Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars

Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars is the seventh album by French avant-garde black metal band Blut Aus Nord. The album demonstrates more traditional black metal songwriting and structure than previous album MoRT, with critics noting that stylistically this album represents a balance between the band's more experimental work and the band's earlier, more traditional black metal releases.[1]

Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 23, 2009
GenreAtmospheric black metal, melodic black metal
Length59:56
LabelCandlelight Records (CANDLE141CD)
Blut Aus Nord chronology
Odinist: The Destruction of Reason by Illumination
(2007)
Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars
(2009)
777 – Sect(s)
(2011)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
Metal InjectionVery positive[3]
MetalSucks     [4]
PopMatters8/10[1]

The album was received very positively by critics. Writing for AllMusic, Alex Henderson gave the album 4/5. He described it as "melodic in a dark, brooding, atmospheric way", concluding that "This isn't happy, escapist music; the material is full of gloom and pessimism, but it is well-crafted and nicely executed. Detractors can claim that Dialogue with the Stars is "too artsy" all they want; the bottom line is that from a creative standpoint, Blut Aus Nord get to have the last laugh."[2]

Stereogum's Brandon Stosuy named the album as the 8th best metal album of 2009, writing that "Memoria Vetusta II does what it promises, creating an hour’s worth of sky-shooting epics (fluid guitar solos, repeating motifs, etc.) that move from fragile and meditative to blistering in a heartbeat and really do feel like they’re talking to the constellations. Endless boogie, for sure."[5]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Acceptance (Aske)"1:30
2."Disciple's Libration (Lost in the Nine Worlds)"9:06
3."The Cosmic Echoes of Non-Matter (Immaterial Voices of the Fathers)"6:29
4."Translucent Body of Air (Sutta Anapanasati)"2:24
5."Antithesis of the Flesh (...And Then Arises a New Essence)"7:53
6."...the Meditant (Dialogue With the Stars)"10:14
7."The Alcove of Angels (Vispassana)"8:43
8."The Formless Sphere (Beyond the Reason)"9:27
9."Elevation"4:10

Personnel

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Additional Personnel
  • David Cragné - artwork

References

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  1. ^ a b Begrand, Adrian (March 17, 2009). "Rise of the Jötunn: In Flames in the 1990s". Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Henderson, Alex. "AllMusic Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue with the Stars". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  3. ^ "BLUT AUS NORD's Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue With the Stars: The Metal Injection Review". February 26, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  4. ^ O'Hagar, Sammy (February 11, 2009). "BLUT AUS NORD PROVE THEY'RE THE GREATEST FRENCHMEN SINCE HENRY IV ON MEMORIA VETUSTA II". Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  5. ^ Stosuy, Brandon (December 19, 2009). "Haunting The Chapel: The 30 Best Metal Albums Of 2009 (Plus Dozens Of Guest Lists)". Retrieved May 1, 2016.