Blut

"BLUT" is one of those thematic releases which cannot be appreciated fully on a song by song basis, but taken as a whole comcept is very well thought out and brilliantly conceived. It's true that the release got an unfortunate hatchet job when it was remasterd onto cd from the vinyl/cassette master; there are bad cuts made on songs that were segued on the vinyl, leaving some songs sounding like they were cut off before the song ended, and that disrupts the entire continuity of the release, but the songs are all very strong, even the atmospheric passages add alot to the dark, vampiric evil vibe of this great disc.

The lp starts out strong with "Trial," a heavy, thrashy prelude to the subject matter that is further explored on every song, that being the unyielding brutal nature of vampiric attitudes and actions. Mathias Röderer and Richard Scharf handle their layered guitar parts with absolute deadly persision; the guitar sound on this album is very sharp, eq'ed to a very piercing higher mid-range growl and bite. The vocals are less death oriented than on the "Longing For Death" release, but they suit the subject matter very well, and the lyrics are very, very intelligently crafted. For instance the lyrics to "Miss Directed" can offer two distinct meanings: they can be taken at face value, or the darker implied meaning of mis-directing another persons attentions away from where they need to be. The entire album's lyrics are full of double meanings and insinuations of a very dark and cruel nature. I think alot of people miss that aspect of the album altogether.
The best songs on this release by my telling are the first two on what was originally the second side of the album/cassette (I had both,) but are tracks 8 & 9 on the cd: "Ever and Anon" and "Begotten Son Of Wrath." Both of these songs bristle with overflowing energy and guitar flash, rock-solid drumming as well as the entire rhythm section. "Begotton Son Of Wrath" starts out with a sample from the gore movie classic "Dead Alive" which is the source of all the samples on this disc, and samples are used better than any I've ever heard. The song is a violently brutal downward chromatic progression with the 'b' and 'c' sections playing variations on the main theme; a method of composing which is most often seen in classical music. That also adds to the very heavy gothic feel of this release, an imaginative person can be utterly transported to another age by the completely thorough job the band does of making this a themed work of art.
This album is not for people who just want to put in a disc and hear some brutal music; it is a piece of art in that every note and every moment of silence is purpose-written to convey a meaningful aspect of the artist's vision; in that respect it as much like a book as it is a piece of music. The listener MUST use their imaginations to understand what this album is trying to convey.
There are some tracks like"Leichenfeier" that will just aggravate the passive listener, but if you've been paying attention to the songs before it, it will be seen that it adds alot of purpose to the songs that come after it; this album, again like a book, is best understood and appreciated only if listened to in order. This album is very heavy, full of great playing on everyone's part, brilliant lyrics and vocals, and is one of the most artistic statements in death metal in my opinion.
PLEASE don't let other people's lack of understanding steer you away from this release (IF you can find it,) it is full of majestic and powerful death metal.