Nattens Madrigal - Aatte Hymne Til Ulven I Manden
Encyclopedia
Nattens madrigal - Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (Madrigal of the Night - Eight Hymns to the Wolf in Man) is the third album by Norwegian
black metal
band Ulver
. It is a concept album
about a man who, through the efforts of Satan
, succumbs to lycanthropy
and the beast within. It is a stark departure from their previous album, Kveldssanger
, which was completely acoustic, and a return to the black metal sound of Bergtatt
, although rejecting the overall ethereal sound of the previous albums. On this album, there is only one brief acoustic interlude on "Hymn I: Of Wolf and Fear" and brief ambient segues into each track. The album showcases a very lo-fi, raw and repetitively hypnotic brand of black metal
. Allegedly, this album was recorded outdoors in a Norwegian forest on an 8-track recorder. However, Garm
said in a video interview that this would not have been possible, as there is no electricity in the forest.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Ulver
Ulver
Ulver is a musical group from Norway. Since their first, folklore-influenced black metal release entitled Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler , Ulver’s musical style has been fluid and increasingly eclectic, blending genres such as rock, electronica, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise and...
. It is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about a man who, through the efforts of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, succumbs to lycanthropy
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
and the beast within. It is a stark departure from their previous album, Kveldssanger
Kveldssanger
-Credits:*Garm - performer*Håvard Jørgensen - performer*Erik Olivier Lancelot - performer*Alf Gaaskjønli - cello*Kristian Romsøe - co-producer, engineer, mixing*Craig Morris - mastering*Tanya "Nacht" Stene - album cover design...
, which was completely acoustic, and a return to the black metal sound of Bergtatt
Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler
-Credits:*Garm - vocals, lyrics*Håvard Jørgensen - guitar*Torbjørn Pedersen - guitar*Erik Olivier Lancelot - drums*Skoll - bass guitar*Sverd - piano*Lill Kathrine Stensrud - female voice, flute...
, although rejecting the overall ethereal sound of the previous albums. On this album, there is only one brief acoustic interlude on "Hymn I: Of Wolf and Fear" and brief ambient segues into each track. The album showcases a very lo-fi, raw and repetitively hypnotic brand of black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
. Allegedly, this album was recorded outdoors in a Norwegian forest on an 8-track recorder. However, Garm
Garm
Garm may refer to:*Garm, Tajikistan, a town in the Rasht Valley.*Garmr, a large dog in Norse mythology that guards Hel, the land of the dead.*The Garm, a dog-like alien being appearing in the Doctor Who episode Terminus....
said in a video interview that this would not have been possible, as there is no electricity in the forest.
Track listing
Credits
- GarmKristoffer RyggKristoffer Rygg , also known as Garm, Trickster G. and recently also God Head is a Spellemannprisen nominated vocalist, musician and producer known as the frontman of Ulver and former vocalist for Arcturus...
– vocals, lyrics - Håvard Jørgensen – guitar
- Torbjørn Pedersen (Aismal) – guitar
- Erik Olivier Lancelot (AiwarikiaR) – drums
- Skoll – bass guitar
- Anders G. Offenberg Jr. – mixing
- Audun Strype – mixing
- Helge Sten – mixing
- Tania "Nacht" Stene – album cover design, photography
- Mortern Andersen – photography
- Helene Broch – photography
- Torgrim Røvreit – photography
Trivia
- In the HBO drama The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, both Meadow Soprano and Anthony Soprano, Jr. have posters featuring the album artwork of Nattens Madrigal in their bedrooms.