Is Emperor dethroned? Not yet...
K. Egbert | NYC, NY | 08/09/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Black metal is no longer a Scandinavian phenom; hasn't been for some years. Who's good at it now? A band from Texas, USA called Absu. A band from France called Blut Aus Nord. Go figure; and while we're at it, go figure that DIALOGUE WITH THE STARS is one of the most emotional and absorbing CDs in this genre since Arcturus' THE SHAM MIRRORS. Impressive, given how Nord's previous CDs, MORT and ODINIST, pretty much tore up the metal riff book and borrowed what sounded like 12-tone rows from the mid-20th century French avant-gardists (Edgard Varese in corpse paint? Say it ain't so!). Those CDs weren't bad at all, mind you. Diffuse, complex, heavy on the industrial noises and clanking, yes. Sort of like the uncaged Mystical Beast was in the next room fixing his Saab and didn't know you were in here yet. With the followup to MEMORIA VETUSTA I: FATHERS OF THE ICY AGES, however, Blut rewind to the time of THE WORK WHICH TRANSFORMS GOD and revisit the frozen North's horror and beauty, to say nothing of all that the locale calls up in our impressionable minds. The band do not regularly access the apocalypse like Emperor or Zyklon; nor do they OD on keyboards (the fine results aside, mind you) as Enslaved or (again) Arcturus will do. They straddle any number of motifs and attacks, accent the 'melodic' in their riffs, keep the electric guitars howling, leaven the rage with icy synths and sorrowful acoustic work, and of course allow Vindsval's unearthly shrieking free rein. What would black metal be without some poor guy enduring all the tortures of the damned for our entertainment? As usual, don't bother trying to figure out what he's saying; the CD's evocative booklet includes no lyric sheet, although the track names ("The Cosmic Echoes of Non-Matter," "The Formless Sphere," "The Meditant") give one some idea of the source of the agony and fury that is so well expressed. The mix is clear and even, a big improvement on MV I, though as ever Vindsval is buried just enough so that a(n) (un)happy accident such as his repeated roars of "Father! FATHER!" on ICY AGES (a plaintive moment in a sea of uncontrolled mania) is not repeated here. No problem; massed male choirs in "Acceptance" and "Antithesis of the Flesh" evoke the celestial Hades of the Norse deities, the unending wars in the air and the self-disgust that accompanies both defeat and victory on such a leviathan scale. "Twilight of the Gods," indeed! Guess if you, unlike myself, did not feel IX EQUILIBRIUM was a worthy followup to Emperor's ANTHEMS TO THE WELKIN AT DUSK, this Blut recording would be worth a go. As if to show the band know exactly what they're doing, in fact, the CD closes with "Elevation," a titanic cycle of electric guitar chords that could go on for 10 minutes (but fades out after 4:11), just as IX EQUILIBRIUM winds up with "The Wanderer," a very similar gambit. Nice job, fellows. Nightmares to go. Make mine with extra icebergs."
Absolutely Brilliant!!!!
Andrew Armstrong | Mechanicsburg PA | 04/06/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Once again the trio from Mondeville France have returned with another atmospheric release that is nothing short of pure genius. For those of You who are long time fans of this band You will definitely not want hesitate on getting Your hands on this release and for new Fans wondering where to start with the Band this is a GREAT place to begin. "Memoria Vetusta 2 (Dialogue With The Stars)" is a follow up to Blut's 1996 release "Memoria Vetusta (Fathers Of The Icy Age)". The first thing You will notice about this album is although it does have the heaviness and superior production of the Bands's last album "Odinist" It is incredibly melodic (the furthest thing from the "MoRT" album). This is a album that You will definitely want to sit down and listen to EVERY track not just a couple here and there. The album is so well written and melodic that it almost sounds like a completely different band from the last two releases they had (not near as dark although the Blut Aus Nord signature sound is thoughout the entire album). Another thing You really notice about this recording is how well You hear each members instrument, Bass Player "GhOst" really does a terrific job on this album (I never really heard Him very well on their previous pieces of work and He is REALLY Good!). Drummer "W.D. Feld" keeps the blast beats rolling on the heavier songs and uses really technical time changes in His beats during the slower ones. The Keyboard really adds terrific melody to this album and really help to create the overall atmosphere of alot of the songs. The thing that most impressed Me with this album is lead vocalist/lead guitar player "Vindsval"!!! I feel He really lets loose on this album and really shows the listener how incredibly talented He is! His lead guitar solo's are absolutely TERRIFIC! and they harmonize so well with the songs thoughout the recording, His usage of the traditional Black Metal vocals mixed with clean vocals really put this whole album together. I wish I could say which track is the absolute best but I really feel the whole album is terrific from beginning to end (although I am partial to track #6 "The Meditant (Dialogue With The Stars)". If You liked Blut's more recent work or thier earlier albums I feel that You will REALLY like this one ALOT. It is one of My favorites so far in this band's catatlog. It seems that this band keeps getting better with each album. I hope My review was helpful to You. If You are a fan of Black,Death,or Thrash Metal please check out some of My other reviews! TERRIFIC BAND! TERRIFIC ALBUM! BLUT AUS NORD HAS RETURNED! Long Live Metal!"
Perhaps their best.
Alan R | 08/19/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This cd blows away Mort and Odinist and is right there with The Work that Transforms God. It may even be better to be honest. More of the style of Memoria Vetusta I also, which is not a bad thing at all. I'm not one for long reviews, but if you've been a fan of this band you DEFINITELY need to pick this up. If you're a fan of black metal in general, take the time to give this a try, you won't be sorry."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
