Love this band and celebrate their entire catalog, though this one is my absolute favorite. There are utterly epic melodies throughout the record that don't so much stylistically appear on anything else they've released. The Formless Sphere is one of the best damn songs ever.

I would never have thought that I will say this: This is the first time I think you overrated the album.
A solid melodic black metal album for sure. But the originality should be left behind at 6-7 level at most. But yeah, solid album... Falls flat compared to BAN's innovative albums but it can kick a lot of ass against all the other black metal bands around in which case the 8 is justified.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 10.10.2011 at 16:18

I would never have thought that I will say this: This is the first time I think you overrated the album.
A solid melodic black metal album for sure. But the originality should be left behind at 6-7 level at most. But yeah, solid album... Falls flat compared to BAN's innovative albums but it can kick a lot of ass against all the other black metal bands around in which case the 8 is justified.

To be completely honest, I never really understood the mega-hype behind their experimental works. It's good, but how everyone gets the idea that it's somehow better than everything else is beyond me. It's not like they're perfectly unique in that style, either.

When someone says industrial black, the first thing that pops into my mind are Aborym and Mysticum, hardly BaN.

Written by Slayer666 on 11.10.2011 at 12:40


To be completely honest, I never really understood the mega-hype behind their experimental works. It's good, but how everyone gets the idea that it's somehow better than everything else is beyond me. It's not like they're perfectly unique in that style, either.

When someone says industrial black, the first thing that pops into my mind are Aborym and Mysticum, hardly BaN.

That's because Blut aus Nord aren't really industrial black metal most of the time, aside from the drum machine, and their style changes too drastically. They either play a form of melodic black metal, like on this album and pre-The Work, which is extremely competent but ultimately been done before, or they play, in my opinion, a virtually totally unique form of avant-garde industrial metal. Take the industrial tracks off The Work, Thematic and everything on MoRT and that's where their talent lays, not least because they're the only band doing that style (find me more and you get a cookie). The style seen on Aborym (incredibly boring stuff) and Mysticum (one decent album) gets done all the time, although it could be compared to the 777 stuff (though I'd take 777 naturally as it's more expansive and chaotic).

Written by Slayer666 on 11.10.2011 at 12:40
When someone says industrial black, the first thing that pops into my mind are Aborym and Mysticum, hardly BaN.

Same as Joe:
- I hardly see their experimental works as industrial black metal... Just a different kind of industrial metal.
- Would love to know more bands that sound like them. (I would give you TWO cookies)
- The music they make otherwise is good indeed but original? hell no.

Damn you. I only have one cookie left...

Written by [user id=4365] on 11.10.2011 at 16:29

Damn you. I only have one cookie left...

I'll send you some asap so you can buy some recommendations for good industrial.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 11.10.2011 at 15:55

(I would give you TWO cookies)

Written by [user id=4365] on 11.10.2011 at 12:59

(find me more and you get a cookie)

*in a heavily British accent*
Take your cookies and put them up your bums, lads.

Although, you both make a good point. My problem is that I'm not quite impressed by their unique style as mostly everyone else seems to be. I can even say that I enjoy their conventional work even more than the innovative one these days. Maybe I'll gain more appreciation for it in time.

Written by Slayer666 on 12.10.2011 at 11:03

My problem is that I'm not quite impressed by their unique style as mostly everyone else seems to be.

That is off course a completely valid point of view. You get a cookie for it.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 12.10.2011 at 12:31

Written by Slayer666 on 12.10.2011 at 11:03

My problem is that I'm not quite impressed by their unique style as mostly everyone else seems to be.

That is off course a completely valid point of view. You get a cookie for it.

But it doesn't change the fact that giving an 8 for originality to this album is way too high. Even though he prefers this style to BaN's other one fact remains the style on this one is totally unoriginal

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.10.2011 at 12:34

But it doesn't change the fact that giving an 8 for originality to this album is way too high. Even though he prefers this style to BaN's other one fact remains the style on this one is totally unoriginal

Yeah I previously wrote about the originality part and still stand by it regardless of how good itthe album is or not.

If it is this good I really don't care about the originality. yes it has all the elements from the Melodic Black sub-genre but it is done in the BaN way which is D'best

Written by InnerSelf on 01.11.2011 at 20:19

If it is this good I really don't care about the originality.

Well, it's not like I care about originality either, but I like to see and read accurate stuff and that originality rating is totally off, that is all.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 09.11.2011 at 15:23

Written by InnerSelf on 01.11.2011 at 20:19

If it is this good I really don't care about the originality.

Well, it's not like I care about originality either, but I like to see and read accurate stuff and that originality rating is totally off, that is all.

I totally get what you're talking about, and the originality factor should be pointed out and taken into consideration in a review. I was just in the middle of a BaN crush when I posted that

Ratings-wise sure the originality should be lower...although technically when does an album ever really come along that's original? I'd say out of the 200+ albums I've heard this year, maybe a dozen - or fewer - actually felt original within the entire metal spectrum. And that's not to say they're original. They took influence from something.