To tell you the truth, Blut aus Nord's lastest release of Odinist - The Destruction of Reason by Illumination didn't impress me much. If we go back to '95-'96, these guys were creating some of the coldest and most atmospheric black metal that couldn't compare to the other metal acts coming out of France, or Norway for that matter. As a long awaited sequel to Father's of the Icy Age, I have good feeling that their upcoming 2009 album is going to be far more different than their last release, but can probably pull the strings between The Work Which Transforms God and Father's of the Icy Age.

Have this post be the official Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars thread and discuss your opinions and predictions about the album.

I have only heard The Work Which Transforms God so far, but I really like the atmosphere they have, and I will be looking into this album when it comes out.

I haven't heard Odinist, but considering they've been bringing in all of those weird little industrial touches since The Work Which Transforms God I struggle to see them going truly back to the old Ultima style. I hope that they take a route similar to closer two the first two albums rather than go back into the whole repetitive style of Mystical Beast of Rebellion I'll be happy, they did it well on that album, but I really don't need any more.

I'm with you, it'll probably be a mix of the first two albums and TWWTG, but with Blut you never know.

BLUT AUS NORD: New Album Due Next Month

This is kickass, I expect this to be my absolute favourite of 2009.

Great news.

Actually, the album in question was due to be released some time after the first part (EDIT: approximately in the middle of 1998), but for reasons unknown it's getting released only now.

I've been eagerly anticipating this album for months since I first knew of it, and reading that it will be some sort of return to their older sound (that is, no industrial influence even though I liked Odinist) gives me new hope about it. I think this is going to be one of 2009's best albums

I have just read the 2008 interview, and nothing they say about MV II enables one to think that way. Vindsval says that it is just a decision to go back to the source. Besides, the album was not recorded and composed in 1998, but in 2008. Could you be more explicit in how you came to think this?

Because in an old interview from the very beginning of 1998 it is stated several times that their third album, a sequel to "Memoria Vetusta I", is being recorded and its title is "Memoria Vetusta II / Dialogue With The Stars".

Here is the link - http://valhalla.stillclouds.com/blutaus.htm - but it's in Russian only, so either run it through an online translator or I might do it next week.

EDIT: and if some of you still have any doubts about the interview, here's the search results from the Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://val ... lutaus.htm - the interview has been on the site since at least the beginning of 2005.

EDIT #2: damn BBCode! Just copy and paste the second link into your browser.

Ah fair enough.
No, it's ok, don't bother.

AurvandiL, could you link the 2008 interview, please?

It is also on the MA Blut Aus Nord page, but it is in French anyway:
http://francoisemassacre.wordpress.com/ ... ise-glace/

Thanks anyway. I don't know French, but from what I can understand, the new album is going to be more or less in the same way as "Memoria Vetusta I" with some influences from other kinds of music.

Basically, from Vindsval words: a more modern and evoluted Memoria Vetusta.

I have no problem with this, just as long as there are some ideas that spawn from Ultima Thulee .

And as long as there are about zero ideas from MorT.

I'm extremely excited about this. I enjoy all of Blut Aus Nord's work but Memoria Ventusta stands as my favorite release from them by far and in my eyes is somewhat an overlooked masterpiece of black/folk metal. That album truly is majestic sounding, imo. I can only hope the sequal comes close to matching the impressive nature of its predecessor.

Blut aus Nord is a very interesting, unique band, to say the least, especially within their first two releases, Ultima Thulée and Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age--which are two releases that are simply, astounding. The mythical and trance-like vibe that is present within the two aforementioned releases is amazing. Personally, I hope that their upcoming full-length CD will keep and implement the aforementioned aspects, even if it is to a minor degree, at the very least.

However, I'll say that I have sort-of high hopes for this record, but concerning Blut aus Nord, it could be a mixture of Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age, and The Work Which Transforms God, or it could be a whole, different approach, as well to me at least, Blut aus Nord is a very experimental and unpredictable band--as seen within their style-change from their rather haunting, industrial-driven black metal approach, within The Work Which Transforms God to their very dark ambient-influenced full-length CD, MoRT. However, I believe that this release will (hopefully) be a return to their older-approach towards black metal.

Overall, I sort-of have high hopes for this record, however, I won't keep too much hope or anticipation, because concerning Blut aus Nord, anything could happen, I suppose.

Blut Aus Nord seems like my kind of band, unfortunately I started with "Odinist" and absolutely hate it. The songs are all interchangeable, as they each have this sort of "wheel like" song structure. They seem to have concentrated on being "enlightened" and "open minded" instead of making coherent songs. However, I've been meaning to check out "Ultima Thulee" for some time, regardless. I'll probably end up checking this new album out as well, just in case "Odinist" was a fluke.

It was indeed a fluke, but once you check out their first and greatest album, you will have different feelings about them...at least I did when I checked it out.

Ultima Thulee, Memoria Vetusta I, and The Work Which Transforms God are all really good albums in my opinion. I havent checked out any of their other material though.

There's a short sample up:

http://www.plastichead.com/mp3_samples/CANDLE141CD.mp3

I'm not sure why everyone is so damned excited about this. I mean, I love early Blut aus Nord as much as the next guy, but seriously, they've sucked for the last two albums, why is this going to be different? Simply because it's the follow-up to a great album in name doesn't mean it will be in sound. Just like how if Metallica's next album was called Ride The Lightening part II: Who Says Lightening Never Strikes Twice? (awful sub-title I know), it wouldn't automatically make them play quality music again.

I mean, I don't want to seem cynical, and I sure hope it's as great as Father of an Icy Age, but I think I have the right to be skeptical considering the past few years.

I LOVED the first two albums. The first being cold, bleak, and isolationist while the second was more epic, melodic, and aggressive.

I'll check out the new one regardless, since MoRT was retarded and Odinist was kind of in the right direction.

Sounds like you're just lacking in perspective to me.

The band clearly had very specific intentions for the last two albums. If you weren't into what they were going after, fine - but don't pretend like they were trying to write black metal and accidentally shit out something else. If you weren't a fan of the aesthetic, it wasn't likely that you'd enjoy those albums. That's it.

Haha, what a retarded answer. Where did I claim that I was expecting black metal and got industrial/ambient? And I hate this whole notion that if you don't like the aesthetic than you shouldn't be criticizing it. When did "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" become such a popular ideal in metal?

I want to be excited about this, but the song titles sound too much like newer Blut Aus Nord titles.

The sample is interesting, but it sounds more like Mystical Beast of Rebellion than anything else (I haven't heard Odinist, so I don't know if it sound similar). I'm not happy with the blasting, but obviously this is a short sample so it may not be a good representation of the full album.

I guess we'll have to see. I won't write it off just yet.

I can't wait for this. Blut Aus Nord is truly amazing, and 'Fathers Of The Icy Age' was a masterpiec (even better when you're high). I have high hopes for their newest offering.

That sample sounds amazing and retains the atmosphere I hoped would remain from the earlier material... fantastic.

DAMN this is too good, Memoria Vetusta I and Ultima Thulee combined. Extremely promising album, definitely.

Although I do miss the kinda lo-fi grinding guitar that sounded more aggressive. The current guitar tone is still reminiscent of The Work era, which is not too bad itself.

The drums are horrible.

Drum machine.

The choirs are annoying, and I'm not too fond of the vocals.
Actually, I have never heard an entire BAN album, so why do I bother... ?

On the Path to Vigrid was fantastic though.

Then listen to the entirety of "Ultima Thulee", because "On The Path To Vigrid" is merely a shadow of its majesty and splendour.

I shall even buy it!
But I'm not too fond of reissues... still, if it's the only option, I'll take it.

Yeah, the artwork on the reissue is much weaker than the original and so generic.

Sample sounds promising, I'll be waiting for this

Which one is it? This one? http://www.metal-archives.com/images/9/7/7/5/9775.jpg

Yes, this is the original artwork (a b/w drawing). The artwork on the reissue is just a bunch of colour photographs.

I like this one: http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1587/folderkn1.jpg

Indeed, the original artwork is much more appealing (well to me and you at least), whilst also painting a pretty accurate picture of what their music represents (at that time) and depicts (within that release).

However, I decided to give their new track a listen, and despite the rather interesting synth-approach and the neat riffing that is similar to ...Fathers of the Icy Age, the drumming and the blast-beats (rather "blasturbation" if you will) has somewhat lowered my expectations of the release.

On a more thorough listen, I believe that this follow-up record, will contain elements from their earliest release, whilst still having the dissonant, industrial vibe that is heard within their later-era releases.