To say that Ulver's discography is varied would be a gross understatement. I'm not aware of any other band or project that has changed styles so drastically over the years. Until recently they remained one of the most unpredictable bands to come out in the past twenty to thirty years (possibly longer but my musical knowledge isn't as strong as it should be pre-1985).
On Svidd Neger we see Ulver take on the form of film score composer. This score is much more than that however, this was and remains one of the stronger entries into Ulvers varied discography.
Ulver takes a basis of dark jazz and dark ambient and fuses it together with a neo-classical backing for the duration of Svidd Neger. The album starts out with ominous strings that leads into a subdued melody dominated by pianos and eventually trumpets. As the album progresses many of the themes laid out in the first three minutes are revisited with different instruments and with different levels of intensity.
One of the more intense moments comes about half way through the first side. What could be considered the main melody of the album is played gently on a piano before giving away to a guitar that is gently strumming an accompanying series of notes. This is contrasted by a woman screaming at the top of her lungs as if witnessing some horrific event unfold... it's an incredibly intense moment that only lasts a few seconds but it continues to haunt me well after the album runs its course.
This is Ulver at their best. Instrumental, dynamic, and emotionally charged. When Ulver hits they are some of the best music that has ever graced my ears... and this one is towards the top of the list in terms of quality Ulver albums.
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