Blood Inside

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Customer reviews

review by: Zyrcona date: 2008-01-01 rating:
Not at all what I expected
I understood that Ulver was a Norwegian black metal band and had heard it compared to other bands of this genre that I like, such as Arcturus and Dimmu Borgir. Unfortunately I didn't like any of the tracks on this CD -- I couldn't even listen to it in the background while I was doing something else. It sounded to me more like it belonged to the synthetic music genre (Jan Hammer and Jean Michel Jarre). Reading the other reviews, it would seem this band's earlier releases were more traditional black metal, but to be honest after hearing this, I'm not too enthusiastic about trying them.

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review by: mccanns23 date: 2007-02-28 rating:
and now for something completely different......
Blood inside is a 2005 album from the once dark lords of ambient black metal,i say once dark lords as this is very far removed from their old sound,in fact on listening to this you would hardly guess unless you knew that ulver were once a black metal group,for this is an electonic album,an album that mixes piano with electronics and real drums with all in between from sythns,violins,trumpets,keyboards and some of the greatest melodies outside the metal world.
The album opens with the brilliant 'dressed in black',its a track with so much going on in it that at times it feels scary and claustrophobic and thats the desired effect i would assume and it works,'for the love of god follows' and again you get variety but this song is catchier and has plenty of melodies within,at times my mind thinks of pink floyd listening to this and an artist i know little of except a few songs called moby who was big in the early part of the century,and the beach boys spring to mind,thats not to say that they sing like those lads ,its just that the songs are so epic and vast,'christmas' follows and starts off with bells jingling and then a beautiful song develops,yes the album is beautiful but also tainted with dark subject matters,fear of death,fear of hospitals,fear of the unknown,this is a 45 minute exercise in brilliance and i didnt think i would like this as i liked ulver as they were during their first three albums but this is breathtaking and deserves praise and recognition.

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review by: date: 2007-02-08 rating:
The Next Step Of Ulver
After a host of short and sweet electronic EP's, Ulver created one of their most enthralling works with 2005's "Blood Inside". Musically this is something of a return to a band format, encompassing the electronic style they have perfected with releases such as "Perdition City" and "Lyckantropen Themes", but introducing some more traditional instruments and song writing. While this may put off some of the exclusively electronic fans, I believe this is an excellent step forward and a great new evolution for the band.

The album is visually and thematically very interesting. The white and red cover art continues the mysterious and minimalist art the band usually opts for, this time giving a somewhat hospital and health vibe. And this is certainly a major theme to the album, with the word blood cropping up in both the album's title and in the song "Blinded By Blood", and hinted at with "In The Red". Promo pics of the band on their website (note that there are no band photos in the glossy and minimalist liner notes, another constant aspect to the enigmatic Ulver styling) shows the band dressed up in surgical attire holding bloody knives.

So the vibes are definitely bloody, hospitalised and surgical ones, but that isn't the only theme to the lyrics. There is a lot of mention of God, songs such as "For The Love of God" combine this with the blood theme - "going down faster than the light / blood of the God word spoken in tongues / that we see the end". In the song "Christmas" more references to God are made - "A God is born and others die...A new God is a word - or the mere sound / don't seek and don't trust, for all is mystery". To me, such lyrics are condemning the glorification or God, giving a general theme that beliefs are dangerous, and God cannot stop atrocities and death. And this is where I believe the hospital theme links in, emphasised by the song "In The Red" which parallels the role of a hospital to God, moving from birth - "Out of nature / something bloody / a body" - to the hospital - "In need of help / a heart / taken away for a moment / ambulance / hospital doors open / a great white". This seems to be pinnacle of the themes presented, the combination and conflict between nature (God) and man (the hospital). Of course I may be way off here, but this is my interpretation of an interesting and intriguing theme.

As for the music, well it's hard to really explain properly, due to its diverse nature. There are those lovely atmospheric and moody overtones that Ulver execute so perfectly, but there are also more traditional instruments playing a larger role than I expected. The songs also follow a more traditional structuring, with some having distinct verse and chorus patterns. This does not mean the album is accessible, or "pop", or "selling-out". This is still strictly Ulver - dark, brooding, atmospheric, melodic and extremely addictive. My personal favorites would have to be "Christmas" which has a lovely winter feel to it and some of Garm's best vocals on the album. "It Is Not Sound" which displays perfectly the new style fusing the electronic and traditional elements perfectly, and the very moody "Your Call" which is one of Ulver's most unsettling and glorious songs to date.

A fan of Ulver's electronic works should not be disappointed here. Yes, the band has changed their sound a little, but this shouldn't be a surprise, after all, this is the same band that created one of the heaviest and downright ferocious black metal albums ever made ("Nattens Madrigal"). For new fans of the band, I think this would be a very nice place to start, as it encompasses everything I love about their music.

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review by: NattensMadrigal date: 2006-02-08 rating:
Always Ulver, 1 thought fills immensity.
Always. Always.
These guys are just astonishing. every album is awesome (except themes being a little dicey at times). This is no exception though it did take me a few listens to understand. i think it was the 6th where it really clicked.
Something special first happens on 'for the love of god' where a trudgeing beat works into a beautiful cascade, drenched in a some sort of euphoric bliss i cant quite word, though i have never heard anything this joyful by ulver before. it is liberating not by some pagan spirited guitar riffing, or reflective ambience, it feels more like some moment of a joyful epiphany.

the more i listen to this album, the more it grows. my ears have accepted the initially odd scandinavien euro vocals and soak them up eagerly.

Blinded by blood has an intro, with lovely off chord chimes which continue throughout this tune. an intro of elend like angelic singing shimmmering overhead, fading synths and some wonderful soul voice (remminiscent of moby) stirs you. how do ulver make music this....holy?

definatly different, definatly noir. reminds me even of P.floyd, moby, aphex and nobody simultaneously.

You havent heard anything like this before from ulver, or any other band. it's not for every mood, and it's not for everyone, but those who try it may very well adore it.

I dont know, how there is something still free in ulvers music, still rebellious like their black metal, because this could not be furthur removed from nattensmadrigal.

i want more.
and yes, Wolves Evolve.


review by: empbot date: 2005-11-17 rating:
Pure class!
The last reviewer was spot on. This is darker than 'Perdition City', the occasional jazz influence remains but there is much more orchestral and dark-ambient influence. The percussion throughout is stunning especially the cymbal-work in 'Christmas' (what a great song!!!). Garm's vocals are great throughout and even quite sad in places.

This has no genre, I could try to define it but I'm not capable. This is simply good music that anyone with a smidgeon of sense would like.

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