Nattens madrigal – Aatte hymne til ulven i manden | ||||
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Studio album by Ulver | ||||
Released | 3 March 1997 | |||
Recorded | 1996 | |||
Genre | Black metal | |||
Length | 43:58 | |||
Label | Century Media | |||
Ulver chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Chronicles of Chaos | 8/10 |
Pitchfork Media | 8.2/10 |
Sputnikmusic | 4.5/5 |
Nattens madrigal – Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (translated as "Madrigal of the Night – Eight Hymns to the Wolf in Man") is the third studio album by Norwegian band Ulver, issued on 3 March 1997 via Century Media. Composed and arranged during the first half of 1995, the album purports to be a concept album about wolves, the night, the moon, and the dark side of mankind.
Part three of what has become known as Ulver’s “Black Metal Trilogie,”Nattens madrigal - marked the band’s international debut and showcases a black metal style similar to Bergtatt, abandoning the acoustic and atmospheric elements, with an intentionally underproduced sound. The album has been described as “raw and grim black metal at its blackest.”
A common myth about the album is that band spent the recording budget on Armani suits, cocaine and a Corvette; and recorded the album outdoors in a Norwegian forest on an 8-track recorder.Kristoffer Rygg, however, has stated that this is not true; and possibly a rumour started by Century Media.
Metal Injection concluded "Kveldssanger had no electric instruments, Nattens madrigal had no acoustic instruments, but Bergtatt, has both acoustic and electric instruments; it’s like they spliced the elements from Bergtatt into two separate albums. If that’s the case, then Nattens madrigal really showcases the black metal prowess of the band. The album answers exactly why people were so angered by Ulver’s transition away from black metal, and why people are still bitter at their direction today.”