Top tens for 2010: Svein Egil Hatlevik (Zweizz)

Ulver + Zweizz to tour Europe

New international tourdates for Ulver with support from Zweizz:

03/22 - Koko, London (UK)
03/26 - Trabendo, Paris (FRA)
03/27 - Incorso, Rotterdam (NL)
03/28 - Uebel & Gefaehrlich, Hamburg (GER)
03/29 - Matrix, Bochum-Langendreer (GER)
03/30 - Substage, Karlsruhe (GER)
03/31 - Z7, Basel (CH)
04/01 - Backstage Hall, Munich (GER)
04/02 - Madonn Delfabero Madonn Delfabero, Ravena (ITA)
04/03 - Szene, Vienna (AUS)
04/06 - K17, Berlin (GER)
04/07 - Majestic, Bratislava (SLO)
04/08 - Beatpol, Dresden (GER)
04/09 - Biebob, Antwerp (BEL)
04/10 - Colosaal, Asschaffenburg (GER)

Ulver + Virus + Zweizz

Norwegian noisenik/prankster Zweizz has been added to the Ulver/Virus show in London at KOKO and will also be accompanying the former on a number of other dates.

Ulver + Virus live in London

Norwegian avant-metal legends Ulver and Virus will be performing in London together on March 22 at KOKO: http://www.koko.uk.com/listings/ulver-virus-22-03-2011

Ulver, live in Porto

Ulver will be travelling to Portugal to perform at Casa da Música on November 5 alongside industrial/noise legends Throbbing Gristle. Click here for details.

Nidingr
Wolf-father
Jester Records

Nidingr are one of those bands who make up for their lack of releases with the supremacy of their recordings, and "Wolf-father" is no exception. Musically, this is unmistakably Teloch and Blargh at work and it is a fitting follow-up to 2005's "Sorrow infinite and darkness". Just as that album displayed a strange character unique to Nidingr, so does "Wolf-father" exude an enigmatic presence that doesn't quite sound like anything else out there. As much as founder-member Teloch may loathe genre labelling, the best way to describe Nidingr to the untrained ear is to explain that it's predominantly deathened black metal (yes, that's the right way around) with elements of 'weird' included. When compared to its predecessor, it has an almost muffled sonority yet, as a standalone album, the production is spot-on, complimenting the musical output to perfection. A short album, clocking in at just under 23 minutes, it's definitely a case of quality over quantity, but with the legendary Hellhammer offering his expertise behind the kit, a special guest appearance by Ulver's Garm, and an album that's captivating from start to finish, the quality control mark is firmly stamped and good to go. There's not a dull moment to be had, from the driving main riff of "Baldrs draumar" to its esoteric doomy passages through to "Reginsmol", a song that sounds-off like Burzum on cocaine. It's all inspiring stuff. There's something about it that takes us right back to the heady days of early Norwegian black metal and therein lays its hidden genius. At we enter the latter half of 2010, this looks like it could be one of the top releases of the year.
- John Norby

MP3: Nidingr - Hymiskvitha

I'm not the only one to lose interest in black metal -- genre pioneers Ulver abandoned the genre completely once completing their monumental 3-album trilogy. Which is not to say they abandoned the dark arts completely; in fact, I'd say that some of their post-BM work is ever more black and twisted than "Nattens madrigal". It goes to show that even if you stray, there will still be lines drawing you back, though the news that Ulver mainman Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg's label Jester Records was releasing a "pure" BM album by the band Nidingr still came to me as a surprise. Naturally, I was immensely curious -- though not all of Jester's releases appeal to me, they are always interesting and I knew I had to hear what was so exciting as to inspire such a return. Amazingly, for a label that prides itself on releasing left-field/avant music, Nidingr's "Wolf-Father" is straight-up orthodox: lots of blasting drums (courtesy of Hellhammer), tremolo picking and cold, dissonant riffs. There are a few standout points of interest though, and that's what makes it an exceptional release. First, the recording. On one hand, it's really flat and digital sounding and, to be frank, the drums are lame and unnatural/heavily triggered, but it's also all very in-your-face, especially the vocals. Also, the cleanliness augments the fact that it's a (mostly) unembellished recording, untainted by excessive and unnecessary overdubs. You can even hear the bass! Furthermore, so much BM is marred by ye standard issue reverb-drenched shrieking, but not here: Nidingr is all about raging screams placed front and center in the mix. Which brings me to my second standout point: the lyrics. Not that I could ever understand Enslaved's old Norse lyrics on their (superb) early albums, but I knew what they were about and I knew it was awesome; Nidingr mines those same Viking legends, but they disseminate it in English and they do it with unbridled fury. Taken as a whole, it's almost enough to get me excited about black metal again. Almost, I say, because I doubt anything else will match it anytime soon.

Nidingr - Hymiskvitha

MP3: Withershin - Wherein I exalt

Black metal in 2010, part I. Did the genre desert me or did I simply lose interest? I've been listening to this new Withershin EP ("The hungering void") and pondering these questions because, while I can tell the music is good, I still can't force myself to care. Well-executed melodic Swedish black death ala Dissection...? There's certainly room for more besides Watain. And yet, I feel nothing. I don't mean that in an ironic kvlt way either -- I'm really surprised by my lack of enthusiasm. So where did things go wrong I wonder? The genre did go through a certain amount of growing pains around the turn of the century and now things seem pretty evenly split among two major strains. First, we have the upper-tier established acts who have been going at it for years, some more progressive than others (Enslaved, Mayhem), others more content to drift towards the mainstream (Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir and seriously, WTF is up with this nonsense?). Some just keep on keeping on (Dark Funeral, Marduk), a few decided to abandon the genre completely (Darkthrone sorta, yes Ulver). Then, on the other hand, we have the new BM underground which, from my point of view, seems all too willing to embrace and accept sketchy politics and increasingly shitty, poorly recorded music. A race to the bottom, as I've mentioned here before I believe. The fact that I hear the new Burzum is getting a third vinyl repress bums me out. That means that competent bands like Withershin don't have a place anymore and boring, jaded dudes like me will shrug it off. I think my major hangup must be the lack of mystery in today's BM -- 15 years ago these bands were legitimately terrifying and sounded barely human. They burned down churches and killed each other and lived way off in some distant land that seemed far beyond reach. I distinctly remember hearing Emperor for the first time and how it sounded like absolutely nothing I had ever experienced. Then, a few years later, I remember seeing Emperor's first video and how amazingly disappointed it made me. No longer the aural expression of pure evil, here were a bunch of average metal dudes making an average metal video and playing dress-up in the woods. To say nothing about how boring they were live when I eventually saw them on tour, but the magic was forever lost and bands like Withershin have no hope to reclaim that. I don't know what's to be done though. Has the grim masquerade run its course? Can we start smiling at each other and simply enjoy the music for what it is, not what it used to represent?

Withershin - Wherein I exalt

Jester branches into black-metal

How did I not know about this? Jester Records, the esteemed avant/whatever label run by Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg of Ulver, will be releasing Nidingr's new album "Wolf-father" on June 5, their very first-ever black-metal release. Also, like Ulver's own renown BM-trilogy, this new album is inspired by Norse mythology. Hear a couple samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/nidingr

Ulver - I had too much to dream last night

Ulver has posted the first taste of their upcoming psychrock tribute on myspace, a cover of "I had too much to dream last night" by Electric Prunes: http://www.myspace.com/ulver1
Joining them on this recording are Lars Pedersen of When on drums and Mats Engen from Euroboys on bass. Also note the 2010 European tourdates.

Ulver records a hippie-folk album, collaborates with Sunn 0))), more

Ulver reports: "We have recorded some hippie songs, from the sixties, bands like The 13th Floor Elevators, Byrds, Jefferson Airplane and stranger Aquarian folks. We aim to make this into a full album, a kind of Ulver kicking against the pricks." Expect a sample tune to appear online soon. In other news, the band recorded a collaboration with US doom act Sunn O))) following their appearance at the last Øya Festival, but it is still not yet finished due to the difficulty of getting everyone together in the same place at the same time. Still, they hope to have it ready for release in spring. And lastly, read an extremely extensive interview with the band at Avantgarde-Metal: http://www.avantgarde-metal.com/content/stories2.php?id=127

Trine + Kim designstudio celebrate 10 years

Norwegian visual artists Trine + Kim designstudio celebrate their 10th anniversary of work with a retrospective exhibition on their many iconic album covers (Ulver, Mayhem, DHG, Darkthrone, etc.) and a book collection entitled "Decade". There will be a release party and mini-concert on October 30 at Podium in Olso (RSVP req'd) and I believe their works will be on display for the following two days in the same locale.

Cornelius Jakhelln on Ulver

Cornelius Jakhelln's (Solefald) intro talk from the recent Ulver live (re-)premiere is now published online for your perusal: http://www.jester-records.com/ulver/ulver.html (scroll down)

Ulver live footage on YouTube

Fan-filmed footage from this past weekend's Ulver performance, their first in 15 years, has now surfaced online and Blabbermouth has compiled some clips: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=121080

Ulver to play live for first time in 15 years

Ulver will make their first live appearance in 15 years (!!!) at the Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer on May 30. Details and ticket info: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=34726270&blogID=470259719