Blut Aus Nord - 777 - Sect(s) review
| Band: | Blut Aus Nord |
| Album: | 777 - Sect(s) |
| Style: | Industrial black metal |
| Release date: | April 18, 2011 |
| A review by: | Jοe |
01. Epitome I
02. Epitome II
03. Epitome III
04. Epitome IV
05. Epitome V
06. Epitome VI
Whilst Blut Aus Nord have never quite garnered the anticipation that French contemporaries Deathspell Omega have, there has been a palpable sense of wanting for this particular release ever since the numbers "777" were uttered feck-knows how long ago after being touted as an industrialised follow up of sorts to The Work Which Transforms God and that really long, nonsensical named EP. After a lengthy wait further promises were made confirming these notions, as well as quashing any ideas that 777 would be a spin off band rather than merely another side to BaN, the final product, 777 Sect(s), has brought with it both familiarity and surprises.
To be frank this is a mixture of practically every BaN record since TWWTG: the brutality of Liber I and TWWTG; the strange electronic dub from Thematic (at the end of "Epitome 1"); a few keyboard atmospherics from MVII and a whole barrel load of the snaking dissonance seen in MoRT. The production is far punchier, the drums brought forward into the mix and the drum machine itself are complimentary to the sterile tones the band is known for whilst still making room for the rich atonal barrages of the rest of the music. I actually feel sorry for the guitars used to record this. I can only assume Vindsval must have bent and stretched and contorted the strings within an inch of their short little lives to get the dissonance present here. It is not for the faint of heart.
"Epitome 2" serves as the record's "Procession Of The Dead Clowns" and is largely successful in recapturing what made that song so magical: the deathly epic, winding guitar groans conveying total finality, even if it is misplaced within the track listing. The record's finisher, "Epitome 6", a superbly confident and trawling industrial number, should have been in its place whilst "2" should have ended the record. In between these two tracks is the slow (for the most part) bludgeoning 12-minuter "Epitome 4" whilst the rest of the "Epitomes" comprise the absurdly technical and discordant meat of 777 Sect(s), with God-knows what else crammed in with it.
It's just missing a certain something, but not in the traditional way you might expect. Everything that's here is stellar, it covers more ground than most bands do in a whole career, but smashing it into 45 minutes was a mistake and it's in need of extensions (at least 15 minutes' worth) and transitional segues to smooth the progressions between the styles. I can even tell you exactly what those segues should consist of and that's the ambient/industrial aspects smattered throughout TWWTG and the Systematic Illumination Of Stereotypical Complicity EP. To allow this rather gorgeous little brute to slow down and breathe would highlight and amplify the spastic technicality of the record as a whole, giving it substance and perspective and a feel of completeness. "Epitome 2" and "6" very nearly fulfill this need but I still feel are stretched thin by this requisite. Quite simply: more of The Work and Thematic next time please Vindsy.
Regardless of this particular minor niggle this is by far and away the most relevant piece of work the band have released since MoRT, a return of sorts to the boundary shirking hyper-dissonance and deep, dense sonic exploration they do best while both pushing forward and harking backwards. Go on you misfits; go get yourself some aural punishment.
Written by Jοe | 31.03.2011
Comments
Comments: 26
Visited by: 397 users
| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681  |
Great review . and I just "discovered" TWwTG  when I read the part where you said that the album needed some ambient\industrial parts to cool down between the songs I immediately thought of the one who does this in the perfect way Alexander Von Meilenwald. I can't imagine any of his work without those short ambient segues. so I can definitely see where you're coming from
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Jοe Account deleted |
Jοe
Account deleted Written by InnerSelf on 31.03.2011 at 09:54 Wow you only just got round to listening to TWwTG? I'm jealous, I'd love to listen to that album for the first time and be blown away all over again. And yeah, Meilenwald is a total genius. He and Vindsval are two of a kind in the music scene, but Vindsval definintely needed to take a breather on this record. And cheers ;]
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
Written by [user id=4365] on 31.03.2011 at 13:08 I have only checked out the procession of dead clowns and it was like... at least 6 months ago so I don't remember a thing about that album in particular. I'm still "going" to buy it but I always forget hahahaha.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Jοe Account deleted |
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 31.03.2011 at 13:55 I am truly overwhelmed at this point because it is utterly brilliant and Procession of Dead Clowns is the best closing track ever and thus will check this one out as soon as possible
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427  |
Written by InnerSelf on 01.04.2011 at 14:27 Yeah, that's what I thought too. Then I discovered the other tracks aren't nearly as good.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| tonyta Posts: 5 |
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Well I finally got around to listen to this. I am going to be honest and say that I prefer this a bit over TWwTG , even though I agree that it needs some breather passages in between the songs but sometimes the songs' outros serve those parts. it seems focused and to the point ,the production is perfect and the vocals are great as always.and Epitome 2 kills EDIT: but it is definitely short
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
About the "need to breath" I'm pretty sure this little brute of an album will make a lot of more sense when the triology is complete... Just like Deathspell Omega's triology... I can't wait to get my hands on their third part and finally listen to everything in order. Damn... I'm enjoying this stuff more than I remembered. Maybe I'm going to give it one point more...
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 08.12.2011 at 23:54 True. I have the same feeling about this
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322  |
Written by InnerSelf on 04.08.2011 at 16:46 Me too. But still, I like Memoria Vetusta 1 more than 777 than TWwTG. TWwTG is definitely harder to digest than Sect(s).
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by Oaken on 23.02.2012 at 23:42 After so many listens this is what I think : The Desanctification = TWwTG > Sect(s)
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by InnerSelf on 24.02.2012 at 00:00 I still have to listen to The Desanctification. Is it that good?
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by Oaken on 24.02.2012 at 00:01 Hell yeah ! If you like their industrial sound this would be great
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by InnerSelf on 24.02.2012 at 00:08 I still don't totally get TWwTG but I quite like Sects. Nowhere as near as Memoria Vetusta 1 though. Probably one of my all time favorites, up there with Agalloch's Ashes Against The Grain and Immortal's At The Heart Of Winter.
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by Oaken on 24.02.2012 at 00:10 depends on what you want from music, I think that I'm the only one who appreciate both the old and the new stuff that BaN has done. I still like the experimental stuff like MoRT, The Desanctification and TWwTG more but I think almost everything they've done is great
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
The thing I find just baffling is that their traditional BM is nowhere near the classics of Immortal or similar scandinavian BM of the 90s... and for some reason most people buy into it. They are good and all, but to put them in the same spot as albums like At The Heart Of Winter kicks my wtf-reflex.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 24.02.2012 at 07:20 I find their BM stuff okay to very good, I won't count them among the classics at all though. MV II was especially good with its spacey vibe and the rest are just solid.
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 24.02.2012 at 07:20 I disagree about that. Memoria Vetusta 1 has the best black metal guitar tone ever.
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by InnerSelf on 24.02.2012 at 10:15 They are solid stuff indeed but I laugh every time someone puts them in the same place as bands stuff like Immortal, Darkthrone, Mayhem, you know... classic shizzle. I laugh because it's far more usual than I expected.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 24.02.2012 at 18:07 You mean stuff like Transilvanian Hunger, At the Heart of Winter and De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas ... ? definitely no where near those classics.
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 |
Written by InnerSelf on 31.03.2011 at 09:54 He's the master of cramming albums with interludes. Just look at Unlock The Shrine. Between each two black metal tracks you get an interlude. Not counting the ambient passages that are parts of the BM songs themselves. Some of the interludes kick ass. I especially like the mad feel of "Pawns Of Procession".
---- In that case, man is only air as well.
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681 |
Written by Oaken on 20.04.2012 at 02:10 Agreed. The man is one of my BM idols
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989  |
Excellent review, you pretty much said exactly how I feel about it  This is honestly my least favorite of the 777 albums. Not because it's bad, but because, as you said, it just feels a bit incomplete. I'd give it a 7/10, maybe 7.5. The Desanctification and Cosmosophy are a lot more cohesive.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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