Ulver ( Norwegian for “ Wolves”) is a musical ensemble from Norway that started out making folk-inspired black metal and neo- classical folk music. Since then, they have been dabbling in various forms of avant-garde, experimental music.
Ulver's first three albums are often classified as their "Black Metal Trilogie," although they are in fact quite diverse in musical styles. The vocals of these earlier releases are performed in archaic Danish language, with lyrics inspired by various tales of Norse mythology and folk tales.
Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler is considered to be folk-inspired black metal for its fast tempo, dry sound of electric guitar and unnatural screaming vocals intermitted with acoustic passages and clean vocals, and having a fantasy storyline. The title is made of two Norwegian words: berg (mountain) and tatt (taken), with the subtitle meaning "A Tale in Five Chapters." The central theme of this album follows a woman as she loses her way in a mountainside forest, and slowly begins to be lured deeper by mysterious beings lurking around her. Bergtatt features an all-acoustic song, Ein Stemme Locker ("A Voice Beckons"). Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg, the band's main contributor, has since said that he thought of Bergtatt as a “very traditional black metal album.”
Kveldssanger, Ulver's second album, contrasts with Bergtatt as it uses acoustic guitar and cello with chamber chants performed by Garm, and completely eschews the traditional black metal elements of Bergtatt, while still having a folk theme. Garm has since remarked that this Kveldssanger was an “immature attempt at making a classical album.”
The third album, Nattens Madrigal (“The Night’s Madrigal”), was a return to black metal, more brutal and aggressive than Bergtatt ever was, the only "mellow" moment being a brief acoustic interlude in the first track. The style is very raw and intentionally underproduced, similar to Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger album. There are rumors surrounding this album and its recording, most famous being that the band recorded this album in a forest. Another and less-known rumor is that the band purposely recorded the album on a four-track cassette recorder and used the money that Century Media gave them for other things, for example Armani suits, haircuts, beer, and/or a new car. These rumors are neither confirmed nor denied by the band nor the label.