Released on: 29th Novemeber 2024
What could be ultimately antithetical to true black metal fans of Ulvers‘ liberal discography? The boyband. And, on Liminal Animals like the album before it the Wolves have removed their ADHD kid gloves completely and issue hit song after hit song. It is pop music. But, darker and tuned more to a cerebral audience.
The group continues to expand and explore, and to compare them to industrial scale sycophancy is really unfair. Where Ulver present themselves as a collective of very eclectic and talented rock musicians. Especially on this further adventure into prog and psychedelic adjacent synth-pop.
From the synthetic sound design to the mix of acoustics and effects Ulver has superseded their sonal intentions from 2020’s Flowers of Evil. With Liminal Animals being an extension of the tones and timbres found on the former album. There is more groove this time around, and the chilled atmosphere makes for a misty eyed trip around the sun.
A very personal album, Liminal Animals paints nihilism with a brush that philosopher Kierkegaard would struggle to approach. The lyrics are threateningly stark and it is with this upfront attitude the vocals hit like an avalanche of falling masonry. Even when muted in Ryggs’ dulcet tones. Which when layered become an entirely new instrument.
Liminal Animals‘ continues to highlight the fearless assimilation of good taste into a distilled product fit for mass consumption. With influences that hit like a 90’s goth band high on world music and film noir. Ulver, renowned for never sitting still have detailed both flora and fauna in their sonic road trip of recent. Ultimately, making these past two albums less of a product and more of an art piece; ArtHaus is krieg.
9/10
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