Ulver’s main creative force, Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg, strayed the furthest of all the genre’s early practitioners as time went on, moving into shoegaze and electronic realms as he progressed. His restless spirit shines through even on this first offering, which combines the harsh rawness of the second-wave black metal sound with beautiful folk melodies and even clean singing. The dichotomy works wonderfully, elevating the act above their more monochromatic peers. The evil parts will still scare your cat.