Eos

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Those longing for a soundtrack honoring autumn and winter's pagan holidays won't feel complete until they purchase Ulver's "Shadows of the Sun." The black metal/folk band handles the despair of the human condition so devoutly, you'll feel compelled to kneel alongside the Norwegians to pay homage. The album's opening track, "Eos," is all you need to know about the gorgeously dark record. Subtle, humming organs; whining Theremin; and crying violins cast a reverent atmosphere associated with places of worship, but these altars are scattered across nighttime landscapes as remote as the face of the moon. Goths who identify with the genre for its fashion sense will find Ulver's eeriness unsettling—the band unflinchingly delves and revels in its misery; Type O Negative lovers will detect that group's mournful harmonies. Pure brooding beauty. —Christa L. Titus

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