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Ulver are a legendary band, one that made the difficult transition from black metal to electronic music over the years. The current lineup includes Kristoffer Rygg on vocals and programming, Ole Aleksander Halstensgård on percussion and electronics, and Jørn H. Sværen on vocals, lyrics, and winds. An array of guest musicians joins them on Liminal Animals, which was released on November 29th, though almost all the tracks had been released individually over the previous year.
Now, the band announced a few months back that Tore Ylwizaker, keyboardist, had died. There seems to have been a rift in the band of some sort, as they hadn’t spoken to him in some time, and he doesn’t seem to have been involved with this album at all. For my two cents, you can feel the difference. Ulver currently plays a sort of electronic, trip-hopping, alternative music that features plenty of synth and 80s-inspired melodies. It’s a good sound, but losing your keyboardist can have some detrimental effects.
Liminal Animals has nine tracks, and they range from bland to solid. I can’t seem to find a single great song in the bunch, but none of them are bad, so to speak, though I’ll admit that I find a couple kind of annoying. I’d heard some of the singles over the last year, and they basically filtered out of my brain after a couple listens. Most of these songs sound like retreads of previous albums, not giving us anything new or particularly well-composed. The flashy style is there, but there’s very little meat.
Ulver fans will probably love this, but this isn’t the album that will win new listeners. My favorite songs are probably “Ghost Entry” and “A City in the Skies”, which is telling since they are the first two tracks. The formula gets pretty old quickly. I should note that “Nocturne #1 and #2” are amazing instrumental tracks that are deeply experimental, dark, and unpredictable. I love those tracks and would love to see more of that style. I want to mention the final track “Helian (Trakl)”, which is an eleven-minute slog that never goes anywhere and which is set against spoken word; I’m a stupid English-speaker, so I don’t understand the language, and so any meaning in the words is lost, making the track incredibly dull. That’s my problem, not theirs, but the effect doesn’t change. And that’s sort of my feeling about the entire album; they’re doing their thing, and it isn’t connecting with me this time.
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Perfect Storm is a band from the Netherlands that released their stirring debut album called No Air back in 2021. They are back with Stairs, released on November 14th, and I’m not feeling quite the same way. The lineup includes Gert-Jan Schurer on guitars, Adel Saflou and Hiske Oosterwijk on vocals, Wieger Dijkstra on drums, Jan Munnik on keys, and David Klompmakers on bass.
The band plays a pleasant progressive rock with Porcupine Tree influences, though this new album reminds me of the band MEER, who I’ve talked about constantly this year. Anyways, they have bubbly bass, soulful guitars, and dual vocalists, and they sound good from the first note.
This album, in my opinion, feels a little forced, which is a common problem with sophomore albums. Some of the instrumental sections are pretty cool, and the mix and overall sound are groovy. But what grabbed me last time were the hooks and melodies, and I feel like that’s missing on this release. It’s one thing to have a cool sound, but the composition needs to be there for it to stick with me. There’s nothing annoying or offensive to my ears, but the experience is simply vanilla. I’ve tried with this album for a couple months now, and I’m finding it difficult to get through in one sitting, and even after I do finish it, I don’t remember almost anything about it.
Stairs is not a bad album, as in amateur or poorly performed, but it’s not as powerfully memorable as the debut. I have a feeling their next record will take my breath away. I’ll keep trying with this one, but it’s just not connecting this time.
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Sometimes I regret not giving more time to an album, and with the year-end approaching, I’m trying to clean up my review lists. One such album is the debut from Whispering Void called At the Sound of the Heart, which released on October 18th. This band features members of Enslaved and Wardruna, the lineup being Lindy-Fay Hella and Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal on vocals, Ronny Stavestrand on guitar, and Iver Sunday on drums.
The band plays a terrific mix of Nordic folk, psychedelic prog rock, and dark ambient. The music sounds magical and hidden, like mysteries locked away within an infinite forest. They revel in dark auras and shadowy vocals in some moments, but lay down burning instrumental passages and heavier portions in others. They do like a good slowburn, but I find that these tracks always have a good payoff for our patience. And besides, the slowburn itself is wreathed with beauty and character.
This is a great album, simply put. I love the opener “Vinden Vir” for its dark spell that transitions into crescendo-laden light at the end. My other favorite is probably the closer “Flower”, a floating beauty that flirts with firelight, and the last few minutes are loaded with melody and emotion. The tracks in between are no slackers, though. “Vi Finnes” is a bit more upbeat, having a great rhythm section and storytelling vibes. I really like the title track with its flickering style that becomes a powerful flame, like a roaring bonfire in the darkness. “We Are Here” is an excellent post-rock tune with dark shoegaze and haunting harmonies.
As I continue listening, I think my opinion will only improve further. This album has so much personality and musical space; it still holds surprises every time I hear it. I think Whispering Void has a great things ahead of them.
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Enchanted Duo is an eccentric couple from Sweden, namely Anneli von Knorring on vocals and synths, and Nikolaus von Knorring on vocals and guitars. They have recruited several guest musicians, including Marco Minnemann on drums and Mohini Dey on bass. The album is called Werifesteria, which basically means “to wander in a forest with longing in search of mystery or magic”; at least according to Google Translate. Anyways, it was released on August 30th.
I’ll come right out and say that there is plenty to love here. The band plays a dreamy ambient progressive rock with mystical and folk elements. Magic and poetry lives within these halls, if you know what I mean. I realize, though, that Marco’s drums and Mohini’s bass are so incredibly strong here, being the virtuosos they are, that the rest of the album suffers. That might seem strange to say, but the rhythm section on this album is seriously amazing, and the other elements just aren’t. I would specifically point to the guitars, especially the solos, as being pretty weak to the point of ruining a song at times.
However, the duo certainly have an ear for melody, as can be heard from the very first track “I’m Still Wondering”, which features a swooning and beautiful core melody that will get stuck in your head. Other tracks feature the same sort of intuitive writing. I rather like “Soutaneë” for its electronic vibe and whispery vocals, the rousing bass fire on “Unguarded”, the dark electronic vibe of “Children of our Land”, and the strangely catchy “Like a Kite”. There are plenty of good songs here.
The band certainly offers a blend of darkness, playfulness, and performance. The album is perhaps a little long for its own good, at fifteen tracks and an hour playtime. I wonder if they would have edited this down to ten tracks what kind of masterpiece would have emerged.
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Find the bands online:
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The PROG Mind 
Completely agree with your summation of the latest Perfect Storm album. I really like No Air, especially the duel female/male vocals but the fact the current release is STILL in my audition queue after several passes tells the tale.
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