Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Ulver - Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997)

There's an intensity to Ulver's third full length that is as warming as it is abrasive.  Lot's of black metal records use the harsh tremolo of the riffing to push the extremity of their sound but on Nattens Madrigal... there's an edge to that corrosive fury that forms a structured layering to the chaos.  In that regard, you can feel each track building, evolving and taking on new form throughout.  Far be it from an unexpected trait but the intelligence behind this record is obvious and celebrated really well across all eight tracks.

I can't always put my finger on the true pulse of the album's more abrasive moments but that is not to say that it is lost as such; at it's core this album is pure black metal fury at its very finest.  But what appears to be a very fast or uptempo track actually feels more laboured upon closer listen, almost like the true dark heart of the record refuses to be suppressed by its own fiery rage and is constantly striving to thrive and make it's presence felt.

The album has it's share of sonics too.  Bold and blazing, not fully forward in the mix yet still so audible and virulent, they contextualise the refinement of the record perfectly.  At the same time there is still a definite sense of the album not suffering from any of the obvious poise and capability present.  Tracks start clumsily at times and can end suddenly in mid-full flow, the authenticity value of this as a trve black metal album is high.  The album is crudely melodic with only a handful of the more ambient/atmospheric passages present on the record.

It's hard to find fault with an album of such unadulterated and unbridled barbarity that at the same time offers such a depth in the sound whilst maintaining a familiar howling coldness.  Definite must have black metal right here.