Blut Aus Nord - Mystical Beast Of Rebellion (reissue)
So here it is: the rarity that started the entire atmospheric/ esoteric side of Blut Aus Nord that fans know so well today. For a while this album was hard to find because they issued only so many copies, but Debermur Morti decided to re-release it again. For those who haven't heard this album before, it's very static laden and atmospheric, much like how the recent album 'Odinist.' It doesn't stack up to the atmospheric wonder that was 'The Works That Transform God,' which was one of their finest works to date in belnding atmosphere, depressing, and esoteric black metal, much to the comparison of Deathspell Omega or Wolves In The Throne Room. Here, with 'Mystical Beast,' the atmosphere is still very fuzzy with the guitars and drums with epic tracks and faded shrieks, but the entire album does have a few flaws as it goes along.
For one, its a concept epic, so all the songs tend to go together, making it hard to enjoy for random song play. Secondly, there are a lot of lengthy pauses after tracks like "I" and II;" some are shorter like on "III." However, these pauses kind of ruin the whole atmosphere and mood of the music because it just feels like uneeded silence for a few seconds too long. As for the music itself, sometimes it can be very hazy and random in the riffs, like a tuning guitar session. Other times things seem more more cohesive such as on "V," but these are more straightforward tremolo pickings such as how Blut Aus Nord performed their first album. Overall, the entire feeling of the guitars and drums as a whole doesn't really change between songs, which is also part of the cohesiveness of the album as a whole. The band could have very well cut all the pauses out and just made all six parts one giant epic track, such as a band like Abruptum would do.
But, this re-issue does come with a few specialties. Blut Aus Nord took care to writing an seventh chapter to their story and splitting it between three tracks; some more epic than others. The final track is a monster almost at twenty minutes, but as a whole, this 'chapter 7' on disc 2 is much more monumental than the entirety of 'Mystical Beast.' The guitars seem much louder and fuzzier, but not in the sense that they cloud all the other instrument sounds. Even on the last track things just sound kind of bluesy and wavery, which adds a unique effect that can similarly be found on the masterpiece 'Works That Transform God.' Again, the three tracks hold almost no difference between each other and are meant to hear as a whole, but at least the style is slightly different and therefore more enjoyable. Some fans may consider this more drone/ ambient music than black metal- and the best time to hear this music is under quiet, almost meditative conditions. One won't really be headbanging to these two albums, but it does stir provoking thoughts, even if it isn't as madly warped as an album like 'Works That Transform God.'
For one, its a concept epic, so all the songs tend to go together, making it hard to enjoy for random song play. Secondly, there are a lot of lengthy pauses after tracks like "I" and II;" some are shorter like on "III." However, these pauses kind of ruin the whole atmosphere and mood of the music because it just feels like uneeded silence for a few seconds too long. As for the music itself, sometimes it can be very hazy and random in the riffs, like a tuning guitar session. Other times things seem more more cohesive such as on "V," but these are more straightforward tremolo pickings such as how Blut Aus Nord performed their first album. Overall, the entire feeling of the guitars and drums as a whole doesn't really change between songs, which is also part of the cohesiveness of the album as a whole. The band could have very well cut all the pauses out and just made all six parts one giant epic track, such as a band like Abruptum would do.
But, this re-issue does come with a few specialties. Blut Aus Nord took care to writing an seventh chapter to their story and splitting it between three tracks; some more epic than others. The final track is a monster almost at twenty minutes, but as a whole, this 'chapter 7' on disc 2 is much more monumental than the entirety of 'Mystical Beast.' The guitars seem much louder and fuzzier, but not in the sense that they cloud all the other instrument sounds. Even on the last track things just sound kind of bluesy and wavery, which adds a unique effect that can similarly be found on the masterpiece 'Works That Transform God.' Again, the three tracks hold almost no difference between each other and are meant to hear as a whole, but at least the style is slightly different and therefore more enjoyable. Some fans may consider this more drone/ ambient music than black metal- and the best time to hear this music is under quiet, almost meditative conditions. One won't really be headbanging to these two albums, but it does stir provoking thoughts, even if it isn't as madly warped as an album like 'Works That Transform God.'
Disc 1
- The Fall- Chapter I
- The Fall- Chapter II
- The Fall- Chapter III
- The Fall- Chapter IV
- The Fall- Chapter V
- The Fall- Chapter VI
Disc 2
- The Fall- Chapter VII
- The Fall- Chapter VII
- The Fall- Chapter VII
Debemur Morti
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Feb 23, 2011
Feb 23, 2011
Next review:
Anger Management - Beyond The Threshold Of Pain
Share this:
