I don’t care what genres you prefer. Get this. It’s probably the easiest black metal album to get into, and once you hear it you’ll probably want to delve deeper into the world of black metal and extreme music in general. Anyone who considers themselves a fan of music should consider this an essential listen.

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What makes the album stand out, along with the varied vocal styles and the excellent songwriting, is its unique atmosphere -- mysterious, melancholic, eerie, and oddly tranquil. Considered a black metal classic by some followers of the genre, Bergtatt is an excellent debut and one of the high points among Ulver's impressive, diverse discography.

Bergtatt's massive arrangements are majestic on their own, but the album's esteemed reputation is owed to stylistic diversity, rather than pure aggression.

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ThrowBackG

Anti-Christianty and edgy thematics in metal is something I see as a tiresome gag. Personally, I tend to ask a bit more emotion out of my music than just gimmicks, whatever they may be. Metal is difficult for me in that the very core of the genre is plagued by this idea. Granted, it's rooted that way, but it's not too common to find a metal record that consistently capitalizes on a creative idea without sacrificing it's extremity. The Norwegian black metal scene is the last place I would look ... read more

Harry the House "Owner"

[Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal]

On Bergtatt, Ulver create an amazing combination of both black metal and folk music that works perfectly throughout most of the album. While the instrumentals are loud and thrashing, the vocals themselves are much more folky and calm... that is until your typical black metal-type vocals come into play. And I gotta say, it sounds super atmospheric, and as depicted in the cover, it feels like I'm walking through a stormy and dark forest. It's a weird ... read more

2y*

jeetygt

🌨️ WINTER WEEK 2021 🌨️
Review #2: "Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler" by Ulver (1995)

A truly spellbinding and nice journey into black metal, indeed! Ulver's debut is widely seen as being a defining black metal album of its time, and I can see why. I think it deftly balances clean singing and shrieked growls, and two auras -- one of accessibility and one of purity.

There are other black metal albums I thought about listening to and writing about here (Blut Aus Nord's ... read more

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