CoC : Ulver - Silencing the Singing : Review

Ulver - _Silencing the Singing_
(Jester Records, 2001)
by: Quentin Kalis (9.5 out of 10)

Ulver have frequently been described as chameleons, due to their propensity for drastic changes in musical styles, but I disagree with this observation. A chameleon always changes to fit in with its environment, and at no time have Ulver ever tried to match their surroundings, instead always choosing to do whatever they felt like, whenever they felt like it. _Silencing the Singing_ is their third releases for 2001 and it is essentially a companion EP to _Silence Teaches You How to Sing_ [CoC #55]. Instead of presenting us with a single monstrous track, _StS_ contains a more conventional three songs (though averaging about nine minutes each, they're hardly the perfect pop song length). As suggested by the title, this is an instrumental release. Bits of static noise and various other bits of white noise litter the album at what appears to be seemingly random spots -- but this is Ulver, after all, and one gets the impression that each bit of noise is placed where it is for a reason. My personal favourite is "Not Saved", a beautiful, haunting song, calming by its very repetitiveness yet also creating a sense of sorrow. As the song fades out and you think the album has come to a close, it then returns with a vengeance, seemingly louder and more ominous then before. You'd never think that this was by the same Ulver that released the violent _Nattens Madrigal_ some four to five years ago. This time around, Ulver have also wised up to the fact that people are buying their EPs and have printed 3000. Now you have no excuse for not having a copy.

(article published 12/4/2002)

ALBUMS
12/9/2007	K Sarampalis	8	Ulver - Shadows of the Sun
9/19/2005	P Azevedo	8	Ulver - Blood Inside
5/27/2004	Q Kalis	10	Ulver - A Quick Fix of Melancholy
10/14/2003	P Azevedo	4.5	Ulver - 1993-2003: 1st Decade in the Machines
9/6/2003	A Wee	9	Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes
10/19/2001	A Wee	8.5	Ulver - Silence Teaches You How To Sing
6/7/1997	S Hoeltzel	8	Ulver - Nattens Madrigal

GIGS
4/19/2011	K Sarampalis	Ulver / Virus / Zweizz	The Wolves Appear on Stage