BLUT AUS NORD "Hallucinogen"
BLUT AUS NORD
"Hallucinogen"
"Hallucinogen" is said to mark a new beginning for BLUT AUS NORD, but I still can detect a lot of the classic B.A.N. sound in this effort. This visionary band, surely one of the most original in all the world, has always ranged over a wide territory...from the horrific industrial sickness of "Mort" to the glorious cosmic soundscape of "Memoria Vetusta"...but there has always been an identifiable core. So it is with "Hallucinogen", but it's also true that this is a very different record for BLUT AUS NORD.
"Aggressive cosmic psychedelia" is as good a description as I can come up with. Most of the twisted industrial stylings and overt black metal have been left behind, but the seven tracks here all have some speed and energy to them. First track "Nomos Nebuleam" sets the tone really well, starting with a fast clip and plenty of that spacy, psychedelic lead guitar soloing that has always been present. It's just that those psychedelic elements have now been pushed to the forefront. Vocals are pretty much a subtle part of the music and not dominating at all. There are some nasty screams still present, but most of the singing is now clean and almost like Gregorian chanting. All of the songs have moments when the aggression makes way for quieter, more atmospheric moments. A lot of these slower sequences are not a million miles from the soothing cosmic tones of "Memoria Vetusta". But it's best not to get too attached to them, because the more metallic elements always return.
It's a very smooth listen, with each track well integrated with the others and following the same basic soundscape. With some bands, this would be repetition, but for BLUT AUS NORD, the songwriting is so hypnotic that the impression is of a vast and organic whole. It's a great, mind-expanding listen and the latest chapter from this unique and brilliant band.
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