Why Ulver ever bothered to abandon this style is beyond me. Although I find some of their other "ambient" black metal somewhat appealing, this really was the highlight of their muscial progression (I assume Garm would claim the opposite). In fact, I really believe this to be one of the better pieces in history of that whole scene.

Fury is the keyword here. Every track on here is played at an absolutely blinding speed, and mixed with the horrendous production, it produces a great effect. The sound is much in the vein of Darkthrone, and they have been unduly labeled Darkthrone clones as a result of this work. Yet, I see no logical reason for this. Ulver is clearly a much different band than Darkthrone, and like I said, the only comparison I can draw is that of their mutually disgusting sounds.

Imagine the thin guitars from "Under A Funeral Moon," blended with the dark and thick backdrop of "Transylvanian Hunger," and you have got a pretty good grasp at what "Nattens..." sounds like. The main difference between Ulver and Darkthrone however, lies in the former's excellent technical ability. The drummer is obviously one of the fastest in the scene, and keeps up a steady pace of blast beats that is really hard to believe. Well done. The guitars are also very well executed. There seems to be only two tracks allocated for them, so solos and other commodities are played first time, and "on the spot." Amazingly, I don't believe I heard one mistake throughout.

Lastly, there is certian trance element to this work which clearly sets it apart from the fray. In between songs in particular, there are some remarkable synth passges that... are very special to say the least. Although not altogether important, they do play a part in the end result of the album.

Excellent work. Enjoy it because Ulver will never sound like this again.

© 2002 orodruin