Shooting Oblivion: Blut Aus Nord – 777 – Sect(s) | Metalbase | Taking Indian Rock, Metal Global

Shooting Oblivion: Blut Aus Nord – 777 – Sect(s)

Aug 31 • Reviews, Shooting Oblivion, The Slumbering Ent • 3684 Views • No Comments on Shooting Oblivion: Blut Aus Nord – 777 – Sect(s)

The absolutely brilliant artwork is by Chilean artist Daniel Valencia from Fenomeno Design

Dipankar Mohanty revisits part I (777 – Sect(s)) of Blut Aus Nord‘s famed Desanctification series, released via Debumur Morti.

For the uninitiated Blut Aus Nord (BAN) are one of the pioneers in the extreme metal genre. BAN completely alienated themselves from conventional black metal during their path breaking release ‘The Work Which Transforms God’. Over the years, the band has been churning out dark industrial drenched black metal releases that continue to push the boundaries of their dominion. 777 – Sect(s) is the first of the 777 trilogy.

Epitome I: Introduction to chaos is what it is. Immediately it is a descent into spiraling madness. A wall of sound with multiple layers not only hits the listener straight in the face but sucks him into the intricate layers of portals. There is no easing into the album, but it’s more like a violent pull which lays out what to expect. As the song nears its end and after being subjected to the initial assault the listener stands in front of a door to a dark recess in his mind, completely defenseless. The album now has the listener’s attention. Epitome II: It immediately picks up from the first track. A smooth melody hides the crawling undercurrent. It genuinely feels as if a beast is trying to break out, but is barely restrained by the strong melody running on top of it. By this time the listener should realize that he is not safe at all. In fact, his harbinger of doom is somewhere very close. The melody is only present there to numb his defenses further. Epitome III: This is vintage BAN. When the listener begins to think that the flow is set and there will be consistency, there is another attack on the senses, but this time deeper within the web of the album. Within its territory is where the listener is now. Another break in the song and the eerie atmosphere reinforces itself. It’s as if the band is toying with the listener’s senses. Epitome IV: True initiation. This is where I firmly believe that the album captures the listener, as he is absorbed by the atmosphere and is reborn. Again, a great melody riding over a strong base of subdued industrial drum patterns. The listener is now transformed and he has no exits. He now proceeds to dance over the body of his former self. Epitome V: The desecration continues. By now, the listener should have forgotten about his past. This is now just a macabre celebration. The track has a spiraling element to it. Up and down patterns within which carefully placed piercing guitars are included to hurt the listener. But this time, he should enjoy it. Epitome VI: The journey begins. The transformed subject with his new identity firmly in place now must embark on a journey alone. The dark celebration is complete and now he must move deeper and deeper into the labyrinth. The soundtrack is perfect for it. Fantastic melody with a relatively toned down dark undertone, but is it another trick to make the listener more vulnerable?

The first part of the trilogy is complete and I can’t wait to hear what lies in store in the other two parts. The trilogy just can’t be digested together at once. Did I read the album correctly or is it something that I wait to reflect on? Just the mere thought of them embarking on something this ambitious is alone mind blowing. Only time will tell what the future holds. BAN is twisted and the mind has to sink in a couple of notches to get a glimpse of what’s going on. This is best devoured along with a vivid imagination. Let the mind wander.

Revisit the entire album on bandcamp