Of all the extreme metal sub-genres, black metal is probably the most extreme in many ways. It is highly polemic, raw, really uneasy to unaccustomed ears, violent. But it is also misunderstood. Black metal can also be forward thinking, avant-garde, even relaxing. And that’s why it’s one my favorite metal genres. This diversity is what makes it interesting.
So, what album should I choose to introduce the genre in No Sölo Metal? That’s an easy one!
Old times, darkness, forests... This is clearly a good cover for Bergtatt
It has to be Ulver’s debut: Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (“Taken into the Mountain – A Fairy Tale in 5 Chapters”). That’s a long title for a short album. But what an album! This is an absolute masterpiece of black (and folk) metal. Many consider it that way not because this is the most trve black metal release ever, but because it moved the genre to the next level. Ulver showed black metal could be much more than it was, and they did that in 1994, when the Norwegian scene was arguably at its most relevant moment.
Bergtatt is actually quiet for a black metal album. Flutes, acoustic guitars, and smooth, slow voices are an integral part of it, maybe even more prominent than the genre’s typical relentless drumming, heavily distorted guitars and shrieking vocals. Satyricon arguably were the first to introduce acoustic interludes in black metal in their ’93 debut Dark Medieval Times (Ulver’s own demo was also recorded that year) but in Bergtatt they are much more prominent.
You may be wondering how does it sound, so let’s hear Capitel I!
That’s my favorite capitel. It has almost everything that is good about Bergtatt, good riffs, a surprising acoustic interlude, and great guitar solos. Ulver start the album in an interesting way: the song has a typical (maybe a bit slow) black metal background, but ancient chant like vocals clearly state this is not your average Norwegian black metal album. It may not sound that original today, but it was in 1994.
And I’d dare to say it gets more interesting in the next four songs. The band explores further in both directions: brutal and acoustic. Even when this kind of contrast has become almost a cliché, the songs never feel forcefully changing gears. Blast beats have a meaning, they come when they must and support the narrative about the girl lost in cold norwegian forests.
Composition, production, story and cover work together to make Bergtatt a piece of art. A word of warning though. Ulver are not prone to repeat themselves, so you better look elsewhere if you like what you hear and want more. Stay tuned! 
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