound as "raw" as it's referenced. It's got a ton of fantastic riffs on it and the production suits it. It's efinitely a slap in the face compared to Bergtatt but definitely not this sloppy nightmare joke record it's defined as.

Incidentally Ulver have left me completely cold post NM, I went back to Shadows of the Sun recently and it was just not anything I could get into. Same with the Sunn/Ulver collab but I did really and truly love that Aethenor record with the blue cover "En Form for Bla" I think? Once I hit up some early Emperor that's going on.

[totalblack]

I enjoy everything up until ~2003 ... Perdition City in particular for whatever reason has a special place in my heart even though its just weird pop \ downtempo \ trip hop ... As much as I love the mid era Beherit weirdness of H418ov21.C and Electric Doom Synthesis, Ulver just did it better in my opinion

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Despite the black metal segments, I don't understand why this album isn't/couldn't/won't be relatively huge and well known across a handful of audiences.

To me it always seemed Ulver is way bigger than any typical Black Metal? Maybe it's different in different countries. But over here, any works of Ulver seems to be widely listened, acknowledged way beyond "bm audience".

That said, band has never been much of interest of mine. Beyond 1st and 3rd album, I never heard anything really interesting. These two also rarely end up to my stereos because both albums having lots of good things, also have things I don't care for. One major obstacle the gentle sounding boyish choir vocals in debut. In both albums the advanced musicianship often is turn off. I don't mean BM needs to be played like shit, but there is often sort of "musicians having fun" feel to Ulver - whatever era we talk about.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

I've always felt like Ulver's music (I know nothing after "Nattens Madrigal" though) was much more conceptual and arty than the other black metal bands' music from the same location and time. No satanism, no corpsepaints, no kvlt label, no stupid production (except for "Nattens Madrigal", which is why the band is revered in BM circles I think, but ultimately, it's much more thought out than a Gorgoroth album, if I may say so), nothing that'd make them stand out besides incredibble musicianship and talent in songwriting. That's a shame.

[Zeno Marx]

I'd never heard Mysticum - In The Streams of Inferno 1996 before a couple days ago.  Some noteworthy atmosphere and vibe, and I like the feel the electronic drums give it.  I'm not seeing any credits for synths, but they're there.  Or is that some kind of guitar triggered MIDI deal?  The photos on the Peaceville reissue are creepy in a deranged, not mentally well way.  They're also funny.  What's the deal with the hard drug connexion and black metal?  Is that tongue-in-cheek?  Something common to underground culture in Norway?  Obviously, heroine etc isn't unique to Norway or black metal, but since it seems to be something specifically mentioned on albums, I'm curious.

[Scat-O-Logy]