ULVER & TROMSØ CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: MESSE I.X - VI.X

A haunting album of dark ambient music on which the enigmatic masters of doom and gloom team up with the Trømso Chamber Orchestra to produce a soundtrack of majestic and impactful heaviness. Full of subtlety and breathtaking beauty, the album is most unusual for the fact that Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg only sings on two songs--one, "Son of Man" (8:25) (9/10) on which he almost sounds as if he is trying to reach operatic heights, yet, which unfortunately renders the song perhaps the weakest on this powerful album. As a fellow reviewer has written, Garm's vocals almost seem out of place with the song, with this music, with this album. All songs are amazing and reveal more layers and nuances with repeated listens. They all seem to run together into a whole, perhaps this is a concept album? I've heard reference to the Western liturgical forms imitated (or honored) here. The Mozart references in the second half of "Son of Man" seem pretty obvious to me. Perhaps this is the case. Regardless, this is a stunning album--one that can easily suck you in! I love it!

Favorite songs: all but the "X-Files Theme"/trip-hoppy "Glamour Box (Ostinato)" (6:11) (10/10), "Shri Schneider" (5:35) (9/10) and the Eno/Ambient-like "Noche Oscura del Alma" (5:21) (9/10) get me every time.

I go months without listening or even remembering that this album exists, but then every time I do listen I find myself getting sucked in and getting blown away all over again. This is a truly amazing album!