Blut Aus Nord — The Mystical Beast Of Rebellion

Blut Aus Nord, as you probably already know, is one of the most "kvlt" french black metal acts. Active since the mid-nineties, it has always been pushing the limits of what can be properly tagged as "black metal". Experimental, ambient, psychedelic or just plain weird, Blut Aus Nord deeply explored a vast range of moods and sounds, obviously with various grades of success.

"The Mystical Beast Of Rebellion" is a double CD/LP reissue of a 2001 album, with the very welcome addition of a new composition in three parts which appear on the second CD. While the core of all tracks of the original album remain definitely in the traditional black metal territory, lots of little elements build up a palpable feeling of weirdness, disorientation and discomfort that permeates the whole record.  Those that could easily be typical sub-par black metal/ambient introductions and outros (a plague that unfortunately afflicts too many records) here are genuinely subtle and obscure, sometimes even almost inaudible. There like these  single experimental guitar and synth compositions that emerge in between devastating bursts of black metal. I feel it's a shame that some bits don't last longer, but the flow of the album is perfect as it is.

Piercing, repetitive and psychedelic slide guitar tones shred what could otherwise remain a "normal" black metal piece. This could even be annoying to some ears, but in my opinion it's definitely a plus. Vocals are simply gargled and pitch black as they should be, declaiming the usual metaphysical and absurd themes of Blut Aus Nord.
In conclusion, the old 2001 record is perfect if you take it for what it is. Some purists may not completely like it due to it’s strange edges.

The new compositions are, necessarily considering the time that passed, a bit different. The will to experiment is still there of course, but the pacing is slower and the riffing probably even more dissonant. The tracks relentlessly gait towards the abyss and strongly echoed vocals that carry the listener into a suffocating atmosphere. The final track (my favourite of the new tracks) is a mix between black metal and psychedelic stoner, with great disorienting guitar work and incredibly fitting effected chanting vocals. A perfect ending for a great album!

With both the original album & the new material Blut Aus Nord do not disappoint, and this double cd set is  a good chance to get a good old record with new material that's maybe even better.