Grieghallen 20180528 is a ten-track live album from muiscal shapeshifters Ulver. It features a professionally multitracked recording of the bands set at Bergen's 2018 International Festival- which highlights the bands firming up/ jamming with songs from the 2017- 2018 touring cycle.

The release appears as either a CD or double LP- I’m reviewing the latter. The CD comes presents a clear jewel case- taking in monochrome art. The front cover features a  very constant heavy picture of the Grieghallen building where the show took place.  The inlay booklet takes in more deconstructed shapes of the building's outline, as well as a four-page write-up about the event by Audun Lindholm.

The set is made up of eight tracks from 2017’s album The Assassination Of Julius Caesar, and two tracks from 2017's EP Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. The sound focus is a blend of Synth-pop, electro-rock, and a few darts into jam-rock.

We open the steady synth drum pulse & rounding/ ebbing moody guitar tone play of “ Memorila” which is fairly soon added to by Kristoffer Rygg’s wordy, yet soaring and expressive vocals . In the back ground we can make out some great  atmospheric chiming & wailing guitar tones, as well as subtle percussive/ electro sound detail. As we move on  though the first half of the set/ CD we have the pared-back/ wondering harmonic paino keys and spread out tolling percussive hits of the opening of “So Falls The World”. In time the electro beats sliding in, been added to by more live percussive hit detail, Rygg’s vocals, tolling/ burring guitar tone, and  brooding synth sweeps ‘n’ swirls.

Moving into the second half of the CD/set  we have swirling warbling ‘n’ warming vocalising, ambient synth tone, and moody guitar toned opening of “Angelus Novus”. In time the steady rattling beats, orchestral synth washes, and Rygg plaintive to soaring vocals kick in. With again some very tasty rising and shifting instrumental detail been heard. 

The album is finished off with a truly epic rendition of “Coming Home” which comes in at just shy of the nineteen minute mark. It moves from a blend of shift/ knocking percussion, wayward key tinkle, and Rygg’s lightly reverbed vocals.  As we move on the vocals drop back as we go from electro/ organic percussive work-out, underfed by purring synth tone detail, and  general chiming/ building instrumental detail. Though to blends of bounding/ sawing guitar tone,  steady electro- seesaw, brooding synth string hover, and percussive detail build. A great end to the set.

I’d say you’ll get the most out of Grieghallen 20180528 if you are familiar with the two release the original material comes from. So you can truly appreciate how the band is presenting these tracks in a live setting- sometimes subtly expanding the tracks sound detail, at others rewardingly added to/ jamming out the material. But all in all it’s a most worthy & engaging live album.