As a fan of Ulver's early black metal recordings, I'll be the first to admit I haven't really warmed up to their ambient/electronic/experimental output over the last decade and a half. Here, the Norwegians mix creepy electronic soundscapes with the Tromso Chamber Orchestra, giving a real classical feel to these otherwise somber, electronic tinged pieces. It's not music that's going to excite you, but as far as setting a mood goes, Messe I.X-VI.X succeeds on many levels. Opening track "As Syrians Pour In, Lebanon Grapples With Ghosts of a Bloody Past" makes you feel like you are in the middle of that war torn region, perhaps sitting alone in an abandoned building pondering your bleak future as ominous keyboards and yearning violin echo off in the distance. "Shri Schneider" is a slightly more upbeat piece, as drones of synth loops blip and blur, while "Glamour Box (ostinati)" again plays the ambient stance, supported by some strings. Some choral vocals pop up on the eerie "Son of Man", as minimalist arrangements meet the occasional orchestral swell, and nightmarish cello strains create tension on the cold, dark "Noche Oscura Del Alma", a piece that places you right in the freezing forests of Norway in the middle of winter. Probably the most fascinating track here. Vocals again appear on the closer "Mother of Mercy", in what is an otherwise classical oriented piece with some haunting keyboards.
I don't know...despite some well done atmospheric passages, as a whole Messe I.X-VI.X just seems to meander along, hitting the occasional high mark but then also sputtering a bit trying to find its way. Those into classical recordings with electronic elements, or even chamber rock or film score pieces, will probably be all over this however.
Track Listing
1) As Syrians Pour In, Lebanon Grapples With Ghosts of a Bloody Past
2) Shri Schneider
3) Glamour Box (ostinati)
4) Son Of Man
5) Noche Oscura Del Alma
6) Mother Of Mercy
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