Is Scary Muzak a good place to start with Ulver?

Yes, Scary Muzak is recommended as a starting point for new Ulver listeners. A haunting blend of industrial soundscapes and avant-garde textures that evoke a chilling ambiance throughout its brief runtime. Released on Halloween 2021, Scary Muzak marks Ulver's return to experimental sound after their foray into neofolk and electronic music with previous albums. This project showcases their continued evolution, further establishing them as boundary pushers in the contemporary music scene.

Who is Scary Muzak for?

Scary Muzak works well if you're into eerie soundscapes with haunting textures, dynamic flow with varied pacing and short tracks for focused listening.

How many songs are on Scary Muzak?

Scary Muzak has 12 tracks, running approximately 38 minutes.

Released 5 years ago this October

Scary Muzak

Ulver · 2021

38 min · 12 tracks · black metal

A haunting blend of industrial soundscapes and avant-garde textures that evoke a chilling ambiance throughout its brief runtime.

Spotify Apple Music

YouTube Music YouTube Deezer Bandcamp SoundCloud

Own it: Amazon eBay

Top tracks — play these first

→
ALEEN HOWL Start here — The opening track sets a tone of eerie disquiet, seamlessly blending synthetic elements with organic sounds, encapsulating the album's thematic essence.
→
CLUB FUEGO — This track juxtaposes dance rhythms with unsettling atmospheres, showcasing Ulver's ability to merge disparate genres into a cohesive auditory experience.
→
RIP BROUHAHA — Closing the album, this piece distills the overall tension and complexity of the record into a haunting finale that leaves a lasting impression.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

57 /100

Foothills

Higher than 48% of albums we've rated

The album's innovative sound design and cohesive atmosphere mark it as a notable entry in Ulver's discography.

What we noticed

The album features a consistent use of dissonant chords and industrial textures, creating an unsettling atmosphere throughout.
Each track is relatively short, averaging around two to three minutes, contributing to a sense of urgency and tension.
There is minimal melodic development; instead, the focus is on layering sound effects and ambient noise to evoke a specific mood.

Composition 25% of the score: 6/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 5/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 8/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 7/10

Influence 2/10

Little footprint beyond its audience. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

eerie soundscapes with haunting textures
dynamic flow with varied pacing
short tracks for focused listening
cryptic vocalizations inviting interpretation

Maybe skip if you

seeking straightforward, upbeat tunes
prefering long, repetitive compositions

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Experimental — Marks a return to experimental sound, diverging from previous styles.
Themes: Halloween soundscapes· industrial disquiet· dance floor unease
Career context: Released on Halloween 2021, Scary Muzak marks Ulver's return to experimental sound after their foray into neofolk and electronic music with previous albums. This project showcases their continued evolution, further establishing them as boundary pushers in the contemporary music scene.
Stylistic neighbors: Arcturus· Opeth· Borknagar

New to Ulver? Find your way in →

Moments worth listening for

Where the writing does something specific.

RIP BROUHAHA

The closing moments shift from chaos to an eerie calmness, creating a stark contrast that embodies the album's overarching themes of fear and introspection.

This transition not only encapsulates the emotional journey of the record but also emphasizes Ulver's skill in manipulating sound dynamics to evoke complex feelings.