Good album, with a very cold and sterile sound. The flow is perfect; it feels as if the songs are linked together in one way or another. The title track is killer with all those oriental melodies and stuff. One guy on Last.FM said "It's Nile playing black metal". I don't agree with him, as that is reserved for Melechesh, but I view this track as a natural evolution in Blut Aus Nord's constant experimentation in all sorts of music. That being said, I find the songs to become samey as the album progresses and I think of "Ellipsis" as a weak track. In overall, I think this is a solid album that showcases Blut Aus Nord's proficiency in the industrial field (That drum machine is spectacular!), but I guess it's weaker than The Work Which Transforms God and the 777 releases.

Written by [user id=35732] on 30.08.2012 at 23:16

In my opinion this was their first boring album.

Not exactly "boring", but it is a bit samey and repetitive. However, its 37 minute length lessens that effect.

Written by [user id=35732] on 30.08.2012 at 23:59

Written by Oaken on 30.08.2012 at 23:50

Not exactly "boring", but it is a bit samey and repetitive. However, its 37 minute length lessens that effect.

Well, when you put nine tracks one after the other, and all of them are a bit samey and repetitive, that doesn't lead to a very good result. And what comes to that almost 37 minutes; for this kind of music it's only bearable if it has offered stuff worth it, whereas this album hasn't offered really anything spectacular. So I take it as short length in order to save the listeners from even more boredom.

Yes I agree, but I guess there are some tracks that stand out, especially the killer title track.

Their first boring album was their first. Then their second, Oh, and their third. This is a great album; BaN doing a more conventional black metal album but making it sound interesting.

Written by [user id=4365] on 31.08.2012 at 00:24

Their first boring album was their first. Then their second, Oh, and their third. This is a great album; BaN doing a more conventional black metal album but making it sound interesting.

Their third is when they started to change for the good although nowhere near the quality of their fourth. The most boring ones are the first two and the their 7th one, my God did they play some generic standard black on those three,

Written by [user id=4365] on 31.08.2012 at 00:24

Their first boring album was their first. Then their second, Oh, and their third. This is a great album; BaN doing a more conventional black metal album but making it sound interesting.

Memoria Vetusta I is boring? To me it's the definition of "epic". So what makes it boring in your opinion?

The third to me just seems dominated by the terrible, monotonous drum machine. It's still better than the first two (and MV:II) of course as they did start trying new things.

MV:I to me is anything but epic. Just standard black metal laced with keyboards for that over-done frostbitten sound.

Written by [user id=4365] on 31.08.2012 at 00:37

MV:I to me is anything but epic. Just standard black metal laced with keyboards for that over-done frostbitten sound.

Well, tastes differ, but IMHO it's Blut Aus Nord's best.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 31.08.2012 at 00:26
Their third is when they started to change for the good although nowhere near the quality of their fourth.

No way, the third is just bad dude... It's like the same friggin song 6 times. I'm not a big fun of their first stuff. It might have been generic but still no way near the snorefest of the third one.

Written by [user id=4365] on 31.08.2012 at 00:37
The third to me just seems dominated by the terrible, monotonous drum machine.

Wouldn't blame the drums... I blame the entire album for having the same friggin song 6 times. Urgh. Then again, that feeling IS strong due to the same fast paced drums so you do have a point.
Basically... the third one needed some tempo changes and stuff.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 31.08.2012 at 01:33


Wouldn't blame the drums... I blame the entire album for having the same friggin song 6 times. Urgh. Then again, that feeling IS strong due to the same fast paced drums so you do have a point.
Basically... the third one needed some tempo changes and stuff.

The three songs they did for the reissue are great though despite being a bit rough around the edges, totally don't belong on that album. Should have their own EP really (though they're actually long enough for a full length).


(cut from a 19 minute long song)

Written by [user id=4365] on 31.08.2012 at 01:40
The three songs they did for the reissue are great though despite being a bit rough around the edges, totally don't belong on that album. Should have their own EP really (though they're actually long enough for a full length).

Sounds pretty sweet. They definitely don't have anything to do with the album but I couldn't care less... Now it gives me a reason to buy it not only for the artwork of the reissue which I really dig. Around 37 min... It could have been a nice EP or even a full length able to stand on its own specially compared to The Mystical Beast Of Rebellion and their generic ones.

Up to now, my least favorite BaN album which seems mostly like a steady flow of "just good" music. Still an enjoyable album

Enjoying it much more than before. I've undergone a reverse path and learnt to appreciate it by listening to liber series

Written by [user id=110592] on 19.10.2013 at 23:57

Enjoying it much more than before. I've undergone a reverse path and learnt to appreciate it by listening to liber series

Although it's relatively simple by BaN's standards there's something about it. Many consider it to be a conventionalisation of MoRT's sound as it sounds vaguely similar in a way. Just conventionally structured and more overtly black metal.

Written by [user id=4365] on 20.10.2013 at 00:14

Written by [user id=110592] on 19.10.2013 at 23:57

Enjoying it much more than before. I've undergone a reverse path and learnt to appreciate it by listening to liber series

Although it's relatively simple by BaN's standards there's something about it. Many consider it to be a conventionalisation of MoRT's sound as it sounds vaguely similar in a way. Just conventionally structured and more overtly black metal.

indeed. The lack of shock factor was the thing that disappointed my initially as I wanted a more unconventional MorT and this album went on opposite direction. I think that Odinist could get more praise if it was released by another band. It is still very unique outside of BaN's discography

The riffs on the s/t track are among my favorite of BaN discography (The second one. Starting after the first minute. No words to describe the level of awesomeness. Holy shiiiiiit).
It's a shame the rest of the album isn't on par, even if it's good enough overall maybe a bit too linear.

I'm still trying to figure this album out. It sounds like a subdued and hypnotic TWWTG, or a less delirious MoRT, but not quite on par with those two. Definitely a weird and occasional listen, for me.

Now this is a BAN album that holds the test of time. Considering he hasn't released anything truly good for years now this album seems all the more better. Amazing trance-inducing sound and hypnotic drums, and killer riff after killer riff. Truly like emerging from the dark hole of MoRT to find yourself in a grey limbo; a perfect companion piece to that album. Shame it's seldom spoken about.

I wish you good luck in finding a better resolution picture of this cover

Written by Paz on 19.01.2017 at 12:53

I wish you good luck in finding a better resolution picture of this cover

Hmm, pretty sure that's not the original cover for this album. That would be this one.



Actually I'm not sure where that cover is even from. It's not on discogs: https://www.discogs.com/Blut-Aus-Nord-Odinist-The-Destruction-Of-Reason-By-Illumination/master/22651

Yeah...

We are probably the only site in the universe using this cover I have no idea where it came from.