ALBUM REVIEW: Flowers Of Evil – Ulver
Wolves evolve. As the band enter their twenty-seventh year the Norwegians look back on a career which has been characterised by expansion, rather than progression. ULVER’s body of work reaches into black metal, trip-hop, progressive rock and more, but they have never fixed their roots within any given style; that is no mean feat, especially when one considers the collective’s commitment to quality at every turn.
Recently ULVER’s experimentation has led them to towards an electronic-orientated style, dominated by synthetic sounds and reproduced rhythms. The Assassination of Julius Caesar cast a long shadow; sibling EP Sic Transit Gloria Mundi and live incarnation Drone Activity borrow heavily from the apocalyptic synthpop which they established there. Flowers Of Evil arrives, therefore, amidst high expectations and the anticipation of evolution.
History serves as a source of inspiration for many artists, and ULVER have drawn from its volumes more than most. Classical, biblical and enlightenment themes find their way onto earlier albums, but this fascination with history and mythology became the focus of The Assassination of Julius Caesar. There, seismic events in history were placed side by side to create an image of the past as the unfolding of a series of repetitions – conquest, war, assassination, and the fall of empire. With Flowers Of Evil, ULVER have made the soundtrack for a mythology of the present. “What can we do other than work, sleep and do the best we can?” Rygg asks poignantly in the album’s opening track, One Last Dance. Prophetically, they have made an album bespoke to a world in free-fall: as Rome falls, ULVER dance.
The apocalyptic mood of Flowers Of Evil is matched with a sideways-step into a lighter, more minimal sound. Michael Rendall (THE ORB) and Martin ‘Youth‘ Glover (KILLING JOKE) resume their roles in production and mixing; the result is as lush and detailed as The Assassination of Julius Caesar, but less intense. ULVER continue to invoke the new wave clichés of DEPECHE MODE and TEARS FOR FEARS, but enhance their melodic hooks with some lyrical eccentricities. Machine Guns and Peacock Feathers will have you singing in unison to “altered organ function, computers, democracy and nervous disorder,” while Apocalypse 1993 recounts the events of the Waco siege through the medium of synthpop. The eeriness which this contrast creates is distinct, and ULVER have perfected the technique.
The pop-orientated sound of Flowers Of Evil comes at a price, however. There is less gravity, less intensity, and less theatricality here than its predecessor. In moments where one expects momentum to gather towards a dramatic peak, the loops simply dawdle. There are distinct atmospheres on Flowers Of Evil, but they are far less pronounced than the studied movements of The Assassination of Julius Caesar. Less cohesion between tracks allows the singles to shine. Russian Doll came as an early surprise ahead of the album’s release, and stands shoulders above the more subdued numbers. Similarly Nostalgia might be the most straightforwardly listenable song ULVER will ever write, but feels somewhat disconnected from the album.
Those expecting a leap forward rather than a step to the side could leave Flowers Of Evil feeling disappointed. ULVER have doubled-down on their recent success, producing an album which exaggerates the pop-appeal of its predecessor – but they have done so with their usual panache. Flowers Of Evil possesses everything which a modern classic ought to: accessibility, with thematic substance; novelty, paired with a nostalgic sound; rich instrumentation, captured in a superb production. ULVER have created an apocalyptic synthpop album, and it is exceptional.
Rating: 9/10
Flowers Of Evil is out now via House Of Mythology.
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