ALBUM REVIEW: Ulven – Death Rites Upon A Winged Crusade

The new Ulven release is something I have seen shared by joint labels Death Kvlt Productions, Morbid Chapel Records and Folkvangr Records, it certainly intrigued me so, here are my thoughts!

1. Ninth Psalm Under Moons Of Decay kicks things in with some ambience and bell samples, setting an eerie mood with hope for some great atmosphere. There is a certain sense of unease and some really creepy sampling used very well.
2. Howling Death comes straight in with forceful and harsh Black Metal assaults, the barrage of blast beats and chainsaw guitar attack is stunning and the vocals sound hideous, from the off I have high hopes for a real dark and moody Black Metal album. The production is clear, but of course Lo-Fi fitting the standard formula, with some incredibly Dark Funeral type riffing used excellently. The vocals are very unique with some lower range Death Metal growls, Inquisition style bloodcurdling snarls and a possible influence of Legion (ex Marduk). The lead guitar is simplistic but adds depth and atmosphere to further the songs soundscape really nicely. The acoustic ending was a really cool and unexpected twist too. Great opening track.
3. Night Of The Long Knife continues on from the acoustic ending of the previous song, which works really beautifully bringing the album together as a whole piece, something I think is a very useful skill. The vocals are really dark and creep in perfectly, there is an almost DSBM feel to start which works well, coming into a slower tempo piece. The atmospherics are huge and really pleasant to listen to with absolutely stunning songwriting throughout. This track has a really traditional Black Metal feeling to it and is well paced, with softer parts and hard attack used in conjunction very well indeed. The use of acoustic guitar in the second half is well placed and fits nicely, this artist clearly has a strong sense of how to string various elements in Extreme Metal together while making it work. Shortly after the cascading distorted riffs over simplistic drum beats kick in with a really melancholic but also tranquil feeling. This song is really one to check out for any kind of Black Metal lover.
4. A Shadow Suspended In Dust fires in without warning at all, the much faster paced bombardment of riffs is still very welcome though. The dissonant and miserable feel of this song is very much like Shining or Bethlehem, the fast tempo not lasting long and taking a more drudging and gut wrenching approach but wrapping round into more blast beats and tremolo picked madness. The song is really enjoyable and has tons of elements (like varied vocals, tempos and riff styles) that keep it interesting but more importantly fit together well. The more aggressive parts will certainly please fans of Leviathan and similar artists, a very diverse and unique track.
5. Winged Promise has once more a very traditional Black Metal approach with huge atmosphere, snarled vocals, tremolo picked chords and blasting drums. It is really well executed with a feel of early Immortal albums, something I am sure many people will enjoy. The waves of relentless riffing and brutal vocal lines are incredibly easy to digest for an Extreme Metal fan, and the whole track goes down really nicely. Previous songs have had more unique touches, but this strings the album together nicely and certainly is a more digestible piece for new listeners. A very exciting thing I must say about this album is the fact you have no idea where it is going to go next, in this case it goes for heavy almost Doom Metal parts with a really dragging and vitriolic feel to it.
6. When It’s Cold begins with ambience much like the very start of the album, giving a certain cold feel to it for sure. The acoustic guitar really feels haunting in this piece which I love. This song is a really emotional and effective interlude between the layers of Black Metal. The randomly added strange synths sound really cool too!
7. Necrolust is much more upbeat than any of the other songs giving it a real Norwegian Black n Roll feel to it, bands like Carpathian Forest, Taake and Tsjuder have clearly influenced this and it is a style I am both familiar with and enjoy a lot. This song is a great nod to the bands that originated the genre and while not being excessively original, it works surprisingly well to follow the acoustic interlude of the previous song.
8. Blood Drained From The Veins Of Black Hearts follows in the atmosphere of the previous track, but this time with a more dreary feeling to it, the project is certainly very ambitious in trying to utilise so many styles, but the way they are so smoothly flowing together I have to say it really works. The vocals on this song are the best yet with a really grim and cold feel to them, Attila (Mayhem) and Abbath (ex-Immortal) would certainly approve of these gruesome howls. The guitar riffs and drums are pretty standard, but set a really trance inducing atmosphere which is actually really pleasant. The ambient organ ending to the song caught me off guard and was actually a really cool way to end it, although it felt more like it would draw the album out, I am intrigued to see how the momentum is reinstated for the final song.
9. Where Light Barely Penetrates comes straight in with some beautiful acoustic guitar and a really sombre feeling to it. The full Black Metal assault drops in without warning with really heartfelt and beautiful guitars, there is such an emotive feel to this track from the off, with clearly cathartic vocals and a really pure feeling to the song. There is both a real melancholy but almost a joy too in this music, absolutely astounding work that is packed full of nail biting guitars, forceful drums and such perfect vocals for the track. I think this song has to be the best for me, just for its sheer down to Earth emotivity that really makes you feel connected to the music. Once more acoustic guitars take over, with a really depressing mood coming in, the drums are simplistic in a way that does not spoil the feel, which I am glad of. The way it goes back and forth between acoustic and full on Black Metal is done with such precision that makes it flow in a stunning manner. The mix of upbeat atmospherics and drawn out lingering chords is fantastic. Absolutely gorgeous closing piece of music, incredibly well written too!

My initial thoughts which really liked the style were concern that there would be a lack of particularly unique songwriting (please note I said initial), I was proven to be sorely mistaken, which I am glad of. There is tons of absolutely evil Black Metal attack, but so much more, from the bleaker slow tempo sections and acoustic parts through to DSBM influence and Death Metal growls in parts. An excellent release, that really demands the listeners respect. -7.5/10