Hallucinogen

Hallucinogen begins a new era for BLUT AUS NORD, ending the cycle of clandestine industrialised dissonance that culminated with previous transmission Deus Salutis Meae and 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 that finds BLUT AUS NORD more open than ever, full of life and revelling in the element of surprise. Hallucinogen is yet another coherent universe from a band who have moved away from familiar tropes, aesthetics and comfort zones to unite - with Dionysian spirit - under/overland, surface/void, metropolis/mountain and the vastness of the mind’s eye into an indispensable addition to their unparalleled body of work.

For all the psychedelic and progressive tendencies present on Hallucinogen, Blut Aus Nord's 13th album, it remains firmly rooted in their brand of avant-black metal.

Black metal, perhaps more than any of metal's sub-genres, is associated with a conservative mindset — oftentimes politically, yes, but certainly overbearingly in a musical sense. It's a double-edged sword. The outlook benefits the style due to the associated maniacal devotion of fans who rally with...