New tool album looks great

From the description on Bandcamp, it looks like they're going in a sort of Shoegaze/Dream Pop direction which is very interesting. I'm interested to see how BaN take the contemporary Blackgaze sound into something their own.

Written by FullyOttoMatic on 08.08.2019 at 17:34

From the description on Bandcamp, it looks like they're going in a sort of Shoegaze/Dream Pop direction which is very interesting. I'm interested to see how BaN take the contemporary Blackgaze sound into something their own.

To me it seems more like some kind of psychedelic, metallic prog direction, going by the description and name / imagery, but then again band's self-descriptions are often way off so who knows what it'll be like.

Also, this needs to be seen in full:




I also need this shirt so it better be a good record.

Written by Mercurial on 08.08.2019 at 17:45

Written by FullyOttoMatic on 08.08.2019 at 17:34

From the description on Bandcamp, it looks like they're going in a sort of Shoegaze/Dream Pop direction which is very interesting. I'm interested to see how BaN take the contemporary Blackgaze sound into something their own.

To me it seems more like some kind of psychedelic, metallic prog direction, going by the description and name / imagery, but then again band's self-descriptions are often way off so who knows what it'll be like.

That is more than possible as well. Just interested to see the band chart in new territory, they've done a lot with epic Atmospheric Black Metal and Industrial Black Metal and it will be cool to see how they choose to chart their sound next.

Written by FullyOttoMatic on 08.08.2019 at 18:03

That is more than possible as well. Just interested to see the band chart in new territory, they've done a lot with epic Atmospheric Black Metal and Industrial Black Metal and it will be cool to see how they choose to chart their sound next.

Yeah I think it's good he's putting the dissonant, industrial black sound in the past; he's pretty much done everything he could with it. At least this way he stays relevant and keeps things interesting.

Written by Mercurial on 08.08.2019 at 17:46

Also, this needs to be seen in full:

I'm surprised you didn't mention Bloodborne when posting that.

Written by Zap on 08.08.2019 at 20:51

I'm surprised you didn't mention Bloodborne when posting that.

I did think about Bloodborne when I first saw it. Reminded me right away of the brain trusts lel

Yeah, I recall a recent BAN interview where Vindsval said he's really looking to move the band beyond the dissonant, industrial sound. So I'm pretty curious to see what that may result in as an alternative.

So yeah this is better and more unique than MV albums, but still, it feels long for what it offers. The melodic, cheesy leads get boring and annoying quickly. some of the breaks just feel out of place and unnecessary. I also noticed some thrashy(?) moments at the end of Mahagma and Cosma Procyiris, which of course is the last thing I want from a BaN album. In case you were wondering, there is almost zero presence of psychedelia here. I'm kinda happy about that. I hope that he makes a psychedelic version of his more industrial and abstract works and does not waste them on his melodic side
I think this could be a nice direction and something he could explore more. I wish there was more diversity to justify the length.

Early stream!

To my ears the rest of the album doesn't sound all that different from the first track they shared, but that's not exactly a bad thing. Approach is pretty uniform and consistent throughout: midtempo meloblack with choirs, airy melodies, and occasional atmospheric breaks. Few blast sections here and there too. It's meloblack for sure and honestly more psychedelic in the "lazy floating cloud" way than the "dense, swirling space" way, but it's still quite a distinct take on meloblack and unquestionably stamped with the BAN signature. A lot of the riffing patterns on the first half especially sort of mirror some of the 777 work.

Written by Auntie Sahar on 20.09.2019 at 21:19

Early stream!

Actually it was released earlier because it leaked.
After only one listen, I like the album a lot and agree 100% with your assessment. I also don't understand the connection people make with the MV albums, apart from the fact that it's more melodic than it was expected I guess. Definitely going to give this more listens.

Written by nikarg on 21.09.2019 at 10:02

I also don't understand the connection people make with the MV albums, apart from the fact that it's more melodic than it was expected I guess.

Me either, it really isn't that similar to them at all. It's definitely melodic black metal, but not in the way we'd ordinarily imagine it. There is similarity to some earlier BAN work in the songwriting, and the airier, more spacious moments seem to even take a bit of influence from shoegaze(?)

That thing they said about the rock n roll swagger had me worried but it fits their sound surprisingly well.

I don't think I'll ever revisit this but I'm glad he's trying things that are relatively unique for Blut Aus Nord. Too bad the cover art ended up being the best aspect of this album.

I probably enjoyed this more than MV III, and definitely more than Deus Salutis Meæ. I didn't even have expectations and I'm surprised. That's refreshing.

The label with their description of the album spoiled it for me. I was expecting something different thus the disappointment is bigger. An average melodic/atmo BM just like the MV ones. Nothing psychodelic about it at all. Shame cuz the artwork is pure gold.

I quite like it. Rifftastic and dreamy, I see certain connections to the MVs but the atmosphere is very different and wouldn't fit a part IV.

Also, I am not quite sure why people were expecting something totally psychedelic, experimental or whatever. The Debemur description is spot on what the album is:

...moving skyward into freshly melodic territories of progressive clarity. Interweaving dreamlike choirs, inimitable harmonic developments, reflective clean guitars, palpable organic drumming and a welcome rock and roll swagger, Hallucinogen is a spacious, emotionally wide-ranging record...

Even if the title or cover might imply "psychedelia", it doesn't always have to translate into weird or fucked-up sounds music-wise, you can totally trip on dream-like atmospheres, floating in nebular space. I think this album reflects that perfectly.

I like it so far. It doesn't sound that like a BaN album except for some of the familiar sounding drums. Needs a few more listens

I like it, some of the heavier riffs are damn catchy. Definitely wouldn't call it average, though I can understand why some people are disappointed.

It's fine and I enjoyed it a fair bit, but it feels like a pretty standard melodic BM album.

Its ok. i liked the idea of it being instrumental trip, and occasional 'choirs' are cool, but im really struggling with enjoying drums on this. the whole album is not a brightest star in terms of production, which was disappointing considering how amazing that album art is, wow

Northern wheat bird has an album out for a week and no one from MS has reviewed it?

Awesome album. Love the layered guitar and the wave-y choir vocals too. If you can't hear the psych/prog influence in this you are deaf.

Catchy as hell.

Written by Boxcar Willy on 27.09.2019 at 18:30

Northern wheat bird has an album out for a week and no one from MS has reviewed it?

Patience, my lad

Well this was average and I'm sure it has been overrated.

It's a very interesting record that manages to be quite unique while still retaining the signature BaN sound. The melodies and distant chants are a highlight for me, I like an album that sets a strong atmosphere. I'm a big fan of psychedelic elements and abstraction in metal so this record is quite a good fit for me. Although there are a few weaker moments (usually certain parts or tracks overstaying their welcome) it's still a great album overall. [ 8.4 / 10 ]

^what psychedelic moments and abstractions?

Written by mz on 06.10.2019 at 02:28

^what psychedelic moments and abstractions?

It's mostly just related to the vocals, there's not much psychedelia left in the other elements. I mean shoegaze is sort of inherently psychedelic most of the time, but I'm not really counting that as a psychedelic quality towards post-black metal records, so I'm looking at elements outside of that when it comes to the instrumentation (certain melodic/solo-ish breaks like in Anthosmos or Haallucinählia, the soundscape in Haallucinählia together with the phase-y and resonant guitar effects, the intro to Anthosmos and other minor things). The vocals tho are the most psychedelic thing about this record, but still, overall it's subtle and not necessarily a primary defining feature of the record. However, at the same time, in a lot of the metal genres, any incorporation of slight psychedelic elements makes them stand out a lot more to me personally, it's just the way my brain processes it.

Addicted to it. Keeps me interested every time. I think that's the only point...