Ulver – Bergtatt Et Eventyr I 5 Kapitler (1995)

1.	Capitel I : I Troldskog Faren Vild 	     07:51
2.	Capitel II : Soelen Gaaer Bag Aase Need	 06:34
3.	Capitel III : Graablick Blev Hun Vaer	 07:45
4.	Capitel IV : Een Stemme Locker	         04:01			play
5.	Capitel V : Bergtatt - Ind I Fjeldkamrene	 08:06

Personnel:
Garm 	- Vocals
Haavard - Guitar
Aismal 	- Guitar
Skoll - Bass
AiwarikiaR – Drums.

“Bergtatt” is the first album by Norwegian black metal band, Ulver. It is the first installment of their astonishing black metal trilogy. And in all honesty, it could be one of the best albums of all time.

The album is well written and well executed. It combines clean vocals, folk acoustic guitars, flutes and really aggressive black metal. And the result is fucking beautiful!

The vocals on “Bergtatt” are performed by Garm. As we all know, Garm is a very classy vocalist. Everything the man touches turns to gold and “Bergtatt” is no exception. If you have heard all of his works, you know he uses a different style of vocals on every release. Here, he uses both clean vocals and blackened screams. His clean vocals on “Bergtatt” are probably his weakest singing he has recorded. However, this does not stop the singing from being absolutely gorgeous. He sings atmospherically here, with no Garm-like power that he usually does. He sounds like an innocent young man that would not hurt a fly. Unusual for black metal, huh? But here, it works. It works so well that Garm gets a whole song to sing. “I Troldskogg Faren Vild” is a masterpiece song with no harsh vocals whatsoever. It contains pure atmospheric singing with less aggressive black metal music. A masterful performance. Garm also uses black shrieks. They are not quite Garm’s venomous vocals from Arcturus’ “Aspera” or Borknagar’s “Borknagar”, but they get the job done.

Guitars are simply astounding. Guitarist Aismal is a very talented man. He plays beautifully and handles all the distorted guitars. Some of his leads and solos on “I Troldskogg Faren Vild” are fucking stunning. Along with beauty, Aismal applies anger into his riffs. Nasty, aggressive guitars run rampant in “Graablick Blev Hun Vaer” and “Soelen Gaaer Bag Aase Need”. Some of the most amazing guitar work I have ever heard. Aismal shares the stage with Haavard, the acoustic guitarist. He is equally as good as Aismal in his respective position. He is utilized on “Bergtatt” nicely adding a classical and folk feel. Haavard is like the less violent side of the guitars. He is there to balance out the aggression offering a more tranquil sound. He also gets his own song with the acoustic instrumental, “Een Stemme Locker”. This is a nice, repetitive song with spine-chilling female vocals in the background.

AiwarkiaR is the man behind the drum set. He is definitely one of black metal’s most underrated drummers. His performance here is his personal best; and an incredible effort for all drummers in general. AiwarkiaR performs three of the four standard time signatures of black metal on “Bergtatt”. 12/8, 4/4, 6/8 and blast beats. The only one I don’t hear on this album is 6/8. His 12/8 and 4/4 are nothing spectacular, but AiwarkiaR really shines when it comes to blast beats. His violent, fanatical drumming is what gives “Bergtatt” a hostile sounding environment. The man really knew how to make his drums sound terribly ugly and raw. This sound is perfect for “Bergtatt”.

While AiwarkiaR, Aismal, and Garm contribute to the vicious side of “Bergtatt”, there are lighter sides as well. Of course Garm shows up here with his light clean vocals and Haavard contributes his unruffled melodies, but there are a few session musicians that supply relaxing segments to the album as well. I mentioned a female singer earlier, but did not say that she provides the flute on this album as well. “Soelen Gaaer Bag Aase Need” has an amazing opening that features her magnificent flute skills. The flute is intertwined with Haavard’s acoustic guitar and it sounds so peaceful. Of course this unflustered moment is mangled by aggressive guitars and blast beats. But a very beautiful moment indeed. Another session musician is Sverd of fellow Norwegian band, Arcturus. As always, Sverd performs masterfully and is used during the ambient break in “Graablick Blev Hun Vaer”.

Every song is a highlight on “Bergtatt”. There are virtually no flaws. The only blemish about the album is the length. It is way too short. Only running about 35 minutes, this album could have added at least one more eight minute song. But what can you do, huh? Overall, “Bergtatt” is a masterpiece. It is well worth the $15 that most go for. I highly recommend! --- Jiri777, metal-archives.com

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