Blut Aus Nord

777 - The Desanctification

Written by: EW on 28/04/2012 19:15:01

Following on from last year's "777 Sect(s)", "777 - The Desanctification" is part two of Blut Aus Nord's continuing descent into the dank underground of industrial and ambient-scoped black metal, a record with follows on from "The Sect(s)" in both stylistic and naming conventions. We start off here with "Epitome VII", leading directly off from last time and the immediate conclusion is of little stylistic change, this being a pt. II after all. The 7 tracks on offer merge together as one bleak whole, based on the mechanised drum beats and layers of atmospheric guitars which play off each other often at a stark and contrasting angles, the discordancy being very much desired to leave as unsettling a feel can usually be trusted to be found in music freed from the shackles of a standard, rigid time-structure. When vocalist Vindsval croaks and groans away in the dark background and the electronic backing emits it's repetitive and spacious sounds the soundscape becomes enormous.

After spacey interlude "IX", "X" takes some time to get going before presenting a defined, emerging lead melody through which the song is based round. It feels cold and cavernous but the feel is more human that was come before as the drumming begins to take on a more human feel against the starkness of what has come before. "XI" is another eerie, darkly bleak song barely clinging on to the edges of black metal as the pervading dark ambience is created through a strong mechanised drum rhythm with a watered down guitar sound wailing away on top. By the time "XII" comes round the loom of the preceeding 30 minutes has begun to set out, so as it's 6 minutes crawl by with plaintive vocal melodies merging with the swaying atmospheric soundscapes and a highly annoying high pitched tinging sound at the forefront, it is hard to avoid feelings of over-saturation of BAN's incredibly despondent sound. "XIII" closes out in stronger fashion with a higher degree of energy, at least until its closing minute when the guitars drone out from your speakers akin to a swarm of locusts attacking your ear drums.

The production on "777 - The Desanctification" is perfect for what is required with the echos of leading guitar melodies ringing far into the distance and Vindsval's vocals suitably bleak and obscure, but too much is allowed to drag on without suitable musical discourse or direction, forcing me to mark this latest effort lower than it's predecessor. This is an album more darkened and bleak than most funeral doom I've heard, but the challenges of producing something so onerous yet entirely listenable are extremely high. Blut Aus Nord have hit them in the past, this time they fall a little short.

Download: Epitomes XIII & VIII
For The Fans Of: Deathspell Omega, Godflesh
Listen: Myspace

Release date: 11.11.2011
Debemur Morti Productions

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