Listened to the first two songs, but couldn't get into it. Too much noise, which disguises the actual melody and makes it difficult to detect songwriting. Sigh...just like so many other early BM albums.

Written by [user id=105293] on 25.02.2011 at 21:58

Listened to the first two songs, but couldn't get into it. Too much noise, which disguises the actual melody and makes it difficult to detect songwriting. Sigh...just like so many other early BM albums.

If you are seriously exploring the BM part of the universe, you just can't give up so easily on this great album . It took some 5 or maybe 10 rotations (and some of them while being quietly in the dark) for me to consolidate, embrace and appreciate such inhospitable and mysterious message from the ancient times so to speak. The atmosphere and overall picture this poem conjures up is monumental and creative songwriting is its cornerstone.
Regarding the noise, i think its just the distortion of the guitars, which is even quite decent for BM standards.
Definitely not an avarage BM and not early either, this is imo one of the pinnacles of (at the time) dying second wave of BM.

Written by Cryzpin on 09.03.2011 at 12:32

Written by [user id=105293] on 25.02.2011 at 21:58

Listened to the first two songs, but couldn't get into it. Too much noise, which disguises the actual melody and makes it difficult to detect songwriting. Sigh...just like so many other early BM albums.

If you are seriously exploring the BM part of the universe, you just can't give up so easily on this great album

I'm totally into black metal now, after listening to Axioma Ethica Odini. I didn't give up easy and it payed off.

Written by [user id=105293] on 09.03.2011 at 12:46

Written by Cryzpin on 09.03.2011 at 12:32

Written by [user id=105293] on 25.02.2011 at 21:58

Listened to the first two songs, but couldn't get into it. Too much noise, which disguises the actual melody and makes it difficult to detect songwriting. Sigh...just like so many other early BM albums.

If you are seriously exploring the BM part of the universe, you just can't give up so easily on this great album

I'm totally into black metal now, after listening to Axioma Ethica Odini. I didn't give up easy and it payed off.

Wow that didn't take long

Written by [user id=107773] on 09.03.2011 at 13:09

Wow that didn't take long

Blame Enslaved for making a genre-breaker: an album that is so great, it sparks an interest in the genre which it represents. Few bands can pull that off.

Written by [user id=105293] on 09.03.2011 at 12:46

I'm totally into black metal now, after listening to Axioma Ethica Odini. I didn't give up easy and it payed off.

If you wanted to get into these guys from a new-to-the-scene black metal perspective I would recommend the sequel to this album, 'Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars' - it's far less abbrasive in guitar tone and concentrates more on melody and is somewhat progressive in nature. Personally I find it a bit on the light side but then that's because I prefer BaN's non-black metal stuff. I reckon you'd like MV II quite a bit.

Written by [user id=105293] on 09.03.2011 at 13:12

Written by [user id=107773] on 09.03.2011 at 13:09

Wow that didn't take long

Blame Enslaved for making a genre-breaker: an album that is so great, it sparks an interest in the genre which it represents. Few bands can pull that off.

As you say, i like the term genre-breaker. For me and BM it was At The Heart Of Winter of Immortal some years ago, did you hear that one? Amazing melodic BM with thrashy ingrediences.

Written by [user id=4365] on 09.03.2011 at 13:13

If you wanted to get into these guys from a new-to-the-scene black metal perspective I would recommend the sequel to this album, 'Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars' - it's far less abbrasive in guitar tone and concentrates more on melody and is somewhat progressive in nature. Personally I find it a bit on the light side but then that's because I prefer BaN's non-black metal stuff. I reckon you'd like MV II quite a bit.

Yeah, thanks. I remember listening to a few tracks from MV II a few weeks ago and I liked those a lot more than MV I.

Written by Cryzpin on 09.03.2011 at 13:17

Written by [user id=105293] on 09.03.2011 at 13:12

Blame Enslaved for making a genre-breaker: an album that is so great, it sparks an interest in the genre which it represents. Few bands can pull that off.

As you say, i like the term genre-breaker. For me and BM it was At The Heart Of Winter of Immortal some years ago, did you hear that one? Amazing melodic BM with thrashy ingrediences.

That's just one of my cool new terms, another is "synthonic" metal, referring to metal bands that use synthesizers to create a pseudo-symphonic sound-scape that makes songs feel epic, but doesn't take much effort . As for "At The Heart Of Winter", I haven't heard that one quite yet, definitely on my list though.

Written by [user id=105293] on 09.03.2011 at 13:18

Written by [user id=4365] on 09.03.2011 at 13:13

If you wanted to get into these guys from a new-to-the-scene black metal perspective I would recommend the sequel to this album, 'Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars' - it's far less abbrasive in guitar tone and concentrates more on melody and is somewhat progressive in nature. Personally I find it a bit on the light side but then that's because I prefer BaN's non-black metal stuff. I reckon you'd like MV II quite a bit.

Yeah, thanks. I remember listening to a few tracks from MV II a few weeks ago and I liked those a lot more than MV I.

I can only assume you chose this record to listen to because it has the highest score (for some reason). I don't really see why so many people like it and Ultima Thulee to be honest. I reckon MV II would be a good place to go after that Enslaved record, you won't find many black metal records with as much melody (but a bit of an edge) as MV II.

I also doubly recommend 'At The Heart Of Winter' too.

Great album. The guitar tone is excellent, the atmosphere is very good and all the riffs are clear. Also proves that leadwork sounds good in black metal.

Great melodic BM, this album. I enjoy this a whole lot after many spins. Much better than MV II.

Had this album in my library for years but after hearing it in peace and with the outstanding lyrics i understood the greatness of the album. If you listen to the album for the first time, don't give up by complaining with the heavy distortion and you not being able to hear the song properly. Behind the rawness and the "noise" are one of the best melodies and riffs I've ever heard. And this was the time BAN was pure black metal, personally not a fan of their industrial work. Favorite BAN album.

I would call this Post Black Metal rather than Atmospheric black metal as I didn't hear any black and gloomy atmosphere.

This album gets more beautfiul everytime I listen to it. That guitar solo in track 2 is so Floydesque, it hurts. Feels so damn good the paainn.

Written by Dr. Strawberry on 04.06.2014 at 12:10

I would call this Post Black Metal rather than Atmospheric black metal as I didn't hear any black and gloomy atmosphere.

Where is Lit. with his totally fitting video response?

I'm not that good in recognizing post metal, as I don't listen to it often, but this album is melodic BM without a doubt. If you don't think this is BM then you're clueless about what BM sounds like.

Is there a claim like this album can be post metal ?

Written by angel. on 06.09.2014 at 16:10
Is there a claim like this album can be post metal ?

Not until now.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 06.09.2014 at 16:12

Not until now.

Well I asked because of what Erik wrote above, could this album even get close to being post-metal ? Although I have checked it out long time ago, I don't think that I noticed anything post-metal-ish about it.

Written by angel. on 06.09.2014 at 16:34
Well I asked because of what Erik wrote above...

That was in response to God Buster, who is really in his own world when it comes to genre classifications. I wouldn't read too much into any of his posts, for the sake of your sanity.

Written by Erik M. on 06.09.2014 at 16:01

Where is Lit. with his totally fitting video response?

Not gonna waste all my video responses on that idiot. I'll save them for people that actually deserve them.

Written by angel. on 06.09.2014 at 16:34

Well I asked because of what Erik wrote above, could this album even get close to being post-metal ? Although I have checked it out long time ago, I don't think that I noticed anything post-metal-ish about it.

Of course this isn't post-metal, not even post BM. It's totally melodic BM and that's it. The guy who said it is post-metal to his ears once again proves he's clueless when it comes to genres (he also thinks 40 Watt Sun's debut is progressive doom metal, so go figure )

Written by [user id=101272] on 06.09.2014 at 21:28

Not gonna waste all my video responses on that idiot. I'll save them for people that actually deserve them.

Fair enough I guess.

I think I actually prefer MVII and MVIII to this. None of them are among BAN's best work, not at all, but as far as the MV style goes, parts II and III just seem a bit more evolved in comparison to this (though still pretty normal by BM standards).

I never liked this side of BaN. I'm really glad that I can listen to The Eye instead, which is similar to this, just better.

Written by Cryzpin on 09.03.2011 at 12:32

Written by [user id=105293] on 25.02.2011 at 21:58

Listened to the first two songs, but couldn't get into it. Too much noise, which disguises the actual melody and makes it difficult to detect songwriting. Sigh...just like so many other early BM albums.

If you are seriously exploring the BM part of the universe, you just can't give up so easily on this great album . It took some 5 or maybe 10 rotations (and some of them while being quietly in the dark) for me to consolidate, embrace and appreciate such inhospitable and mysterious message from the ancient times so to speak. The atmosphere and overall picture this poem conjures up is monumental and creative songwriting is its cornerstone.
Regarding the noise, i think its just the distortion of the guitars, which is even quite decent for BM standards.
Definitely not an avarage BM and not early either, this is imo one of the pinnacles of (at the time) dying second wave of BM.

very well said man. i can never describe why this is my favourite album of all time. It wasnt an instant hit with me but i actually sat in a dark room with the lyrics in front of me and then only i could grasp the beauty of this epic. One cant hear the subtle bass perfectly inculcated, the overall theme(which can only be fully understood with the lyrics imo), the beautiful continuity and storytelling, and obviously the genius of Vindsval etc in a noisy environment while on the go.
I would advice those who gave up of this album after a few listens to give it another try, I hope you change your opinion because it is a masterpiece and definitely deserves to be in Top 200 atleast imo.

This album has certainly grown on me, after my first listen I thought I wasted my time with it, I could hear too much going on in the background, and it the guitar melodies were too blurry, but eventually after a few more listens It all began to come together, I love the sound of the backing vocals most which gives it a haunting atmosphere, which sounds to me like mountain men calling from deep in the Alps. The atmosphere gives me a soundscape where I imagine myself looking down a frozen valley from a mountain top. It's the atmosphere that got me hooked, as well as the beautiful guitar riffs which I began to hear more of.

I'm a totally BaN fanboy, to the point where Vindsval is probably my favorite living composer, but MVI took a while to click. The production is noisy and the performance is a lot looser than later work. Yet there is super dense beauty buried under it all. I think this album great, in part, for just how inaccessible it can be at the beginning, and just how rewarding it is once familiarity finally settles in.